Jack Yan: the Persuader Blog: New Zealand’s new postal codes: a joke?

New Zealand’s new postal codes: a joke?

New Zealand Post spent NZ$80 million on new machinery, new postal codes and ﬁring some of its staff. We were encouraged, nationally, to switch to the new codes as soon as possible, as after a while, the old ones would not work.
As the above illustration shows, the new ones do not work, either. The mailroom supervisor at the Marion Square postal centre (suggesting this package wound up at the wrong branch) has crossed out the new postal code and substituted it with the word ‘Kilbirnie’, making me wonder if the $80 million spend was just a farce. And after we started printing stationery with the new codes.
This is a perfect illustration of the necessity to get internal staff on side with any campaign before you inform the public. And that public campaign was in May–June.

Posted by Jack Yan, 01:04 permalink

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Jack, I've successfully received addressed mail with numbers like 1323, 6004 and 6008 even after the new postcode system was implemented. I have sneaking suspicion the new system wasn't working properly (maybe it was too strict in rejecting codes that were illegible or slightly wrong. Now its been switched off altogether, thereby rendering your postcode inoperable???). Mind you, it wouldn't be the first time a major system has gone belly up...

David

# posted by

David Philpott: 9/16/2006 07:41:00 AM

Me, too, David: my 6001, 6003 and 6041 mail all arrives ﬁne—and I have had letters with 6241 as well. But it’s disturbing to note that of the few that have come through with the new code, 6241, this happens. For $80 million, it would be nice to get this sorted—or hire back the people that NZ Post claimed it didn’t need.

# posted by

Jack Yan: 9/16/2006 10:55:00 AM

I sent two letters three weeks ago to my buissness parner from Napier. He's still waiting for those letters. When will it change?

# posted by