postal (dis)service
Pos Malaysia. Does that name make you shudder? It does for me. Let me relate.
I went to the USJ post office branch at Giant slightly after 12 noon, just before the lunch crowd came in hordes to do their postal business. I had a parcel to send overseas, and not trusting snail mail to get it to its destination safely, I thought I'd try out their PosLaju service instead.
For a first-time parcel sender (usually I'm able to fit the stuff into padded envelopes but this one's a bit bulkier), I searched everywhere for a proper hard cardboard box specifically for posting. Now, this is already my first complaint about our local post offices. I only managed to find these boxes in the larger, more modern branches like KLCC, but the branch at Giant certainly didn't have them for sale. Does this mean that if I need to get a parcel box, the only place I could find them was KLCC? That's far to travel for just a box! Our stationery shops certainly didn't sell these sort of boxes. Either that or we have to look for some old kotak that's sturdy enough to hold goods in without falling to pieces in transit. I so miss the post offices in Sydney where everything you need to get your goods across the miles safely are there at your disposal.
After spending a little time taping up the box carefully at the last minute, I looked for the number dispenser. "Press A for bill payments, Press B for other settlements." The notice was in Malay and much longer than that, took me a minute to figure out that I needed to press B. But as my finger wandered to the button, I read a note next to it... "For all transactions, please press A." Haiya, waste my time reading that notice.
Ok, so I took my number and had a seat. After just a minute of reading the signs above the counters, I realised all the "Kaunter Pelbagai Urusan" (Multi-Transaction Counter) didn't have a queue as long as the one at the corner of the post office. I quickly jumped up and asked the guy behind a counter (he was busy counting coins), "'Bang, nak hantar barang takyah ambik nombor ke? Terus pergi ke Kaunter itu?" (Bro, don't I have to take a number to send parcels? Go straight to that Counter?) I pointed towards the line.
He nodded automatically while still keeping rhythm in swiping coin by coin with his finger, from the table into his palm. Complaint number 2: why aren't there proper signs that tell you no number is needed for the parcel and stamp counter?
I joined the growing line of people waiting to buy their stamps and send their goods. After 10 minutes it was my turn, and before I could finish my sentence, "Nak hantar barang dengan PosLaju..." (I'd like to send a parcel via PosLaju), a form was thrusted to my face. Oh, did I need to fill that? I exited the queue and started filling up the form, which suspiciously looked a little out of place to me. It said "Untuk Kegunaan Dalam Negeri Sahaja" (For Domestic Use Only). Errrmmm... I was sending a parcel overseas. Did they use the same type of form for both? I quickly filled it and rejoined the queue which was getting longer by the minute. It's already 45 minutes from the time I first stepped into the post office till then.
I waited another 10 to 15 minutes till it was my turn again, and as I handed over the parcel and form I asked, "Ke luar negeri guna borang sama ke?" (Do we use the same form for international postage?) Uh-oh. You could almost see the sheepish smile from the guy who handed me the first form. He thrusted another form at my face, this time for international postage. Aaarrggghhhhh! I had to fill it up (again) and rejoin the queue (again). Needless to say this is my third complaint: why don't they have the initiative to ask whether you're sending a parcel to a domestic or international address? Do they assume the public automatically knows these facts already?
One hour had passed by and my tummy wasn't feeling too good from yesterday's gastric pains. I didn't feel hungry either so at least I could still get through the whole ordeal before I ate lunch. The air-conditioner was blowing out hot 32-degree C air which made the room hotter than it was outside. I filled up the (correct) form, queued up for the third time, and realised when he showed me the price... I had used up the money I thought I had. I didn't have enough to pay postage right there and then! Double aaarrrrggghhhh!!! I excused myself to walk 5 minutes down to the nearest working ATM (the one outside the post office was out of service, naturally).
I was tired and sweaty by the time I had the money and the right form to go with my parcel. The queue had grown to a mile long with the lunch crowd; what else could I do but get behind the line again. This time, I'd better get everything right!
Finally after 1.5 hours, I managed to send my parcel out. I'm quite disappointed in how ill-equipped our post offices are in providing boxes, tubes and padded envelopes for packing (the vending machine had a big "ROSAK" plastered on the front), how there are no clearly written guidelines on where to queue, parcel / letter postage rates are not on the notice board, no tips on how to wrap your package properly, etc. We certainly need a good upgrade, nay, overhaul of all our post offices from the smallest kampung branch to the most advanced in a shopping mall to ensure happier, more satisfied customers who would sing praises about our postal service instead of always talking about it in shame.
You know what the best joke of all was?
The constable (he's in what I thought was police uniform) who kept guard at the post office counters behind the locked doors actually helped sell stamps, take in registered mail and answered post-related queries.
LOL!!! *slaps forehead*
If you didn't get the parcel, don't blame me. I tried my best.
