Customer Services by India Post
-
Present
Practices and Potential Prerequisites -
Published
in February, 2014 Issue of Bhartiya Post, the monthly journal of AIPEU, Gr-C,
CHQ
By
: Bruhaspati Samal
Secretary,
AIPEU, Gr.C, Bhubaneswar
When
I registered my name in a Diagnostic Centre to have some blood tests like WBC
Total & Differential Count, ESR and Serum Uric Acid as per the advice of my
Orthopaedician for treatment of Hyperuricemia, immediately, I received a
message in my mobile “Thank you for using services of …... You would receive an
SMS once the report is ready. To view it, log on to …… ID: …. Pass Word:
……” When the report became ready with
the joint signature of a pathologist and microbiologist exactly by the time
given to me, I got another message, “Dear Customer, Your report is ready for
accession. Login to ….. for viewing reports”. All on a sudden, I could be able
to download my reports without proceeding to the Diagnostic Centre in person.
However, after consultation with my doctor, when I attended the Diagnostic
Centre to thank them for timely intimation and delivery, I witnessed heavy rush
of customers in the said centre as if it has been trusted by millions.
The particular Diagnostic Centre I attended is
a Private Limited Company having few branches preferably spreading over the
capital and metro cities in India. Being surprised with the promptness of such
a small company, I asked myself - Has India Post having
the record to its credit as the largest postal network in the world with 154822
outlets as on date been able to show its promptness, effectiveness and
commitment in service delivery to its customers? Immediately, I started doing Mathematics on India Post.
Since 1854, India Post has travelled a long way
over these 159 years. Started initially with Mail Operations, it entered into
the Insurance sector in 1884 introducing Postal Life Insurance for the benefit
of the erstwhile Post and Telecom employees which has now been extended to the
employees of other Central Govt. establishments, State Govt. employees, Central
and State undertakings, Scheduled Commercial and Nationalized banks, Govt.
aided educational institutions etc. and in 1995 introducing Rural Postal Life
Insurance to cover the rural public. Similarly India Post actively entered to
the Banking sector with introduction of Post Office Savings Bank in 1882, 1/3/5
Year Time Deposit on 16.03.1970, Recurring Deposit on 01.04.1970, 2 Year Time
Deposit on 01.08.1973, Public Provident Fund on 01.01.1979, Monthly Income
Scheme on 15.08.1987, National Savings Certificate VIII Issue on 08.05.1989,
Senior Citizen Savings Scheme on 02.08.2004 and latest being the National
Savings Certificate IX Issue on 01.12.2011.
It actively entered into the digital era during the year 1090 – 91 and
conceived the Project Arrow concept in April, 2008 under
“Look & Feel Good” concept which has been extended to 18600 Post Offices in
2012-2013. In the mean time, India Post has computerized all its departmental
post offices including all administrative offices starting from Directorate to
Divisional Offices, all PAOs, PTCs, PSDs, CSDs, BD and PLI Directorate. In spite of such ground reality, though India
Post has registered nearly a seven fold growth during the period of last seven
decades from 23,344 post offices during the time of Independence to 154822 post
offices as on 31.03.2012, it has not been able to retain its monopoly in mail,
finance/banking and insurance sector. While emergence of electronic
alternatives due to continuing advances in Information and Communication
Technology and presence of organized /
unorganized couriers for mail conveyance, increasing competition from the
financial players like banks and insurance companies and above all the
challenges of globalization, corporatization and liberalization are some of the
important reasons , the poor and sub-standard
after sale services provided by India Post is a vital cause for which customers
are searching for alternative services rather than availing postal services.
Before proceeding further, let’s
discuss some common expectations / complaints of the customers warranting to
ensure effective after-sale services by India Post. So far as India Posts’ three major services comprising
mail, banking / finance and insurance operations are concerned, it generally
receives complaints of following nature which are just illustrative
not exhaustive.
Mail
|
Banking / Finance
|
Insurance
|
a.
Delayed delivery / non-delivery / wrong
delivery of mails
b.
Non-receipt of AD cards
c.
Abstraction of contents
d.
Delivery to disputed / unauthorized firms /
persons
e.
Loss of article
f.
Non-delivery of VPLs / VPPs / VP
Intimation.
g.
Recall of articles
|
a.
Refusal to / delay in opening of Accounts /
issue of cash Certificates
b.
Delay in closure / pre-matured closure of
Accounts / Cash Certificates
c.
Delay in issue / non-issue of
duplicate Pass Book / Cash
Certificate
d.
