JEDDAH: The credibility of Saudi Post has been at stake over the years due to poor services and bureaucracy. The company has, however, recently been trying to develop its services to meet client needs and regain the trust of people.
“We have set strategic plans to develop our services,” said Mohammed Bantan, president of Saudi Post, at a presentation on the importance of having a postal code system and how services can be developed.
“In the past five years, Saudi Post has much developed to prove to its customers that change has happened and that we want to please our customers around the Kingdom,” he said.
Bantan further expounded on how Saudi Post went through three stages of development. He also described some of the problems that the company used to experience such as having to sort mail manually prior to the introduction of machines. “We have started to solve these issues by numbering streets and neighborhoods,” he added.
One of the major changes that Saudi Post has made was the introduction of Wasel, a system by which mail is delivered to homes. However, many people registered with the service said they never received any mail delivery.
Bantan explained how people have forgotten about the project and focused on negativities and mailboxes. “People made a big fuss of mailbox keys and what to do when they get broken rather than the project itself,” he said. He also called on parents to advise their children not to break or play with mailboxes.
During the presentation, Bantan explained how the postal system plays a major role in e-government. “Postal codes are crucial for governmental bodies involved in planning, and also to the workings of the police and the Civil Defense,” he added.
Private mailing companies have gained a reputation in the Kingdom and the confidence of the Saudi public, especially when ordering merchandise from the US or the UK. Saudi Post has now started to provide a similar service but at a cheaper rate. Its branches provide services such as driving license renewals but Bantan said citizens still do not trust Saudi Post.
