Let’s keep talking!

“We’re working hard to make changes in response to what we hear from our customers and the community, but we know we can do more,” a recent email I got from Australia Post said. It was short and sweet.

The mail further said that a new website has been launched where a customer can share his feedback and ideas to “help shape the future of Australia Post, as well as access information and tips”.

After giving the new website address, the mail ended: ‘After all what matters to you, matters to us’.  Being just seven lines, I was prompted to read (there is always a tendency to straightaway dish this sort of e mails thinking it’s junk mail), and also check the website. It didn’t take me long to learn what a huge organisation Australia Post is.

It works with over 50,000 employees, licensees and contractors nationally. They are spread across Australia at more than 7,000 locations and include nearly 7,000 posties (postmen), delivering to 11.5 million address points. They represent 136 different ethnic backgrounds and speak 65 languages.

The website is essentially a PR exercise. It gives lot of hope and confidence to the customers the way it has been structured.

Basically, Australia Post invite the customers to be active partners to make the whole operation more successful than it is at present. The interaction between Australia Post and the customers can be done in four ways. These are titled as –

nAsk a question – Discussions

nJoin a conversation – Groups

nHow we’re changing – Articles based on the feedback received

nHow to use this site – Find out more

Through the website, you can ask questions, read others’ questions and answers, make suggestions, join discussions – all the time gathering information yourself.  

In the category ‘How we’re changing’, interesting vide clippings are made available to convey the message forcefully and effectively.  The figures I have quoted were picked from a short article titled ‘Our People at the heart of everything we do’. It said:

We believe the transformation of Australia Post into an innovative, customer-centric leading eCommerce business, delivering world class services when and where our customers want them, will only succeed if it’s led by our people.

We know the satisfaction of our people is directly related to the pride they share in delivering positive outcomes for customers and community.

And so for us, it’s important to invest in our people so they all feel empowered to act and advocate for their customers and the community and to ensure they feel happy, safe and respected at work. This includes removing the “pain points” and providing the best customer experience through our post offices, contact centre and our digital channels.

We believe a diverse and inclusive workplace brings out the best in our people and helps us to provide a better service to our customers and communities. We do this by:

nattracting and retaining people with a range of relevant skills, experiences and capabilities from a broad talent pool. 

nfostering innovation by leveraging the experience and ideas of our people and embracing different viewpoints through “diversity of thought”.

ndeveloping an inclusive culture where our people are engaged, feel they belong and their unique contribution is valued; and

nconnecting effectively with our customers and community to understand and respond to their needs.

It concluded stating: At the end of the day, everyone that works for us is also a customer and is part of our wonderful community and it’s our purpose of helping deliver a better future to everyone everywhere every day that drives us all.