Delay in settlement of deceased claim cases
with / without nominations
e.
Non-transfer / Delay in transfer of
Accounts / cash certificates both by Transferee / Transferring Office.
|
a.
Non-Assignment / Delay in assignment
b.
Delay in Change of Address / Nomination
c.
Non-conversion / Delayed Conversion of
policy
d.
Delayed receipt / Non-receipt of Acceptance
letter, Premium Receipt Book & Policy Bond
e.
Non-issue / Delay in issue of
duplicate/continued Pass Book
f.
Non-sanction / payment or delay in sanction
/ payment of Loan / Surrender Value / Paid-up Value / Maturity Value / Death
Claim etc.
g.
Non-transfer / Delay in transfer of Policy
h.
Non-revival / delay in revival
|
There was a time when specific time
periods were fixed by the Department to lodge complaints for various services
and the frontline workers were asked to explain even for accepting complaints
before the prescribed time frame. But situations have changed now with rise in
customers’ expectations. Customers now expect instant services. Without caring
for the price to pay they are seen to prioritize the quality of service
rendered. However, it is a matter of great satisfaction that to meet the challenges, to face the
competitors and to prove itself as
an efficient and reliable communication
network as the main component of the communication infrastructure playing a
crucial role in the socio-economic development and integration of the country, the Postal department is doing a lot of
things other than just delivering letters aiming for a transformation with re-engineering
of Business Processes and making it compatible to suit the new ICT
solutions and evolving new processes
based on customer needs.
But we notice some biased decisions,
lapses and hurriedness in implementing several policies/programmes etc .that are
responsible for inviting the above nature of complaints.
There are several unusual practices at present
before us to illustrate.
Let’s analyze
the case of Express Parcel & Business Parcel introduced by the Department
on 02.12.2013. Citing the example of Bhubaneswar Hub, it was a surprise to note
that while no software package regarding Parcel Net had been loaded at BNPL SP
HUB for booking / dispatch of Express Parcel & Business Parcel and nothing
had been loaded at NSH, Bhubaneswar for receipt / dispatch of the same, one Express Parcel booked at Bhubaneswar GPO
was dispatched to Bangalore EPH on 3-12-2013 manually as Parcel Net was not
installed. Similarly, one Express Parcel received from Chennai EPH on
5-12-2013 at NSH, Bhubaneswar addressed to Paradeepgarh PO under Kujanga SO was
also dispatched to the destination manually. When articles were received /
dispatched manually, obviously, it may invite public complaints since the same
will not be available under the Trace & Track system. Besides, neither the required bar code nor
the bag label was seen to be supplied to Bhubaneswar GPO. Another
important thing noticed in this connection was that the update 9 of Meghdoot
could not create BNPL Parcel database tables and stored procedure using Parcel
Net software. User Creation error in Parcel Net software was found out and
after successful up-gradation of MM 7 Update 9 in Postman Module, registered
parcels could not be received with the existing barcode number and dispatching
the old registered parcels in the Dispatch Module was not possible. The POS.exe
in the solution folder didn’t work. There was no option for invoicing the
express parcels in the Postman Module and
no exl. file in respect of POS in the Solutions To Parcel Net Update
folder. In addition, the required electronic message on Business Parcel COD / Express
Parcel COD is not available for invoicing in Postman module to effect timely
delivery and thus resulting huge deposit of BP COD/ EPCOD items in post offices
( till writing of this article on 23.12.2013) since manual delivery has been restricted. In
the analogy of first impression lasts long, such unpreparedness in introducing
a new product may not provide better customer services.
So far as delay in delivery of mails
is concerned, we witnessed how the wrong policy decision for creation of hubs resulted in abnormal
delay in conveyance and delivery of speed post articles and back-routing took
place everywhere. Even articles meant for local delivery were
unnecessarily dispatched to the hubs situated hundreds of miles away and from
there again back-routed to the delivery Post Offices causing avoidable
delay. Speed post started losing its speed and the faith of public. Number
of articles and revenue came down. Voice of
the right-thinking employees and officers were suppressed.
However, of late the Department eventually changed its decision.
