It does not work this way!

I recently followed the story of an elderly woman who had to go to the post office four times to collect a registered letter. Apart from the fact that this registered letter could be delivered to her given that she was at home, but never mind. Going four times with the uncertainty of being able to enter the post office is not a good experience. Waiting in line in the cold and perhaps in the snow, with many and many trying to be smart, with foreigners who have quickly learned our worst behaviors, is not edifying.
Why all this? Simple: the Italian post offices have expanded their services (pasta is not yet sold but we are close!) and at the same time reduced their staff.
Two employees where there used to be four makes all the difference.

The post office justifies itself by saying that they have computerized the system and therefore need less staff.
Certainly for the economic benefit of the institution but not necessarily of the citizen. Now you can book and therefore queues are avoided: of course, for those who know how to do it and can do it. But it is said that not all the elderly are able to do it. Apart from the disservice to the citizen, I am concerned because these occasions risk being forges of rancorous attitudes towards the public sector.

It is certainly important that we invest in urban security operations, in plans to combat racism and hate crimes, but if we then forget that the normality of services must be an opportunity for meeting and relationships then we risk community schizophrenia.
We talk a lot about the loneliness of the elderly but if we forget that an important occasion repeated systematically is to go to the post office at least once a month, I wonder what we are talking about. Let me be very clear: full respect for branch managers and personnel who sometimes have commendable attitudes and behaviors but who in turn risk being victims of the system.

Should we make up for the lack of personnel with the presence of volunteers? It's a provocation that I throw into the pond knowing that I'm attracting a lot of criticism. But not paying attention to the fact that some places and services that should be harbingers of positive relationships are instead opportunities to increase distrust in public services is not secondary. The person at the centre, the centrality of the community are empty words if we don't have the ability to understand what the implications are in people's daily lives.
Dear Poste Italiane, you represent a great point of reference with respect to citizens: evaluate, in your social report, how to improve this relationship.

Gianfranco Cattai
NP January 2023