Perennial Mismanagement at Canada Post

It's long been said that with e-mail and other forms of electronic communication, the art of letter-writing--and sending--correspondence via the mail system has gone the way of the dinosaurs, without the asteroid.

Was it the literal term "Snail Mail"--coined back in 1942--that finally placed the last nail into Canada Post's coffin?
Yes, and no.

As is increasingly occurring at all levels of government bureaucracy, Canada Post's abject mismanagement continues to defy description.
When a duly-stamped lettermail envelope takes four days from Vernon to Kelowna, 35 miles to the south, no wonder people get fed up.

Early in December, the Crown corporation reported yet another loss; this time $129 million, and it was reported that transaction mail was down by 184 million pieces over the first three quarters, a decrease of 7.3 per cent.  But parcel delivery--thanks to the burgeoning online market--rose by 2 million pieces over the same period.

Anybody mailed a parcel through Canada Post lately?
Parcel costs are exorbitant, yet Canada Post loses money.
Quarter after quarter.
Year after year.

I recently sent a small bubble-wrap envelope to an acquaintance in the United States, postage was almost  $15.00.  Ridiculous costs considering it took nearly two weeks to arrive.

Several weeks later, Canada Post's mismanagement team had completed a Five-Point Action Plan.
They had held five months of consultations with the public in 46 Canadian communities.

And the five-point plan is the result of their pricey dog-n-pony roadtrip.

They made a video to explain it.
Look at all these smiling Canadian faces.
Must be their unionized employees, because it's nobody called Mr. or Mrs. Public.
Advertising agency actors.
Pricey advertising agency.



But the last straw came while watching television last night.
There it was.  A 32-second Canada Post commercial, beautifully produced by the pricey advertising agency, nine--yes--nine days after Christmas that showed Canada Post delivering a parcel, obtained in an empty mall, for the gift-giving season that ended nine days ago.




Late, as always.

You'd think their management--mismanagement--team would've told the Ad Agency to NOT run the commercial after the traditional gift-giving season.

"Maybe they got a deal," suggests Kia, "to have the ad run in January."

Maybe a two-for-one.
Canada Post's mismanagement team is thrilled to promote in a second advertisement how wonderful it is to go to the Post Office to pick up one's own parcel--and in 2015 coming to communities all across Canada--your own mail.



(a sincere apology for the obscenity that follows...certainly does denote Canada Post's theme).

In reply to a senior's complaint about walking a long distance to the community mailbox at the corner, a postal official was quoted saying:  "There are considerable health benefits to walking."

Late with the empathy too.

Article (and video from D.Chopra, the boss) on Canada Post executive compensation is here.
The public trough.