Quality of Universal Postal Service

The quality of universal postal service comprises the provision of the following:

at least one mail collection and delivery a day on at least five days a week at the home or premises of every natural person or legal entity,

an appropriate number and working hours of contact points for direct work with postal service users,

an appropriate number of mailboxes,

an appropriate time of mail delivery,

suitable procedures for resolving claims and complaints.

The quality of universal postal service is regulated by the General Act on the Quality of the Universal Postal Service Provision.

Mail Delivery Times

95% of lettermail in domestic postal traffic must be delivered within one working day (D+1), at least 99.5% within two working days (D+2), and 100% within three working days (D+3).

In postal traffic with EU member states, at least 85% of a month’s lettermail must be delivered within three working days (D+3), and at least 97% within five working days (D+5).
80% of a month’s parcels must be delivered within two working days (D+2), and 95% within three working days (D+3).

A universal service provider must ensure that the quality of mail delivery is measured. The Agency monitors the used methodology and results of the measurements.

Complaints over the UPS Provision

Pursuant to the General Act on the Quality of the Universal Postal Service Provision, Pošta Slovenije must handle complaints and damages claims according to the requirements of the SIST EN 14012:2004 postal service quality standard. Pošta Slovenije started applying this method of handling complaints in 2008.

Postal Network Density

The density of the postal network in Slovenia is regulated by the General Act on the Quality of the Universal Postal Service Provision.

Pošta Slovenije must provide at least one contact point – a post office or a post office managed by a third party – in every municipality in the Republic of Slovenia, and for 95% of inhabitants of the Republic of Slovenia the linear distance to the nearest contact point should not exceed 4.5 km. Based on these criteria, the population coverage with contact points in the Republic of Slovenia is 96.74%, which is shown in the image.

Compared to other EU countries, the postal network density in the Republic of Slovenia is above average. Data acquired in 2009 (table) shows that in EU member states the average territory covered by a contact point is 55 km2, and in the Republic of Slovenia 36.30 km2.

Working Hours of Contact Points

In the General Act on the Quality of the Universal Postal Service Provision, the Agency wrote that contact points for direct work with postal service users must be open at least two hours every workday, and at least once a week the working hours must be in the afternoon, after 3 PM.

Mailboxes

The universal postal service provider must put up at least one mailbox:

per every 400 inhabitants in towns with a population up to 5,000 people,

per every 700 inhabitants in towns with a population of between 5,001 and 25,000 people,

per every 1,000 inhabitants in towns with a population of between 25,001 and 80,000 people,

per every 1,300 inhabitants in towns with a population of between 80,001 and 250,000 people,

per every 1,500 inhabitants in cities with a population of over 250,000 people.

Regardless of the provisions from the previous paragraph, a universal postal service provider may remove a mailbox if two counts lasting for 14 consecutive days and carried out at least three months apart reveal that the average number of lettermail items dropped in the mailbox per day is less than ten. This provision does not apply to places with only one mailbox and without a contact point.

Practice abroad

The quality of postal services represents an important part of the tasks of all European regulators and organizations actively operating in the European postal service market. The most important surveys are published on the European Commission’s website.

Studies and survey results of EU member states’ regulators are published on their websites.