Forum Topic

Post Office Self Service Counters

I was in the West End today and wanted to post a card airmail.  I was amazed to see self service counters.   Am I the last person to know about these, as I didn’t know there was such a thing?  It was so easy to use.

Martine Guy ● 7d11 Comments

We also use WhatsApp.  What I want is choices so that you choose a method of communication to more suit the people that you are communicating with.It was interesting to hear recently that written exams have become more of a problem for a lot of children now because they can't write clearly enough and fast enouugh because there is such a push towards teaching everyone to use a computer (rightly so) and not enough time has been given to handwriting.  Bad handwriting can cost you time and exam points and is stressful for teachers to have to decipher. There is nothing quite like receiving a handwritten personal letter with or without a gift which you can read and re-read again.  Computer inboxes can be bunged up so easily with too many emails and in particularly spam ones or replies/acknowledgements of no consequence which it takes even more time to sort through.£2.80 postage for one Christmas card to Australia is expensive so it really does need to have more than a signature in it to make it a worthwhile communication!  ("Oh, so they're still alive then.")

Philippa Bond ● 3d

What do you want Philippa, seems like your never satisfied.

Barbara Stevens ● 5d

We used to get our stamps at the large supermarket with all the other shopping but that became more difficult as they often got forgotten or they didn't have any.  We went through a phase with a family newsletter.  Then we sent many by email and were left with stamps hanging around which should have been sent back - only the Post Office then didn't seem to be confident over whether stamps sent back to them were fake or not.  Then we decided to go back to a cards again. So the need for stamps.. Postage now costs more than the children's book you want to send.  Yes, we Facetime the kids but there are other older relatives and friends who can't deal with IT.  Our parents couldn't.  Sometimes we just want something that is less intimate than Facetime and more intimate than something sent direct from a shop which has to be closely tracked..  Sorry I think the Christmas stress and excess has been getting to me!

Philippa Bond ● 6d

I can ring or video call in FACEBOOK my son in Sweden and the granddaughters. Or What's App.

Barbara Stevens ● 6d

So do Sainsbury's, also small Newsagents.

Barbara Stevens ● 6d

Do people "phone" Australia anymore? One can do a 40 minute Zoom call, FaceTime or WhatsApp call for free these days, can't you?

Michael Ixer ● 7d

Philippa, lots of places sell books of stamps, why don’t you buy them in Rymans for example.  It is far quicker than queuing in the post office.

Martine Guy ● 7d

I agree the counter queues are huge and much longer than those for the self-service counters. It was a long queue for the peel-off strips (which can't be put in a wallet easily and which we've found are easily lost - and which didn't even have the expected barcodes) but the counter queue is even longer if you just want a sensible book of stamps (which you used to be able to buy from a machine).  In the past you could just add up several stamps to make up the price (or more) to pay for an overseas card.  And as for all this Large Letter and this Thicker Than This measurement letter - you just get the feeling that they don't actually want this letter business! It used to be enjoyable to send the grandchildren little personal letters with their small gifts and it used to be nice to receive gifts like that.  Something delivered directly is now far easier and cheaper - but NOT better!

Philippa Bond ● 7d

Philippa, it was a stamp for overseas, which I don’t think come in books.  All I really care about is getting served as quickly as possible.  The queue for the counters with staff was really long and I thought there could a 10 to 15 minute wait.  Then I saw the self service, a member of staff showed me what to do and it took about one minute, if that.

Martine Guy ● 7d

We prefer our stamps in neat colourful books and not on long peel-off strips!Many people like to use their Christmas cards as a decoration and to read and re-read them (especially when they contain the once a year catch up of different lives).  The cost of stamps is high but probably cheaper than a randomly timed phone call to Australia!

Philippa Bond ● 7d

I've not seen one but I suppose they're cheaper than staff:https://www.postoffice.co.uk/mail/post-go-self-serviceSelf service ordering seems popular in a lot of takeaway restaurants ...

Michael Ixer ● 7d