THE climate in which postal deliveries are obliged to operate here in Jersey and in the wider world has changed dramatically in recent years and is
continuing to change at a staggering pace.

Electronic communication – notably by email but also through social networking media – has revolutionised the way in which people exchange information, to the extent that letter writing has become an exceptional activity rather than a matter of routine. Equally, many transactions which would once have been finalised through putting a cheque in the post are now carried out by other means.

These pressures alone, which have obviously led to falling volumes of mail, would have been enough to threaten the traditional business model of Jersey postal services – which had served for well over a century.

However, as most people will be aware, measures introduced by the UK Chancellor, George Osborne, will put an end to the Island’s fulfilment industry. This will do tremendous damage to the currently profitable parcels and packages element of Jersey Post’s operations.

It is clear to see that our postal services are already under severe pressure from social and economic trends and that this will intensify. It is also true to say that Jersey Post has come under fire from customers who have been less than satisfied by delivery times or other aspects of the organisation’s operations.

The new man at the helm, Kevin Keen, has honestly and forthrightly acknowledged that there are major problems to be addressed. He also says that many changes have already been made and promises that others are in the pipeline, asking Islanders to be patient while further improvements are made.

Given his track record of achievement in other businesses, Mr Keen undoubtedly deserves the chance to galvanise and reorganise his team to deliver the level of service that the Island wants, needs and, indeed, must have.

That said, addressing the customer services issue is likely to be the least of the challenges that he and the rest of Jersey Post face in the coming months. It will take all the ingenuity and inventiveness that the management team can muster to counter the loss of fulfilment business and still make economic sense of household deliveries on even five days of the week.