Newsagents looking at getting into bill payment or parcel sending should visit an Australia Post corporate store and use one of their next-generation self-serve kiosks. They are easy to use – even for people who are not comfortable with technology.
These kiosks mirror the experience of kiosks in supermarkets, making them easier to understand and less intimidating. They are very different to the kiosks being proposed to newsagents by Hubbed. Whereas these Australia Post kiosks are completely self-service, the Hubbed kiosk required the customer to engage at the main counter from what I understand.
At an Australia Post kiosk you can scan your bill and complete the payment with cash or a card right there. The same with sending a parcel. No human interaction is required.
It’s clear Australia Post has developed these kiosks to address customer flow, to free their staff of work they don’t need to do whereas the Hubbed offer as it currently sits does not address this.
The kiosks in the photo are near one of my newsagencies. I’ve watched people using them several times now. Based on what I have seen at the kiosks and the reduced line for the main counter in this Australia Post outlet I’d say the kiosks are a game changer.
Click on the image for a larger version.
I agree, Mark. I’ve developed a preference for using the self-serve check out at my local supermarket and I can see myself developing the same preference for using these kiosks at the post office.
I’ve used these kiosks once and they are extremely user friendly and obviously going to allow Australia Post staff to assist customers with products that more and more compete with us.