The Cayman Islands Post Office is encouraging its customers to “Help us wake up and smell the coffee” during a week-long survey.

The survey, which will start on Friday, 28 April, has three main objectives: to see whether customers need extended hours or if they can complete their postal business during regular business hours; to establish whether Cayman Islands residents want home delivery of mail and parcels and whether they would be willing to pay for such a service; and to see whether postal clients are satisfied, and if not, what is required to meet this objective.

Cards containing 12 questions have been placed in all post office boxes on all three islands.

The customer incentives start on Monday, 1 May with post office customers in Grand Cayman getting a cup of coffee or hot chocolate and a newspaper from Seven Mile Beach Post Office, Airport Post Office, and General Post Office in George Town if they hand in their completed surveys between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

Cayman Brac (West End Post Office) and Little Cayman customers will receive fruit punch or juice and a newspaper. However, it should be noted that surveys can be handed in at any Post Office or mail drop at any time. The survey ends on Friday, 5 May. 

In late 2002 the Post Offices were closed on Saturday after an internal survey reveal it was not cost effective. However, in recent years there has been some evidence that some customers would prefer extended hours to conduct their postal business.

The survey seeks to address the current and future needs of customers, in that it asks customers not only where they conduct their business and what other services they would like to see the Post Office offer, but also what they expect the Postal Service should be like in five years. So there are short- and long-term goals.  

Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said this survey is a significant step in acquiring empirical data, as opposed to anecdotal reports, to chart the way forward. 

“We recognise that customers have various options for accessing their postal needs in today’s technologically advanced world. So one of the important challenges for the postal service is, as much as possible, to reinvent itself to help provide the types of service our customers desire,” she said. 

“It has also been suggested that some customers want home delivery of mail. However, the issue is would our customers be willing to pay for such a service? Countries that offer home delivery cover the cost through the fees charged by the Post Office.

“The Cayman Islands Government already heavily subsidises the Postal Service. So we would need to pass the cost on to our customers. Home delivery of mail would have to be all or nothing – it would be cost prohibitive to offer this service only in selected areas,” added Ms Glasgow.