Lazy firms

Phoning around locally to find the best place to buy US$500. And no, this isn't mystery shopping, I really want the currency.

A travel agent takes my call, yes we have the currency, and they tell me the cost. Halifax don't keep any in stock. The main banks all sport 0845 numbers. Like more and more people I can ring ordinary phone numbers over the internet for nothing (as I did with the travel agent), but not 0845 numbers. So no thank you.

Remembering the post office advertisements, I try them. The local main office is not listed in http://www.yell.co.uk, though the branches are. So I try the post office website.

That does show the main office. But when I click for details, there is no phone number.

I give up.

The banks' poor customer interface is down to them, it's their shareholders' money, if they don't want my enquiry that's between them and their shareholders. But as a taxpayer I'm being asked to subsidise the post office.

The words 'lazy' and 'complacent' come to mind - and worse. They're not hungry. They just don't care. Are they taking my subsidy for granted? Maybe they shouldn't.