Self Service Expo: USPS get exhibitor nod
The United States Postal Service was the People’s Choice Winner for Self-Service Street, a strip of interactive booths located at the back of the exhibit hall. Unlike the other Excellence Awards, the People’s Choice winner is voted on by the Expo’s attendees, not the expert judges.
At its Self-Service Street booth, the government agency set up a mock post office branch, complete with a self-service kiosk. The Automated Postal Center (APC) was part of a 2004 initiative by the USPS to integrate self-service to cut wait times. Since 2004, 2,500 APCs have been rolled out.
The APC dispenses stamps, which the USPS says is the overwhelming majority of transactions conducted at post offices. In addition, APC customers can access most of the services available at the counter, including shipment of first class parcel, ZIP code lookup, weighing and rating packages up to 70 pounds and delivery confirmation service.
Prices for shipping and stamps are the same as at the postal counter and there is no additional charge for using the APC.
Michael C. Adams, retail service equipment project manager, said that in the first two fiscal quarters of this year APCs have processed 22 million transactions.
USPS Delivering and Retail vice president Bill Galligan says APCs could do for postal centers what ATMs did for banking.
