XN000022-1985-08-13 — Page 8

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15, 1

POST OFFICE JOINS 'COURTESY TO PUBLIC' DRIVE

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THE POST OFFICE WAS AMONG TEN +FRONT-LINE+ GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TAKING PART IN A COURTESY DRIVE TO IMPROVE ITS SERVICE AND ALSO BRING IT EVEN CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE IT SERVED, THE ACT NG POSTMASTER GENERAL, MR DAVID LAN, SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).

WITH THE EXTREMELY WIDE DAILY CONTACTS WITH THE PUBLIC, HE SAID, THE POST OFFICE WAS QUITE SERIOUS TO MAKE THE DRIVE A REAL SUCCESS -- ALL MAJOR BRANCH POST OFFICES WITH COUNTER FACILITIES ARE INVOLVED IN THE EXERCISE.

LAUNCHED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CIVIL SERVICE BRANCH AND THE CIVIL SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE, THE DRIVE HAS BECOME A SERVICE-WIDE GOVERNMENT PROMOTION EFFORT.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCH MEETING OF THE LIONS CLUB OF SOUTH KOWLOON, M LAN SAID THAT THE SCHEME WAS UNLIKE THE ORDINARY COURTESY OR SMILE CAMPAIGN IN WHICH MANAGEMENT DIRECTED THE STAFF ON WHAT THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO.

+IN THIS EXERCISE THERE IS ACTIVE PARTICIPATION BY THE STAFF WHO WILL BE TAKING THE INITIATIVE THEMSELVES FOR MAKING

IMPROVEMENTS, HE SAID.

THE SCHEME HAD ALSO RECEIVED THE FULL SUPPORT OF ALL THEIR STAFF UNIONS AND THIS WAS VITAL FOR ITS SUCCESS, HE ADDED.

WITH THE POST OFFICE HANDLING AN AVERAGE OF 1.5 MILLION POSTAL ITEMS A DAY AND POSTAL TRAFFIC GROWING AT AN AVERAGE RATE OF EIGHT TO 10 PER CENT PER ANNUM, MR LAN SAID THAT THE POST OFFICE WAS CONSTANTLY SEEKING WAYS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICE.

AN EXAMPLE OF THIS, HE SAID, WAS THE FREE PICK-UP SERVICE INTRODUCED LAST YEAR WHEREBY SPEEDPOST ITEMS WOULD BE PICKED UP AT THE TELEPHONE REQUEST OF A CLIENT FROM HIS OFFICE OR HOME AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.

THE SERVICE, WHICH HAD BEEN EXTENDED TO COVER OVER 300 MAJUK CITIES IN 33 COUNTRIES, HAD PROVED A MOST WELCOMED FACILITY BY VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY AND AS A RESULT REVENUE AND TRAFFIC HAD INCREASED BY OVER 50 PER CENT ANNUALLY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, HE SAID.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM TO STREAMLINE THE VARIOUS MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS OF THE POST OFFICE.

THIS HAD ENABLED THE DEPARTMENT TO MAINTAIN THE LARGE VOLUME OF RECORDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OVER 40 000 LICENCES ISSUED AND TO FACILITATE THE ISSUE AND RENEWAL OF THESE LICENCES.

MR LAN ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE POST OFFICE RECENTLY ENGAGED THE BRITISH POST OFFICE TO UNDERTAKE A CONSULTANCY STUDY ON ELECTRONIC MAIL SORTING AND A STUDY OF THE REPORT FOUND THAT THE +OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION+ SYSTEM WOULD BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF IMPROVING EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMISING OPERATIONAL COST

IN THE LONG TERM.

HE ADDED THAT FUNDS WERE BEING SOUGHT FROM THE FINANCE BRANCH FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A SYSTEM.

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