North Watford Post Office

DO NOT USE TO GET YOUR PASSPORT RENEWED

Last week I used the post office on St Albans Road in Watford to renew my passport which turned out to be the biggest waste of time and money to the point where I feel I really need to complain and warn others. I had three weeks until my holiday, which as it states on the DirectGov website, is the time you will receive your passport in.

When I got my passport done, a man proceeded to use what looked like a £40 digital camera to take the picture, after I pointed this out he reassured me it would work just as well as a machine. After charging me £5 for the pictures I spent £8.75 to use the check and send service which is there so they check everything is 100% for the passport office.

Over the weekend I got a letter from the passport office saying it could not accept the application because there was red eye on the pictures I used. So this branch and the postmaster called Himan Kotecha who handled it has failed on two counts here: 1) the passport picture service FAILED to take a photo which met passport standards 2) the check and send service FAILED to check the passport photo before sending.
To top it off, when I went back to the post office on St Albans road where the postmaster Himan Kotecha FAILED to take responsibility or apologize or even be polite. Instead he gave me my £5 back for the red eye photos and repeated the words ‘you should not have booked you’re flights before getting your passport’. When I got his name to complain to the Post Office he said all they would say is ‘you should not have booked you’re flights before getting your passport’.

As a young customer of the Post Office it’s a really shame to see such bad service and it only shows this new privatization is purely a financial decision and has no impact on service.

Usually find the service ok here but very slow especially when the older gentleman is serving behind the counter but he is always polite. Today however, found the other guy who works there behind the counter very impolite and abrupt.
He told me abruptly to put my letter on the scales (no please) and then when I weighed it he then said abruptly "give me the letter" I nearly said "please". He was very moody and acted like he didn't want me there. His attitude was terrible. These people need to learn manners because if it wasn't for customers they wouldn't have a business.

I went there to send something as a first class recorded. The man from the post office asked me if I want it as the next day guaranteed because this one will be traceable, the other one not - which is of course a total BS because why else is it called recorded? Unfortunately I didn’t think quick enough that time and got tricked into buying much more expensive service than I needed or wanted. So feel like being cheated now. I’d rather choose a different post office in the future whenever possible.

Those 2 are the most incompetent clerks that i ever come accross in my entire life.
I went to the post office on 3 different occasions asking them for some details which where related to the post; every time they said they dont know, they cant help.
Also i had a couple of parcels delivered there. And every time when i went and said i need to pick up the parcel which was delivered here. They always keep on asking: Are you sure it was delivered here and not elsewhere? Are you sure it was already delivered?? Turns out every time the parcel was there.... All they had to do it was to look for it..... awful services.

Really good efficient service. Two child passport renewals were processed and delivered within three weeks.

Crazy People on Postoffice and they dont know how to speak to customer. 0/10 need to closed down ASAP

I’ve successfully renewed a passport here, got a driving license renewed and sent parcels.

My main criticism is that they will always automatically give you the most expensive tariff for your parcel rather than ask what you want. So watch out and ask for the options before you agree the price. Or use Hermes parcels just across the road, (it’s always cheaper.)

Gentleman at front desk always polite. Nice selection of greetings cards and postal stationary. Automatic door which is a bonus for wheelchair and pushchair users.