The Postal Services in Portugal... A Business in Shambles
Once upon a time there was a public company called CTT. They were run by the Public Employees of the Portuguese State and they were ranked as the second best Postal Service Company in Europe.
During those days, one could make an online order without a worry, knowing that we would receive our products quickly and without any issue.
If, by any chance, there was no one at home when the mailman arrived, a note would be left on the mailbox, telling us we could retrieve the package at the nearest Postal Office Building from our home. They would be open all day long, from 7:00 to 20:00, including during the lunchtime. They would even be opened at Saturdays...
This was a perfect service and a fantastic solution to those of us that worked away from home from 9:00 to 19:00. π
But then, in 2013 everything changed. The Politicians from Left and Right parties joined forces and set up their minds to privatise this great company... against the will of the people and their own workforce. π€
And so... they did it. They stabbed us in the back and nowadays the company is no longer a public one and it's a private corporation with one thing in mind only:
No, not customer service... what they focus on is profit, nothing more than profit. π‘
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"Screw the customers, we want the money." - This might as well be their motto. π€
Since its privatisation, CTT went from the second best Postal Services in Europe to one of the absolute worst of the world.
They have lost a huge share of the market to other postal companies that only make the lives of the common citizen a living hell.
And they joined these companies in providing a truly disgusting lack of service to the people. π΅
Now, what happens if you place an online order? Most likely they won't do the job themselves, they will pass it on to other companies that will not deliver the items you ordered at your home but will leave them miles away from you, at a remote location without even access to public transportation. π€¬
You will be required to take a vacation day off to go there, pick your package, and return home.
If the item you order is a small one, CTT will still allow you to pick it up at the local Postal Service Building ... but since they focus on profits, now they are only open Monday to Friday, from 9:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00, which is an horrible schedule for all of us, working bees.
... and that is, if you're lucky. If you are unlucky, they will come to your house while you're at work and will return your order to the sender, without even contacting you or leaving a note in the mailbox. π€‘
... and that, my friends, is how money and the free markets have destroyed one of the best Postal Services in Europe, one that would always put the customer in first place. Now we are left with a private business without any care for the customers and for which, doing their job right is not even important, as long as they keep making money with a horrible service.
So, as you can see, the photos I picked for this post are not random... they are from a old house in shambles, exactly how the Postal Services in Portugal are now: Destroyed and FUBAR. π
Sorry about this little rant but this is something that has been bothering me for a while. I hope things in your country are better than this.
| Location | SΓ£o Mamede de Infesta, Matosinhos - Portugal |
| Camera | Canon IXUS 210 |
| Photos | 3 (Edited with GIMP) |
