2017: MCA Bulk Mailer Survey - Postal Services
The Malta Communications Authority (MCA) is today publishing the results of its latest bulk mailer perception survey. Forty face-to-face interviews were carried out between April and June 2017 with the person responsible for handling the mail of each respective organisation. Respondents had to have used MaltaPost’s bulk mail service to send on average more than 750 addressed letters in a year to be eligible to participate.
Postal markets within and beyond Europe are experiencing a decline in traditional letter mail volumes and a shift in consumer and business behaviour. The MCA carries out such surveys periodically to observe these shifts and ensure that consumers’ needs are being met.
Overall Service Quality
The majority of respondents were satisfied with the overall quality of the postal services provided by MaltaPost (75%). Furthermore 68% of respondents claimed to be satisfied with MaltaPost’s bulk mail service.
Sending Letters
The majority of letter mail items in the domestic postal market originate from businesses. Survey participants were asked about how they made use of the bulk mail service in terms of frequency and volumes during the 12 months preceding the survey.
The majority of respondents (73%) claimed that they sent the same amount of letters in the 12 months preceding the survey, while the proportion of respondents who claimed to have sent fewer letters increased from 18% in 2014 to 20% in 2017.
Maltapost's Website
At 83% the majority of respondents made use of MaltaPost’s website, with 24% of users visiting the website every week. When asked why they visited the website the main reasons for doing so were to search for postcodes (48%), postal service prices (36%), tracking parcels and searching for product information (both 30%). Furthermore 61% of users are satisfied with MaltaPost’s website.
Visiting the Post Office
92% of respondents, up from 85% in 2014, claimed to have visited the post office in the 12 months preceding the survey. The majority of respondents visit the post office every week (59%), mainly to post letters, deposit bulk mail and buy stamps (all 65%). Satisfaction with post office opening hours has decreased to 35% from 55% in 2014.
Complaints
In the 12 months preceding the survey 20% of respondents claimed to have lodged a complaint. The reasons for doing so were related to delays, mis-delivery and registered mail.
As regulator for postal services the Malta Communications Authority carries out research on a regular basis. This survey, part of a series of surveys examining household and business use of postal services, is intended to assess the extent of bulk mailers’ satisfaction with the services provided by MaltaPost, as well as to monitor a number of aspects related to postal services (such as price levels, quality and access). The aim of this research is to guide the Authority’s decisions, the effects of which are felt by consumers and businesses alike, by providing an additional source of information for such decisions.
Download Bulk Mail Survey presentation
Download Press Release in Maltese