Post Office vending machines bite the dust

A few minutes in line and a brief conversation
with a pleasant clerk.

I use the machines. Long lines and loud talking, wise cracking, rude "know
it all" clerks who try to find something wrong with every package laid in
front of them are a good reason to minimize interaction with clerks at our
local post office.

And I'm also lucky enough, being retired, to be able to stop at the PO
during the day when there are no long lines.

There are almost always long lines at my local post office, so I
find the machines to be much faster. In grocery and department
stores, many folks are reluctant to use self-checkout, so I usually
can walk right up to an available machine and get out quickly.



Best Regards,
Bob Johnson

"Mr. Jaggers" lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com wrote in i'll take electrons
over a squallmart "clerk" anytime.

Can you tell us with a straight face that you can use one of those
self-checkout aisles without swearing? 8)

James


Which is the exact reason I do not go through those, because you spend a
longer time there with some stressed out clerk working 8 "self" checkout
lanes, that becomes surly as a result. I try to keep the F and MF
exclamations down to a few a day. I would use my allowance all in one visit
through one of those F-in U-Scan things.

"Bruce Remick" wrote in message

I guess I'm lucky then to have four pleasant PO clerks to deal with. I've
seen people waiting in line at those do-it-yourself package mailing
machines as I walk in, and the same people are often still waiting as I
walk out. And I'm also lucky enough, being retired, to be able to stop at
the PO during the day when there are no long lines.

Bruce


I am lucky I live in one of those towns where you get to know the postal
clerks pretty well, have fun with them(spending $2's to help out one of
their collections) and they are always pleasant. One of the clerks that
recently retired probably worked there since WWII, and though she did not
run the place in title she did every other which way. As noted above, the
stamp machines and the APC's all went bye bye. Back to the old fashioned
and unbroken way of doing things.

USPS vending machines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. THAT is
one of the main reasons I love them. The clerks, no matter how nice, will
not sell you stamps at 3 am.

--
-Fred Shecter
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"Allen" wrote in message
...
scottishmoney wrote:
"Mr. Jaggers" lugburzman[at]yahoo[dot]com wrote in i'll take
electrons over a squallmart "clerk" anytime.
Can you tell us with a straight face that you can use one of those
self-checkout aisles without swearing? 8)

James


Which is the exact reason I do not go through those, because you spend a
longer time there with some stressed out clerk working 8 "self" checkout
lanes, that becomes surly as a result. I try to keep the F and MF
exclamations down to a few a day. I would use my allowance all in one
visit through one of those F-in U-Scan things.
I both use and like self-checkout terminals--at least most of the Home
Depot terminals are very easy and quick, as are most (but not all) of the
ones that I have encountered at various Wal-Marts. The ones in HEB stores
(a very successful Texas grocery chain) are also quite good. As I just
turned 79, I guess that I haven't had enough experience with them--maybe
I'm a young fogey. Incidentally, the branch post office that I use has
(without exception) very friendly and efficient clerks, but there are only
three stations (because of space limitations in their building) and
sometimes the wait can be up to thirty minutes. I have learned to love the
automated system and I will be sad to see it go.
Allen

On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 17:28:05 -0800, "Fred Shecter"
wrote:

USPS vending machines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. THAT is
one of the main reasons I love them. The clerks, no matter how nice, will
not sell you stamps at 3 am.


Or order stamps at usps.gov.

Or just print your own postage and request a free pickup.

"Jon Purkey" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 2 Mar 2008 17:28:05 -0800, "Fred Shecter"
wrote:

USPS vending machines are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. THAT is
one of the main reasons I love them. The clerks, no matter how nice, will
not sell you stamps at 3 am.


Or order stamps at usps.gov.

Or just print your own postage and request a free pickup.


A book or sheet of stamps is also available 24/7 if you simply buy stamps
that way and carry one or two in your wallet. I have to question the logic
anyway of placing a stamp machine at the Post Office. Drug stores, grocery
stores, fine. But why make a visit to the PO just to use their stamp
machine?

Bruce Remick wrote:

I have to question the logic anyway of placing a stamp machine at the Post
Office. Drug stores, grocery stores, fine. But why make a visit to the
PO just to use their stamp machine?

Probably because that is where people expect to get stamps. You go to
the PO, find out it's closed or see a long line - no problem (well,
depending on what you want), use the machine. Of course it is neat if
they can, like ATMs, be found at other "popular" locations as well.

Christian

"Christian Feldhaus" wrote in message
...
Bruce Remick wrote:

I have to question the logic anyway of placing a stamp machine at the
Post
Office. Drug stores, grocery stores, fine. But why make a visit to the
PO just to use their stamp machine?

Probably because that is where people expect to get stamps. You go to
the PO, find out it's closed or see a long line - no problem (well,
depending on what you want), use the machine. Of course it is neat if
they can, like ATMs, be found at other "popular" locations as well.

Christian

I have seen machines at drug stores and I know that large grocery stores
sell stamps. If I needed a stamp at 3:00 AM, that's where I would head.
When I go to the PO it's usually to mail or pick up a package. I get a
supply of stamps at that time when I'm running low.

On Mar 2, 9:55*pm, "Bruce Remick" wrote:
*But why make a visit to the PO just to use their stamp machine?

I guess there are those Post Offices where the lines are long and slow
and some people just don't want to wait to buy a stamp.