Technology: a tool to serve

More Post Offices are putting technology to work for their customers.

The Postal Service has self-service kiosks in more than 2,300 locations across the nation, and in a pilot program, several locations introduced a new generation of kiosks in 2013. Now, if customers enter these Post Offices and find the line is long or the counter is closed, they can use the kiosks to buy stamps, ship packages and send mail. The machines are easy to use and feature bright, larger touch screens, a scanner for pricing greeting cards and a scale to weigh packages.

Post Offices continue employing technology in other ways too. Many busy locations use webcams to monitor wait times; when the lines get too long, supervisors may dispatch more clerks to open additional windows.