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Witness Name: Mrs Rebecca Richard
Statement No.: WITN07430100
Dated: 10 January 2023
POST OFFICE HORIZON IT INQUIRY
FIRST STATEMENT OF MRS REBECCA RICHARD
I, MRS REBECCA RICHARD, will say as follows:
INTRODUCTION
1. Iam a former employee of the Post Office Limited and held the position of a tier
2 Service Support Advisor with Network Business Support Centre (‘(NBSC’).
2. I have been contacted recently by the Post Office Horizon inquiry department to
provide a witness statement relating to phase 3 which covers operation, training,
assistance, resolution of disputes and rectification of errors.
3. This witness statement is made to assist the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry
(the ‘Inquiry’) with the matters set out in Rule 9 Request dated 3 January
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2023 (the ‘Request’)
BACKGROUND
4. I was employed by the Post Office from the 25" of October 1999 to the 5" of
August 2005 and served the Post Office as a Service Support Advisor. My
reason to leave the Post Office was voluntary resignation due to me marrying a
Suisse man and consequently emigrated from England at the end of August
_GRO_I
5. At the beginning of my career as a Service Support advisor I received training
in relation to the Horizon system, located in Leeds. I received training on how
to use the database that would consequently be used at the NBSC to resolve
Post Office counter transaction queries and provide assistance. I started as a
Service Support advisor working within tier 1 and worked around 4 year’s which
involved answering queries and assisting subpostmasters. I also provided post
codes to the general public. Around 2003 there was job vacancies to become a
tier 2 Service Support Advisor, I consequently applied to become a tier 2 advisor
and after a successful interview, I was accepted and continued answering
queries and providing assistance.
6. During the time that I worked for the Post Office at the NBSC, I found it to be a
very pleasant working experience. I also had very good working relationships
with other colleagues and management.
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7. Throughout my career as a Service Support Advisor I was responsible for
providing and assisting with all queries related to Post Office counter
transactions and queries related to the using of the Horizon system.
8. In order to resolve queries related to Post Office counter transactions or queries
related to the Horizon system we used a database at the NBSC that provided
relevant information that we could use to assist subposmasters. To my
knowledge this database was very efficient in delivering assistance in a prompt
and professional manner.
9. Whilst working at the NBSC and to my personal knowledge that there was
certain specific requests for support which was occasionally on Wednesday
evenings as the helpline was open until 10pm and subpostmasters were
expected to balance their stock and cash and sometimes required further
assistance.
10. The most common type of calls that I dealt with was normally queries related to
Post Office counter transactions, for example a purchase of a TV license and
there was a specific question related to the date of issuing or for another
example queries related to Post Office travel insurance and how to proceed with
validation. In order to assist subpostmasters we used the database that was in
place at the NSBC or Post Office counter manuals and in the event that there
was a certain query that was complex then we were expected to consult with
out Team Leader's until satisfactory call closure.
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11.We used the database at the NBSC to assist subpostmasters daily as well as
Post Office counter manuals. We were also given updated information during
training sessions in order to assist and deliver satisfactory responses. In certain
situations, that were quite complex, we were allowed to discuss with our Team
Leaders or with other colleagues that worked previously as subpostmasters
which enabled me to assist and resolve queries in a satisfactory manner.
12.Throughout my career whilst working as a Service Support Advisor, I was
monitored and trained by a Team Leader. I also had regular meetings with my
Team Leader to see my progress and to discuss my personal objectives.
13.During my working career as a Service Support Advisor for the NSBC was
carried out in a professional and respectful manner towards subpostmasters.
The protocol at the NBSC before call closure was to always ask if the call was
satisfactory dealt with and if there was anything else that I could help with.
14. In my personal opinion I do believe that the NSBC did provide adequate support
to subpostmasters who called for assistance. If there were any certain situations
that certain subpostmasters felt that they weren't satisfied with the way they had
been assisted, they always had the opportunity to file an official complaint that
would be dealt with appropriately and professionally either by a
Team Leader at the NSBC or the complaints department.
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15. During the time that I worked as a Service Support Advisor at the NSBC I was
never aware of any software bugs, errors or defects within the Horizon IT
system and I wasn’t aware that currently there’s an Horizon inquiry taking place.
16.1 believe that all the above information that I have provided in this statement is
to the best of my knowledge during my career at the NSBC as a Service Support
Advisor and to my personal knowledge of the Horizon IT project.
Statement of Truth
I believe the content of this statement to be true.
Dated: 10 January 2023
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