Posting cards costs 10p more than last Xmas

CARDS will cost 20p to post this Christmas. It marks a 6p saving on the usual tariff, but is double what it cost last year.

'The 10p stamp last year was a penalty imposed by the regulator for the previous year when we had a very bad Christmas,' said Guernsey Post operations director Joe Domican.

'They wanted customers to get a particularly good deal. Now the quality of service has been put right.

'People will always have individual problems, but in general, as measured by independent researchers, the quality now is better than it has ever been.'

After the trading difficulties in the financial year 2002/3 and 2003/4, Guernsey Post is expecting to break even and perhaps achieve a small profit for the current one.

'Having got the quality right, we now want to get the profitability right,' said Mr Domican.

'We are expecting the current year to be profitable and, as a successful postal service, we want to share it with the customer and we think 6p is still a significant reduction.'

The stamps are launched today and will be on sale from 15 November. Cards can be posted using the 20p stamp between 4 and 15 December inclusive.

It is hoped that people will

be encouraged to post theirs

early to avoid a build-up as Christmas approaches.

'Effectively, by encouraging early posting of cards locally, the company can cost-effectively manage the traditional peaks of a Christmas postal operation, bringing this mail forward and delivering it without a drop in the next-day service which is standard throughout the other 11 months of the year,' said Mr Domican.

'We will then be ready to receive and swiftly deliver the considerable peaks of inward UK last-posting-date mail when it is received.

'We hope that the saving will have an effect and people will post during this period and we are confident we can achieve next-day delivery.'

He said that the 20p stamp was intended for use on Christmas cards, but they would be giving people the benefit of the doubt, providing it doesn't include something which is clearly business mail.

No franked or PPI items are eligible and mail posted using this tariff after 15 December will be liable to a 56p surcharge upon delivery, payable by the addressee.

This year the company will not be taking on casuals, traditionally employed on a part-time basis to help with demand.

'We are looking to improve productivity so our own staff will be taking on extra hours,' said Mr Domican.

'Two years ago, the staff hadn't been properly trained or familiarised with the new automation, but now they are fully using the new systems and we have last year's success to build on.

'It is really quite a slick operation now and we invite people, including consumer groups like Postwatch, to come in. We have nothing to hide, as was the case last year.'

The strip of five stamps shows a typical nativity scene, each titled as a famous carol.

The other five values, also designed by local artist Jay Aylmer, represent five icons of Christmas and depict an angel's wings, a Christmas tree decoration, holly, part of a snowman and the star at the top of a tree.

'It is important to our customers to have the traditional scenes. And as so many schools have nativity plays, the scenes are as seen through the eyes of children,' said head of Guernsey Philatelic Bureau Sally Diamond.

The final part of Alderney's community series is also launched today; it features local firemen at work and was designed by Mish Legg.

* Customers are reminded to correctly address envelopes with a postcode. The recommended last posting day before Christmas for local delivery is Wednesday 22 December.