(a) State two advantages of courier services.
(b) List and explain six communication services rendered by the post office.
Explanation
(a) Advantages of courier services:
(i) It delivers safely and quickly.
(ii) It collects and delivers goods personally.
(iii) It delivers goods to all part of the country
(iv) It provides 24 hours service daily.
(v) Misplacement of parcels through courier services is minimal.
(b) Communication services rendered by the post office:
(i) Express delivery
(ii) Post Restante
(iii) Recorded delivery
(iv) Sales of stamps.
(v) Business Reply Service.
(vi) Registered mail
(vii) Parcel post
(viii) Ordinary mail.
(ix) P. 0. Box / P. M. B
Explanations:
(i) Express delivery: It is fast and quick means of sending letters and parcels through the post office. It attracts extra charge. Arrangement is made to deliver the letter to the addressee when it reaches its destination.
(ii) Post restante: It is a service rendered to tourists who have no fixed address. This allows the tourist to receive his mails while on transit.
(iii) Recorded delivery: It is a means of sending important documents through post office. Certificate of posting is issued to sender. The person to whom it is sent signs as evidence of receipt. It attracts extra charge.
(iv) Business reply services: This facilities is rendered to the specific businessman who has applied in advance. It enables the public to reply to business advertisements without paying for postage stamps. The post office issues license to firm that requires this service. The business or the license pays the charge in advance.
(v) Sale of stamps: The post office sells stamps to people who wish to send letters, parcels, etc through post. Stamps are adhesives in different denomination that are affixed to whatever people want to send through the post office. Each letter or parcel must bear the correct charge of postage stamp.
(iv) Parcel Post: Parcel sent through the post are weighed and charged accordingly. They would go by ordinary mail or be registered if they contained valuable items. When parcels are registered, their owners can claim compensation if there is a loss.
(vii) Ordinary mail: This costs less to post but has a weight limit. When an ordinary mail weights more than extra charge in postage is paid. In the event of loss, the post office does not pay any compensation to the sender. Valuable items are not sent through ordinary mail. Ordinary mail takes a longer time to get to its destination.
(viii) Registered mail/post: This is a safe way of sending valuable articles/items through the post. It costs more than an ordinary mail. A registered mail is not put into a posting box. It is over to an official of the post office. A receipt is issued to cover a registered mail. In the event of loss the sender is entitled to compensation when he provides the receipt of posting.
(ix) P. O. BOX / P. M. B: Provision of these allow owners to personally collect their letter at convenient times. The boxes and bags are locked at the post office in order to ensure security and privacy of letters. An annual rental fee is charged.