Post Office Closes Following Claims Staff Have Faced Verbal Abuse And Online “Witch-hunt”
Bishop’s Waltham Post Office has been closed for a number of days following claims that some customers have been abusive to staff members.
It is also alleged that there has been an online “witch-hunt” against the postmaster and members of staff.
The Post Office, in High Street, Bishop’s Waltham remains closed today. A notice on the door says: “Please note that the post office and shop will be closed Saturday 26th June and possibly the following week.
“This is due to the immense stress that has been placed upon staff by a minority of customers who have taken upon themselves to verbally abuse our staff.
“In addition, there appears to be an online “witch-hunt” taking place on social media platforms against both our Postmaster and staff
members.
“This has been totally unacceptable and has been the reason for the temporary closure.
“We are currently reviewing our position with this matter and should like to remind our customers that we will be operating a “Zero Tolerance” approach to such behaviour in future.
We operate a CCTV system with audio recording for our staff safety. When we re-open we will pass any/all recordings of the above behaviour to the authorities.
“To all our pleasant and loyal customers however, we would like to sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and look forward to seeing you in the near future.”
A Post Office spokesperson said: “Bishops Waltham Post Office is currently closed due to personal reasons. We are sorry that the Postmaster has felt the need for a short-term closure of the branch. We are liaising with the branch and we hope that service will resume tomorrow. We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the unexpected closure. Alternative branches include Swanmore and Botley.”
Comments
Sorry, that just isn’t true. There are lots of reports of Bishops Waltham Post Office staff being rude to customers, the staff there have been rude to me lots of times. And I have always been polite to the BW Post Office staff. The Bishops Waltham facebook page deletes the slightest criticism of BW Post Office, they’ve been very protected from abuse from anything. Perhaps it’s a tough business and the owners are looking for a scapegoat?
I have lived in Bishops Waltham for nearly 30 years and I have always found the head postmaster and the staff at BW post office really really helpful. I know if I go there, they will give me the best possible service and advice. I think they work under enormous pressures especially during the pandemic yet they remained open. Perhaps the people criticising the post master and his staff should think about how their comments can affect people’s mental health. If you want a post office in the village then get behind people positively rather than trolling invisibly. If you get to read this the BW post office staff and especially the post master, I value your advice and your helpfulness. Sometimes it is only the negative people who comment. People who support you and who are grateful for all your help don’t. For every 1 person who criticises you, there are many more than support you.
I’ve lived in Bishops Waltham for 12 years and I’ve always found the postmaster extremely rude to the point I’d rather travel to Hedge End post office
Not true at all there’s that old bloke in there who is disgusting and has spoke. Tk people like utter crap for years ! Everyone has problem had enough of him
You can’t just say that what’s been said isn’t true because jyou happen to have experienced the opposite! On that premise I could equally say that what you’ve just said isn’t true because I’ve never had a problem!
I have always had good service in Bishops Waltham Post Office, very professional, I hope everything is sorted out okay in the end. I admit that the postmaster does not have a sense of humour but I go to the Post Office for service and to a pub for a chat.
My experience has been that the Post Master is generally really quite rude and unhelpful. The other staff are polite, efficient and pleasant. It seems to me that the Post Master is now turning on the customers and endeavouring to place the blame on them in an attempt to absolve himself of a situation he has brought on himself! I have never heard any complaints about the other members of staff, so this seems as though he if ‘shoring up his defences’…
Stopped using this post office because they are rude and have no concept of customer service.
For the avoidance of doubt, the only person in BW PO who has no idea about customer service, is just out right rude & surly is the post master. The staff have always been excellent and when he’s not on duty, been prepared to apologise for his behaviour. The man is not fit to hold down the job. I appreciate he may have his own issues but he shouldn’t be working if that is the case.
This reads so wrong like the post office is the victim. It more like the other way around when people expect to be able to use a simple service like send a parcel and can’t with out issues. The postmaster here is extremely rude, unhelpful and just generally can’t do his job properly. I have had numerous problems with this post office mainly because of numerous errors he has made or because he seems to have issue with anything to do with Royal Mail. He will remind you that the post office has nothing to do with Royal Mail! He will argue with you and lie as he does not have the answers to give you. People do not go in there to be rude to the staff but when they are met with his unhelpful tone customers are left feeling helpless and frustrated. I have seen him argue with customers, shut counters and even refuse to serve people. I have seen people go in for missed Royal Mail parcels and then be told that they can’t help them because they are not there and then they do find them when the customer has gone.
This man is not being bullied he is simply getting a response for the way he is treating others. It’s amazing he is still running this post office with his attitude. I now avoid this post office and will travel to hedge end just so I don’t have to have issues every time I want to use the post office. It’s a shame as there have been some lovely staff there who have always been so helpful.
Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes before you condemn. Be very careful, all of you, or we will find ourselves without a Post Office as well as an enormous reduction in Banking facilities! Let’s all try to be kind – if someone snaps at you, smile at them.
I have experienced a great service and a bad service from this Post Office. The staff are great, very helpful. Sadly on occasions I have encountered this chap on one of his bad days. I have always been polite in return. I have seen him send people away in tears though and that is not on. He is supposed to provide a service and if he has personal problems that interferes with that, then he shouldn’t be working front of shop. With our closing Banks we need to keep our Post Office ! I think maybe he needs to find another role where he is happy. No job is worth making yourself ill over.
Woke 2021 where the bully (postmaster) becomes the victim crying wolf. The rest of the staff have to apologise for his behaviour AND have to work with him. The customers are sent home upset after receiving abuse from him. Perhaps his defenders who cite personal issues should also consider just how much negativity and stress he has put on his staff and customers. Have you considered that many of these people will also have personal issues and that this behaviour in passed onto others who throughout the day.
The truth is that so many people are going elsewhere that there won’t be a post office left for the minority of customers that he is pleasant to. People have suffered in silence and accepted his behaviour for years.
The only two solutions are for him to learn the manners given to most people in junior school or for him to pass the baton onto somebody who can cope with smiling and offering a pleasant service.
I used the post office through first lockdown and asked if he could check my renewal driving form as I have dyslexia. He was extreamly rude and told me because I got my new photo done on line people like me causing his post office to shut. My form was never checked. What he didn’t realise was my daughter was getting her photo done in the post office at the other counter.
Few weeks ago I went in to pay money into my bank and decided to approch him in a cheerful manor and he was extreamly cheerful and chatty back.
I think he is under alot of stress and he need to get help. Mental health is invisable and the public need to be aware of how they treat people in these jobs.
Absolute rubbish. The postmaster is extremely rude not only to customers but to his staff also. I have witnessed this first hand.
I agree with the majority, the abuse comes from the other side of the counter when the postmaster is present.
The following is by no means the only example I have experienced, but it caused me to complain formally about the postmaster through the Post Office website. I requested a book of second class stamps, and was given the reply “if it was up to me, there would be no second class stamps”.
I pointed out that the decision of what levels of service were provided was made by Royal Mail, not the Post Office”. The postmaster went ballistic and refused to serve me. I have never been back since.