4 ms·

That is exactly the problem Russian Post is experiencing. It does offer all sorts of services ranging from money transfers (like Western union but countrywide o

That is exactly the problem Russian Post is experiencing. It does offer all sorts of services ranging from money transfers (like Western union but countrywide only), payments (you can pay your utilities bill ex.), selling stuff ranging from seeds and plants to bread and sugar. The issues this is causing: immense queues, mail being delivered FROM Moscow TO Moscow (yes same city) in 7 days (yes, a week) and it is not uncommon, you are lucky if your mail makes it in 3 days. What is amusing that same letter going to, say, Vladivostok will take roughly same 3-4 days. Want that post from hell in your country? Go ahead, make it a bank, but it will be a bank not a post office anymore.

mschuster91 12y ago
Germany also has this problem, but in another way: most of the queues originate from understaffing. Our postal service also sells china-made headphones, batteries, emergency birthday gifts and other totally not postal or money-related shit. And I bet that a huge chunk of the profits originate from the side-selling business, just like gas stations where the main good (here: gas) is sold as a loss leader and the real profit is made with the stuff people buy by random...
- concerned_user 12y ago
  Yes biggest part of the problem in russia is that post is understaffed, but wages are laughable nobody wants to work there, and those that do work there do not care since there is constant shortage. So quality of service is poor.
song 12y ago
That might be the case in Russia, but, as a counterexample, the Chinese post offers banking services and is rather efficient. Likewise for the Japan Post.
haraball 12y ago
Norway has Post-in-shops, which is basically the opposite of what you describe here. You can do your post duties while shopping groceries, with the benefit of more flexible opening times, usually no queue and no need to go to a separate building just to post a package.
- concerned_user 12y ago
  Well they probably get paid more that minimum wage (case in russia) let alone living wage.

mschuster91 12y ago

Germany also has this problem, but in another way: most of the queues originate from understaffing. Our postal service also sells china-made headphones, batteries, emergency birthday gifts and other totally not postal or money-related shit. And I bet that a huge chunk of the profits originate from the side-selling business, just like gas stations where the main good (here: gas) is sold as a loss leader and the real profit is made with the stuff people buy by random...

concerned_user 12y ago
Yes biggest part of the problem in russia is that post is understaffed, but wages are laughable nobody wants to work there, and those that do work there do not care since there is constant shortage. So quality of service is poor.

song 12y ago

That might be the case in Russia, but, as a counterexample, the Chinese post offers banking services and is rather efficient. Likewise for the Japan Post.

haraball 12y ago

Norway has Post-in-shops, which is basically the opposite of what you describe here. You can do your post duties while shopping groceries, with the benefit of more flexible opening times, usually no queue and no need to go to a separate building just to post a package.

concerned_user 12y ago
Well they probably get paid more that minimum wage (case in russia) let alone living wage.