A large part of the letters should arrive nationwide one day after being put in the letter box at the recipient. This is also what the legal requirement for the postal service wants. But she no longer thinks that is up-to-date. What needs to arrive quickly could soon cost more.
Deutsche Post is considering a possible surcharge for the faster delivery of letters. "We should consider whether we let the customers choose the transit times," said Nikola Hagleitner, who is responsible for letters and parcels in the group, the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung". "They could then decide whether a particularly fast delivery is worth a surcharge or whether the letters can take a little longer."
Such models already exist in Switzerland and Austria. In Germany, the post office is legally obliged to deliver at least 80 percent of the letters the following day.
The Post needs more flexibility, said Hagleitner of the FAZ. "In the era of electronic communication, we consider the rigid runtime specifications to be outdated." Not only are they a huge operational challenge, they also pollute the environment because of the night flights they require.
Swiss Post is currently struggling with delivery problems in general, especially with letters. The group had recently justified this with staff shortages, among other things due to a high level of sick leave and the tight labor market.