Another
faulty decision is to allow the bulk-mailers to send advance SMS to the
addressees intimating the alpha-numeric number of Speed Post / Registered Post
articles containing preferably Passports, Cheque Books etc at the preparation stage long before
the same are actually dispatched for
which the customers are tempted to enquire regarding delayed arrival/receipt of
such mails. Though Trace and Track System has been introduced for eMO, Speed
Post, Registered Post (both domestic and foreign), avoidance to attend the
complaints by the front line workers is witnessed either due to over pressure at the counter of
single handed SOs, double / triple handed SOs running single handed or due to
failure in broad-band services or system failure. Inadequate training /
knowledge on the products and services including rules and procedures of the
grass root level workers meeting the customers directly, acute shortage of
delivery staff which are managed by outsiders having no responsibility, lack of
soft-skill and realization by the front line workers with the fact that the customer is our boss and boss is
always right, traditional mindset of some employees not prepared to accept the
change resulting to willful avoidances, absence of proper administrative /
financial authority of the Officers/Officials dealing with the matter, absence
of administrative interest to promptly respond to the problems faced by the
frontline workers and above all shifting of responsibility from operative to
administrative and vice versa are also some of the important reasons for
providing ineffective after sales
service by India Post. There may not be any hesitation to admit that even there
are employees working today who don’t know how to handle the computer starting
from tracking / uploading an article to opening / composing / sending an
e-Mail. Some officers have the mindset that they are there to make others work.
The Steno/PA/OA can manage the work. There is no need of learning. Some
officials working as front line staff have a mindset that they were neither
recruited with any technical qualification nor given proper/adequate training
on their job. If the system becomes out of order, such officials sit silent
passing information to the higher authority and avoid the customers. Unless
reminders are sent, the problems are not brought to the notice of the competent
authority. Even if the problems are brought, there will be several queries /
correspondences by the authorities in a time killing manner. Most of the time,
nobody in the line remains prepared to take the responsibility. Under such circumstances, it is very
difficult to face the
twin challenges of increasing competition and continuing advances in
communication technology and to provide better customer service with wider
reach to the Indian populace through more customer interaction channels, growth
through new lines of business and IT enablement of business processes and
support functions as envisaged in I T Modernization Project, 2012.
Regarding the banking and financial
services provided by India Post, it can be said that while India Post is
rapidly proceeding towards Core Banking Solution, acute shortage of staff and
sudden computerization with mismatch of transferred data in between the HO and
its SOs strongly stand in the way of updating the minus balance settlement,
settlement of S B objections and up-to-date interest postings etc. and there by
leading to unwarranted frauds and inviting public complaints. Let me tell you
the case of Kendrapara H O under Cuttack North Division of Odisha Circle.
Computerization started in the S Os under Kendrapara HO during April, 2007 with
transfer of data from the H O available
as on 01.04.2004. The H O is running with 18 hands short ( working strength 20
out of sanctioned strength 38 ) where in the SOSB is being managed by 1 P A out
of sanctioned strength 6 and the SBCO is having an untrained P A only out of 6
P A and I Supervisor. Barring a few, the position is almost similar in many HOs
of Odisha Circle. When the available staff strength is unable to manage the day
to day work, complaints relating to up-to-date interest posting, transfer of both accounts and certificates,
settlement of deceased claim cases, issue of duplicate certificates etc. are
rolling over for months/years together inviting public resentments.
While
talking about the insurance business done by the Department comprising PLI and
RPLI, I have the bitter experience of sharing the helplessness of one of our
sales forces who could be able to procure 12 PLI proposals from a particular
institution out of which 4 proposals were found with wrong data-feeding with
regard to date of birth, date of entry, name of the proposer and nominee. When
he contacted the DDM (PLI), the latter expressed his helplessness for instant
correction since there was no access to the particular package. After running
for months together, the same could be set right from PLI Directorate which
discouraged the staff of that particular institution to opt for PLI anymore.
However, now the authority for correction has been transferred to Circle
Office. But when the data feeding of RPLI proposals are being done at
Divisional level, no authority has been given to the SPOs/SSPOs for any kind of
correction in case of wrong data feeding except the present address field out
of as many as 66 fields. The poor GDS employees forced to procure RPLI business
are seen running from Inspector/SPOs/SSPOs to DDM(PLI) for necessary correction
and nobody is seen to concentrate on such issues and the issues are rolling
over years together which is certainly unfortunate. Further, though the
computer generated date of acceptance remains same as the date of proposal,
date of declaration, date of initial deposit of the first premium in the post
office and the date of medical verification of PLI policies procured by the
sales forces, it is seen corrected manually in both the Acceptance Letter and
Policy Bond when it is signed by the competent authority inviting several
doubts in the mind of the insurants. Due to delayed acceptance, it is also
noticed that the SPMs/Postmasters are instructed to collect higher premium if
the date of birth of the proposer is changed in between the date of collection
/ deposit of first premium and date of acceptance by the competent authority.
