Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Automated Postal Centers - Where Should They Go?

Most of our Automated Postal Centers (APCs) are co-located inside Post Offices. They cut down on lines and give after hours access.

However, in a few areas, there are APCs located in other high traffic areas. For example, in Syracuse, NY, a CPU closed and an APC replaced it.

The APCs are pricey to purchase and maintain, but do you think they would be smart to use to expand our access? Comment here.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Until they can make the APC's more reliable than they are now, I can only begin to imagine how much frustration they would cause the public. All I would need would be one trip where it was not functioning, and I wouldn't bother again. It is hard enough to keep them working in the Post Office - can't imagine the problems that would occur in other areas.

Anonymous said...

APCs cant smile.... no service.
guess next will be electronic PMG ??? wait that just might work (think max headroom) and we got a winner!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the first person who posted a comment...APCs are currently not reliable enough to sustain customer traffic outside of a P.O.

Anonymous said...

Why don't all of you that have an opinion ask the people that matter, the public that pays for our services. I have done this and an overwhelming majority prefer the APC. Face it people, our employees are not great at customer service. Sad, but TRUE.

Anonymous said...

Hey buddy, speak for yourself. I am & know thousands of USPS employees the are super great at customer service. You must be the world's worst employee.

Anonymous said...

To the person who have customers that like the APC, you must work in a large office. Small offices have good customer relationships. But oh yeah they are going to close all of us. Hummmm don't make any sense does it???????????????

Anonymous said...

Well said.

Anonymous said...

well,the APC I use is at a large post office and I love going after hours and on weekends to mail my boxes and letters--it has always worked. But a cost analysis should be done to see if the maintenance and purchase of an APC is cheaper than having a CPO or window service.

Anonymous said...

An APC could be used for expanded access at airports, malls (where we used to have the vending machines), possibility at Wal-Marts.

I have heard pros and cons on the APCs. Have a friend who loved using because she could not get to PO during business hours. Could be a little difficult for those who are not computer-age, machine literate. Maybe we could work on that - simplify instructions, visual chart, etc.

Anonymous said...

Just put prepaid flat rate everythings in airports-everywhere.
$$$

Anonymous said...

I think that the APC's are convenient and easy to use and should be incorporated in the Village Post Office concept.

Anonymous said...

The APCs are pricey to purchase and maintain, but do you think they would be smart to use to expand our access? Yes, if it's not YOUR job that the machine is replacing. There are many instances where they are a great idea, BUT aren't people so much nicer to deal with. I don't enjoy kicking the machines when they don't work correctly.

Anonymous said...

Yes, put the prepaid flat rates in all the airports. I don't travel often but everytime I do I see personal need for them.

Anonymous said...

The pre-paid flat rate boxes in airports are a good concept, but who is going to ensure customers follow the contents guidelines. There will need to be a way to determine the mailer if problems arise, therefore an APC would be needed, because we wouldn't expand our access by putting actual employees there.

Anonymous said...

The criminals in our area apparently are not too smart. We had to remove our APC from our 24 hour lobby because of multiple break ins. They thought it was an ATM.

Anonymous said...

I see the potential convenience of APC's BUT.....even though I myself love using computers, are they not destroying jobs and would this not be yet another way of a computer replacing a human, adding to the unemployment rate? At some point we have to realize that the more computers are used to do jobs like this in our society the less need there is for humans to be doing the work. At what point do we say "enough!" That being said, if they are to be used I agree with the comment above about incorporating them into the Village Post Office concept.

Grannybunny said...

I think incorporating APCs into the Village Post Offices would be a good idea. That way, customers could mail items that needed to be weighed, mail certified letters, etc., which the Village POs will not be able to do. It would be great if the APCs could dispense Postal money orders, too, which I do not believe the Village POs will be doing either.

Anonymous said...

My sister visited a PO with an APC. She waited in line to mail a package only to be told she had to use the APC. At the APC it tells her the package is to big, she has to use the clerk. She waits in line again only to have the clerk tell her how to make the APC work for her. Then she returned to the APC to mail her package. Needless to say her opinion of the Postal "Service" was extremely low. If we route people to other methods of service we have to provide great service through those outlets as well, otherwise we're just digging our grave all the faster!