A third of customers with sight loss who took part in visits reported problems caused by obstacles and trip hazards at the buildings' entrances. In four of every five visits, there was no working induction loop available for people with hearing problems. Post Office Ltd said the report was an important piece of research and would be fully considering the findings.
A total of 78 people with sensory loss acting as "mystery shoppers" visited 150 different post offices, with a total of 583 visits in total. More than a third of volunteers from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) Cymru and Action on Hearing Loss Cymru found the layout and design of their post office a problem, and had difficulty finding the counter on their first visit.
John Claridge, 56, from Bridgend.
"The thing that I encountered most was the lack of hearing loops in several of the smaller post offices. In some of them there was no loop system at all, in another the staff told me it was kept in the store cupboard and they couldn't get it out, and in another I was told that they would have to charge the loop system up before we could use it and they asked me to come back in half an hour. "The best experience I had was in a large Crown post office in a city centre, where there was a working loop system - although it was only in particular cashier desks and you had to wait to use them.
"It really highlighted the differences in different post offices and I did find that there is a lot of room for improvement." The report, Talking Sense, says in almost a quarter of post offices with hearing loops there was no sign advertising that the loop was available, and in two thirds of these cases staff did not attempt to resolve the problem.
However, despite concerns around safety and customer service, nine out of 10 of those who took part in the study praised post office employees for their professionalism. One volunteer, Sara Johnson from Cardiff, said: "People were helpful, but they did not have the knowledge. "The layout and lighting were poor, but not the staff. It was not for want of trying, they just did not have the knowledge."
People with sight loss rated their experience with the post office more highly than those with hearing loss. The report recommended that post office proprietors should ensure good lighting throughout the premises to aid both those with impaired sight and those lip reading. It called for staff to receive training in identifying and communicating effectively with a customer with sensory loss.
Welsh/Cymraeg
Swyddfeydd post angen i'w gwneud yn haws i bobl sydd â golwg a nam ar eu clyw i gael gafael arnynt, Llais Defnyddwyr Cymru yn ei ddweud.
Mae traean o gwsmeriaid â nam ar eu golwg a fu'n cymryd rhan mewn ymweliadau adroddwyd problemau a achosir gan rhwystrau a pheryglon taith ar fynedfeydd yr adeiladau '. Mewn pedair o bob pum ymweliad, nid oedd unrhyw dolen sain gwaith sydd ar gael i bobl sydd â phroblemau clyw. Dywedodd Swyddfa'r Post Cyf yr adroddiad oedd yn ddarn pwysig o waith ymchwil a byddai'n cael ei ystyried yn llawn y canfyddiadau.
Mae cyfanswm o 78 o bobl sydd wedi colli synhwyrau gweithredu fel "siopwyr dirgel" ymweld â 150 o swyddfeydd post gwahanol, gyda chyfanswm o 583 o ymweliadau i gyd. Mae mwy na thraean o wirfoddolwyr o'r Sefydliad Cenedlaethol Brenhinol y Deillion (RNIB) Cymru a Gweithredu ar y Clyw Colli Cymru o hyd i'r gosodiad a dyluniad eu swyddfa bost yn broblem, ac yn cael anhawster dod o hyd i'r cownter ar eu hymweliad cyntaf.
John Claridge, 56, o Benybont.
"Y peth yr wyf yn dod ar draws y rhan fwyaf oedd y diffyg dolenni clyw mewn sawl un o'r swyddfeydd post llai. Mewn rhai ohonynt nad oedd system ddolen o gwbl, mewn un arall y staff wrthyf ei fod yn cael ei gadw yn y cwpwrdd storio ac maent yn doedd ' t gael allan, ac mewn un arall dywedwyd wrthyf y byddai'n rhaid iddynt godi tâl ar y system dolen i fyny cyn y gallem ei defnyddio ac maent yn gofyn i mi ddod yn ôl mewn hanner awr. "Roedd y profiad gorau a gefais oedd mewn swydd y Goron mawr mewn swyddfa, nghanol y ddinas lle roedd system dolen gweithio - er nad oedd ond ar ddesgiau ariannwr penodol a bu'n rhaid i chi aros i'w defnyddio.
"Mae'n wir yn tynnu sylw at y gwahaniaethau mewn gwahanol swyddfeydd post a wnes i yn gweld bod yna lawer o le i wella." Mae'r adroddiad, Siarad Sense, yn dweud yn bron i chwarter o swyddfeydd post gyda dolenni clywed nad oedd unrhyw arwydd hysbysebu bod y ddolen ar gael, ac nid mewn dwy ran o dair o'r achosion hyn o staff yn ceisio datrys y broblem.
Fodd bynnag, er gwaethaf pryderon ynghylch diogelwch a, gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid naw o bob 10 o'r rhai a gymerodd ran yn yr astudiaeth yn canmol gweithwyr swyddfa bost am eu proffesiynoldeb. Dywedodd un gwirfoddolwr, Sara Johnson o Gaerdydd,: "Mae pobl yn barod i helpu, ond nid oedd ganddynt y wybodaeth." Mae'r cynllun a goleuadau yn wael, ond nid y staff. Nid oedd o eisiau geisio, maent nid yn unig oedd yn cael y wybodaeth. "
Pobl sydd â nam ar eu golwg yn dweud fod eu profiad â'r swyddfa bost yn uwch na'r rhai sy'n drwm eu clyw. Mae'r adroddiad yn argymell y dylai perchnogion swyddfa bost sicrhau golau da drwy gydol y fangre i gynorthwyo y rhai â nam ar eu golwg a rhai sy'n darllen gwefusau. Mae'n galw am staff i dderbyn hyfforddiant o ran nodi a chyfathrebu'n effeithiol â chwsmer â cholled synhwyraidd.