Technorati: humour, life
I went to the USJ post office branch at Giant slightly after 12 noon, just before the lunch crowd came in hordes to do their postal business. I had a parcel to send overseas, and not trusting snail mail to get it to its destination safely, I thought I'd try out their PosLaju service instead.
For a first-time parcel sender (usually I'm able to fit the stuff into padded envelopes but this one's a bit bulkier), I searched everywhere for a proper hard cardboard box specifically for posting. Now, this is already my first complaint about our local post offices. I only managed to find these boxes in the larger, more modern branches like KLCC, but the branch at Giant certainly didn't have them for sale. Does this mean that if I need to get a parcel box, the only place I could find them was KLCC? That's far to travel for just a box! Our stationery shops certainly didn't sell these sort of boxes. Either that or we have to look for some old kotak that's sturdy enough to hold goods in without falling to pieces in transit. I so miss the post offices in Sydney where everything you need to get your goods across the miles safely are there at your disposal.After spending a little time taping up the box carefully at the last minute, I looked for the number dispenser. "Press A for bill payments, Press B for other settlements." The notice was in Malay and much longer than that, took me a minute to figure out that I needed to press B. But as my finger wandered to the button, I read a note next to it... "For all transactions, please press A." Haiya, waste my time reading that notice.
Ok, so I took my number and had a seat. After just a minute of reading the signs above the counters, I realised all the "Kaunter Pelbagai Urusan" (Multi-Transaction Counter) didn't have a queue as long as the one at the corner of the post office. I quickly jumped up and asked the guy behind a counter (he was busy counting coins), "'Bang, nak hantar barang takyah ambik nombor ke? Terus pergi ke Kaunter itu?" (Bro, don't I have to take a number to send parcels? Go straight to that Counter?) I pointed towards the line.
He nodded automatically while still keeping rhythm in swiping coin by coin with his finger, from the table into his palm. Complaint number 2: why aren't there proper signs that tell you no number is needed for the parcel and stamp counter?
I joined the growing line of people waiting to buy their stamps and send their goods. After 10 minutes it was my turn, and before I could finish my sentence, "Nak hantar barang dengan PosLaju..." (I'd like to send a parcel via PosLaju), a form was thrusted to my face. Oh, did I need to fill that? I exited the queue and started filling up the form, which suspiciously looked a little out of place to me. It said "Untuk Kegunaan Dalam Negeri Sahaja" (For Domestic Use Only). Errrmmm... I was sending a parcel overseas. Did they use the same type of form for both? I quickly filled it and rejoined the queue which was getting longer by the minute. It's already 45 minutes from the time I first stepped into the post office till then.
I waited another 10 to 15 minutes till it was my turn again, and as I handed over the parcel and form I asked, "Ke luar negeri guna borang sama ke?" (Do we use the same form for international postage?) Uh-oh. You could almost see the sheepish smile from the guy who handed me the first form. He thrusted another form at my face, this time for international postage. Aaarrggghhhhh! I had to fill it up (again) and rejoin the queue (again). Needless to say this is my third complaint: why don't they have the initiative to ask whether you're sending a parcel to a domestic or international address? Do they assume the public automatically knows these facts already?
One hour had passed by and my tummy wasn't feeling too good from yesterday's gastric pains. I didn't feel hungry either so at least I could still get through the whole ordeal before I ate lunch. The air-conditioner was blowing out hot 32-degree C air which made the room hotter than it was outside. I filled up the (correct) form, queued up for the third time, and realised when he showed me the price... I had used up the money I thought I had. I didn't have enough to pay postage right there and then! Double aaarrrrggghhhh!!! I excused myself to walk 5 minutes down to the nearest working ATM (the one outside the post office was out of service, naturally).
I was tired and sweaty by the time I had the money and the right form to go with my parcel. The queue had grown to a mile long with the lunch crowd; what else could I do but get behind the line again. This time, I'd better get everything right!
Finally after 1.5 hours, I managed to send my parcel out. I'm quite disappointed in how ill-equipped our post offices are in providing boxes, tubes and padded envelopes for packing (the vending machine had a big "ROSAK" plastered on the front), how there are no clearly written guidelines on where to queue, parcel / letter postage rates are not on the notice board, no tips on how to wrap your package properly, etc. We certainly need a good upgrade, nay, overhaul of all our post offices from the smallest kampung branch to the most advanced in a shopping mall to ensure happier, more satisfied customers who would sing praises about our postal service instead of always talking about it in shame.
You know what the best joke of all was?
The constable (he's in what I thought was police uniform) who kept guard at the post office counters behind the locked doors actually helped sell stamps, take in registered mail and answered post-related queries.
LOL!!! *slaps forehead*
If you didn't get the parcel, don't blame me. I tried my best.
Technorati: humour, life
posted by may at 11:22 pm
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