Simplifying access

Even closer to customers

Post offices, postal agencies, home delivery services: Swiss Post today operates a nationwide network of 3,500 access points. In the future, it plans to develop even more time- and location-independent services.

Swiss Post wants to be there for its customers with the right services at the right time and in the right place. At the same time, it wants to reduce the deficit continuously. “The development of customer access points is and will remain an ongoing challenge for Swiss Post,” explains Andreas Pätzold, Member of the Management Board at Post Offices & Sales. “We analyse the use, the situation and the setting of local post offices and look for a stable, long-term solution in dialogue with the local authorities.” Swiss Post today operates a nationwide network with high density, though in some cases in other forms. Swiss Post meets the Confederation's universal service obligation in full. Around 95 percent of households can reach the nearest access point on foot or by public transport in less than 20 minutes. Customers are satisfied with our development: in the annual survey, the agencies were rated at 79 out of a maximum possible 100 points. For the home delivery service, overall satisfaction is at 84 points (for more on customer satisfaction, see page 23).

Time- and location-independent services

In addition to the universal service, we want customers to benefit in the future from an extended range of services they can integrate conveniently and individually into their daily lives. Swiss Post therefore intends to develop even more time- and location-independent services to make life easier for people who spend a lot of time on the move. Swiss Post is currently testing new types of collection and acceptance points with partners. Customer Service is being reoriented, and our range of third-party products is under review. At the same time, Swiss Post is continuing to develop its digital access points, including its websites and apps.

Volumes have declined

For many years now, changing customer habits have led to significant volume decreases in over-the-counter transactions at Swiss Post (2000 to 2015: letters – 63 percent, parcels – 42 percent, inpayments – 37 percent). The resulting deficit in the post office network, despite many measures to increase cost efficiency, amounted to 110 million francs in 2015. Despite the declining volumes, the cost of the infrastructure remained largely unchanged. Our legal mandate also remains unchanged: Swiss Post is obliged to provide a nationwide universal postal service that is economically viable and of high quality.

https://www.post.ch/en/about-us/subjects/range-of-services/swiss-post-and-postfinance-access-points