Due to no fault of the proposers and the Departmental employees collecting the
proposals such unwarranted situations are created when the proposers do not
hesitate to charge the departmental employee for misguidance during canvassing
/ motivating to sell a policy. The toll free number is of no use. The SMS sent
earlier has been stopped. Frequent PLI / RPLI melas are organized and thousands
of proposals are collected. But to the utter dissatisfaction of the proposers,
Acceptance Letters, Policy Bonds and PRBs are not sent for months together.
Contradictorily, instructions have been issued to all post offices not to
accept the 2nd
and subsequent premia at PO counter / by BPM unless the policy is accepted by
Divisional Heads. The POLI rules in substitution of earlier POIF rules are not
interpreted in favour of the proposers/insurants. In such cases, when the
insurants attend the Post Office for depositing the 2nd / subsequent
premia, avoidance to accept the same is putting both the insurants and Post
Office into an embarrassing situation since late acceptance leads to payment of
default fine by the insurants for no fault of their own which is obvious to
invite legal complicacies and ineffective relationship in between the customers
and the Department and thereby may discourage the public to go for subsequent
policies. These
are some of the very common phenomena witnessed in Odisha Circle. Other Circles
might be facing similar problems also.
The
list of such ineffectiveness may be longer. We have neither been able to
provide separate counters for senior citizens and ladies nor disabled-friendly
post offices so far. Issuing instructions only to the grass root level
officials is not sufficient. Acute shortage of staff, space and accessories are
to be taken into consideration for which cent percent administrative interest
is required. Propagating we are the largest and oldest will not make any
difference provided the age-old tradition of faith of the common man is not
retained with prompt, effective and
efficient services significantly enhancing the value of the products to all its
users. In the days of liberalization, privatization and globalization, the
whole landscape has been converted in to a Darwinian world. Everywhere there is
struggle for existence and survival of the fittest is the only result. Thus for
existence, satisfying the customer is one of the basic objectives of the
organization, as it is often said that customer is boss and boss is
always right. Making and retaining valuable relationship with customer using
every aspect of taking, retaining and enhancing is known as customer
relationship management through which organizations can achieve their objective
of retaining and satisfying customers. After sales service is an emerging
concept in the business community. Organizations have to provide better after
sale services to retain and satisfy its customers.
.
The vision of Strategic Plan of India Post is that its products and services
will be the customer’s first choice and the goal under business objectives of
Corporate Plan of India Post is to be a self sustaining organization by the
year 2013-14. In this context, it is important that the after-sales activities
demanding more tailored services have to acquire a critical role as a means to
satisfy and retain customers especially in a time when India Post is
experiencing increased pressure to downsize operations and to become more
highly specialized in its core competencies. Front line employees play an extra
ordinary role in service value chain having the scope for physical and direct
interaction with the customers and thus, they have to deliver high satisfaction
to them. However, the capabilities of these front-line workers to satisfy
customers mainly depend on the environment the organization provides to these
employees. Strategic human resource practices that create productivity at work
environment are directly related with organizational outcomes i.e. efficiency,
quality service and satisfaction of customer. Thus, India Post needs to extend its “Look & Feel Good” concept beyond
Project Arrow post offices to improve relations with customers providing not
only high technical service quality but also for extra-quality customer service
through properly managed feedback conducting a research study to find out what are the factors or
characteristics that might influence customer satisfaction during the services
provided after the sale. More importantly, proper strategy for delivery
of service towards the customer enhances the customer satisfaction and
loyalty towards the product. Delivery of the product characterized by two
dimensions i.e. speed and reliability ensures that right product at right time
from right source is delivered to the right person at right price on right
destination. The Mail Network Optimization Project of India Post needs to be
undertaken with every positivity.
As
a result of increased global competition and commoditization of primary
products, the after-sales business has gained strategic importance now a day
for numerous organizations across the globe. Accordingly, the perception of
after-sales services has changed over the past few decades from the traditional
perspective towards a potential source of competitive advantage and business
opportunity. India Post can’t stay away from this reality. Formation of
policies and programmes will not solve anything unless implemented in letter
and spirit. This being the position, the staff side and official side including
all stakeholders should work in tandem to render better customer services so
that the vision, goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan, Corporate Plan
and IT Modernization Project of India
Post can be achieved.
*****
