uoe.co.uk Reviews 17

UOE recently took over the main post office in Cambridge city centre and they have completely destroyed it. Going in there now is hell - it’s like a refugee camp with vast queues snaking in all available space, and people slumped over every seat, in every corner and all over the floor. The understaffing is the worst I’ve ever seen anywhere - only one counter was staffed today out of about eight (and this is the big main city centre post office!) - made even worse by the parcel and ticket machines being constantly out of order. Utterly disgusting.

Very poor experience. The counter staff member made no attempt to communicate, didn’t give any indication what he needed from me and walked off with my parcel without even explaining that he wasn’t going to give me receipt. Left me standing waiting for an answer and just disappeared.

Really horrid experience at the Crouch End branch. PO cashier told me the uOE manager could print my label. When she did she then asked for payment which no one had mentioned and I explained I didn't have cash. The manager then lifted my printed label up smiled and ripped it up in my face?!
It was done so nastily when actually no one had mentioned a fee, I was really shocked. Surely good customer service would've allowed me the label this once especially as they hadn't mention cost. Really horrible

Raynes Park branch staff are always incredibly rude and they have made no attempt to make it a presentable space for customers.

Always a dreadful experience when I need to use this store. They haven’t got all the desks open so as usual there is a long slow queue. They COULD sell stamps from the front cash desk but they seem to want us to wait in line for the PO counter. And their WiFi is locked so no way to pass the time. Terribly badly managed in many ways. I hate coming here

Hampstead branch is completely under resourced, often no more than 3 staff serving with 20 plus customers queueing.

Awful. The Roman Road post office used to be excellent until it was taken over by UOE. People are now queuing out of the door while staff sit around ignoring customers. The whole experience is beyond depressing… no sense of urgency. The customer service is non existent. I dread having to post anything here.

Usually a new broom at least tries to sweep clean but since UOE have taken over the Post Office in Hilldene, Harold Hill Romford it's been a disaster. Minimal staffing levels, apart from the first few days when they were trying to impress. Friday, the Post Office was as busy as usual, especially given that another two small Post Offices have closed locally, there were two staff on all day. When asked the staff said they were fully staffed and we should complain if we were not happy. There are queues out of the door, every day of the week. How will they cope at Christmas??

UOE took over our local post office recently (Roman Road) and the service is appalling. The branch is closed today (Monday at lunchtime) with no warning, or even a note on the door. The door was just closed and locked with around a dozen customers waiting outside. When one continually knocked on the door, the manager who answered said she was told by UOE to close in the middle of the day because of staff shortage. She and at least one other person were inside, but clearly weren't willing or able to work behind the counter to serve Royal Mail's customers.

This is unacceptable and was not a one-off. We have been in the branch 3 times in the past 2 weeks and every time there is either a single person working behind the counter or, on occasion, two people. On all occasions the manager and one other person were wandering around but not working at the counter while the queue snaked towards the door.

When it was staffed by Royal Mail there were always 3 or 4 counter staff who were efficient and knowledgeable.

This Post Office branch is no longer fit for purpose and doesn't fulfil the minimum service standards of a Royal Mail Post Office.

Understaffed, should have never been given Post Office franchse. They took over my local Post Office branch, now only 1-2 counters are open instead of 5, so there is always a long queue and they even have to close early. Why take a franchise if you don’t have staff to work there?

UOE Post Office Ware
The staff are unhelpful, everything seems to be a chore. They always offer the most expensive option. I now buy all of my postage online via Royal Mail and drop-off at a local parcelshop.

The staff in my local branch in Hertford seem to go out of their way to be unhelpful. Courtesy is not part of the service when you have a monopoly.

A very poor rate of exchange on Jan 6 2025 I received about £20 less euro than I expected , strange as on line i would have received 20 euros more for the amount I exchanged

Clown of a Manager screamed at top volume behind me when I was on a call about a mask when I had an exemption badge on...Elliot Jacobs thought I was one of staff and that he could abuse... Got a piece of my mind, threatened me with police, refused to leave his crappy store...has a private monopoly from the institution that chased sub postmasters for... fraud.
Says it all ..

Terrible customer service, rude and arrogant staff, and they absolutely overcharge. Please do not be taken in by the 'Post Office' label which leads you to believe they charge a flat rate comparable with a national service - they do not. It is a franchise and as such they are bending the rules to make a profit at customer's expense. I was consistently being charged £3.95 for every single small letter, however tiny, and I ended up challenging another overseas parcel rate, plus a small one and then took them both to North Finchley Post Office where the smaller one turned out to cost 85p only and the larger one quite a few pounds less.

Discriminated against by the Managing Director & Postmaster, Elliot Jacobs at UOE East Finchley branch.

Since the Government announced COVID-19 in March 2020, I have posted parcels, without the aid of a mask. Overall, the UOE staff have been professional, helpful and the key staff have empathised that I cannot wear a mask. Thank you for your support all. Unfortunately, it is with regret that I can not praise the Managing Director & Postmaster, Elliot Jacobs, for his actions or behaviours.

In the past I have found Elliot to be rude, arrogant and condescending, a view shared by other customers as communicated in reviews below. Today I learned Elliot is the Managing Director of UOE. This surprised me, as Elliot does not show the qualities one expects in a leader. When the team is short staffed, Elliot helps, but in doing so he oversimplifies the role of excellent customer service. He demonstrated his incompetence, when I tried to post an item.

I am ashamed to write that I have an acute respiratory problem and I experience difficulties breathing, which often develops into a cough. Not wearing a mask makes me look defiant, and I am embarrassed about being the odd one out. Also, when I am out in the community without a mask, I feel very anxious that someone might attack me to prove a point. As much as I would like to wear a mask to fit in, doing so causes me great distress and puts my life at risk.

Currently, I carry a mask in case I encounter difficult people, as I do not want to cause a scene. Since the start, I have not had to wear the mask. In addition, I have not caught COVID-19, and consequently I have not had to self-isolate. Unfortunately today, Elliot’s actions and behaviour warranted the use of my mask.

Before serving me, Elliot insisted I wore a mask. This was despite standing in a long queue and waiting patiently for service and advising Elliot I had health complications and I was exempt. Elliot was adamant that there was a ‘mask law’ but he could not provide any evidence. Rather than bickering, it would have been both professional and helpful if Elliot advised that wearing a mask was the law, and the legislation falls under “The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020”. He could also advise that there are certain conditions where one might be exempt.

It is with great humiliation that despite reiterating my exemption, I write to advise that Elliot, not only harassed me but escorted me off the premises, shouting at me to get out. He threatened me with the police and threatened that they would issue me with a £200 fine. When I advised that I could not afford the fine, he stated, it was not his problem and then accused me of purposefully directing a cough at him. Elliot also disregarded the social distancing guidelines by being less than two metres away from me, further putting my health at risk. Elliot’s handling of the situation was unprofessional and unwarranted. It took Elliot five times longer to make his point, rather than serving me. I left UOE as my ability to breathe quickly deteriorated.

Because of Elliot’s actions and his unlawful response to my disability, I have boycotted UOE East Finchley until I feel safe to return. I also prefer to support the manager’s of post offices that are more sympathetic to my disability.

As Elliot also threatened to ban me from UOE, if I am banned or this review is removed without legitimate justification, I will have no alternative than to sue for discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, as Elliot Jacobs has indirectly discriminated against me.

Please support your local UOE, but please do not support discrimination.