This post and its comments will hold all news on Post and Go stamps, machines, and PO Self Service Kiosks (SSKs).
For details of new Post and Go stamps issued by the postal authorities in Guernsey and Jersey I recommend WhiteKnight's Commonwealth Stamp Opinion. All issues from the islands, and Gibraltar and the SOAR stamps from Isle of Man and Ireland will normally be pictured there as announced.
Anything about the old Royal Mail machines and any later news for PO SSKs will continue to be added on the 2024 blog post. Please continue to make comments there or send me news/images by email.
Self-Service Kiosks
All readers and collectors should be indebted to Malcolm, Trevor and a few other people for their continued perambulations around the country reporting on the rapidly diminishing estate of Self-Service Kiosks in Post Office branches.
These will continue to throw up errors and surprises and they will be reported here either as comments or, if significant enough, as edits to this original post.
The reducing number of machines in use means that the large stocks of Queen Elizabeth Machin blanks will be spread even more thinly and take longer to use up, especially as branches now offer different service, such as Tracked24/48 or Evri, DPD, etc as alternatives to Royal Mail services.
Whereas the casual poster of packets might have visited the SSK they may now think twice (if the queues are not too long) and use a counter service.
So to start this year off with a picture last week, I don't know when this fault occurred at Cheltenham (WHSmith) PO. The black ink is missing in the centre, leaving 2nd class short of an s and truncating the datastring. The base stock is CL16S. Thanks to JG and his friend for supplying this.
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Machine fault causing omission of some of the black inscription on 2nd class (CL16S) stamps at Cheltenham PO. |
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UPDATE 13 January.
If you read the comments you will see that Post Office Ltd (POL) has awarded a contract for the supply of new SSKs to imageHolders - that may mean new stamps, time will tell.
Trevor has added this information from the imageHolders website website:
Post Office branches continue to play a vital role in communities
As
Post Office branches continue to play a vital role in communities, this
initiative ensures they meet the evolving expectations of today’s
customers. The new self-service kiosks will enable quick access to key
services, like:
Postal Services: Send parcels, buy stamps, and more.
Home Shopping Returns: Return items without the hassle.
Electronic pre-advice and overseas services
Printed confirmation and tracking detail
By
streamlining these services, the kiosks will allow staff to focus on
complex queries, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.
Kiosk Accessibility at the Forefront
We’re
committed to ensuring these kiosks are accessible to everyone. Our
design is focused on inclusivity, with features like ergonomic screens
and assistive technology support, including screen readers and braille
interfaces. It’s all part of making sure that every visitor to the Post
Office has a positive experience.
Richard Satchell, our CEO, shares:
“We
are thrilled to be partnering with Post Office to help deliver more
efficient and accessible services to customers across the UK. Our
self-service kiosks will not only reduce wait times and improve customer
satisfaction but will also ensure that these essential services remain
inclusive to everyone, regardless of their abilities.”
Kiosks Rolling Out Across the Nation
The
nationwide rollout is set to begin in Spring 2025, with self-service
kiosks being introduced in a select number of Post Office branches
before expanding to more branches across the country. This partnership
signifies a major milestone in both imageHOLDERS’ and the Post Office’s
ongoing missions to modernize service delivery, enhance customer
experiences, and meet the changing needs of today’s consumers.
“Post
Office is committed to enhancing customer service across the network,
working in partnership with our Postmasters and retail partners,”
commented Neal Newbrook, Propositions Manager, Post Office.
“Introducing
these new self-service kiosks will make it easier and more efficient
for customers to access the Post Office mail products they require. We
are excited to work with imageHOLDERS on this key project that will help
postmasters and our retail partners meet evolving customer needs.”
We look forward to this new chapter and can’t wait for you to experience our kiosks in action!
All news about P&G in 2025 will be here, and comments for the old (January 2024) post have been closed. If you have any late news for 2024 please email it to me at the usual address and I will add it.
Cirencester 8th Jan
ReplyDeleteSSK67 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
Stroud 8th Jan
All Kiosks OOS
Thank you Trevor, first in this year. I looked for previous mentions of Cheltenham, but only in 2024 comments, and couldn't see that anyone had been there, so this is something else to add to the general list of POs with SSKs.
DeleteI went there in 2022 but didn't post anything at the time! All Machin stock from memory.
DeleteIt sounds like we will get new Post & Go stamps later this year as Imageholders Ltd were awarded a new £35M contract by Royal Mail on 25th October 2024 to supply new Self Service Kiosks!
ReplyDeleteIf you are commenting please make sure your comments are as accurate as possible. The contract was awarded to Post Office Ltd. The tender process indicated that
Delete"Post Office currently has around 500 self service kiosks for customers to execute transactions in operation in our Branch Network."
We, collectors and dealers, of all people should know the difference!
However, it is quite possible that unless the new machines can use the existing stock, new stamps may be needed and they may be produced by either Royal Mail or Post Office (the Horizon-type stamps were produced by Post Office with Royal Mail involvement).
See imageHolders (https://www.imageholders.com/case-studies/) - clients include (may not all be customer-facing equipment) - Macdonalds, Legoland, NHS, Paddypower, Thorpe Park, NHS, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.
According to my records Cheltenham SSK's went live on the 25th October 2016 so has been with us some time now.
ReplyDeleteIt is somewhere I have not visited for quite some time.
On the subject of new SSK's I have been told that 1st class collectors strips will be only a 4 value strip instead of the present 6 values but anything further like new stamps been printed for same I do not know.
As of yet I have not had a chance to visit Walsall to see if new branch has SSK or not and I repeat again my previous question does anybody know if Stamford still has SSKs.
There were no SSKs at Stamford when I visited last Friday (10 January). John G.
DeleteJohn much appreciate your reply, I did hear rumour 2 / 3 years ago that they might have been withdrawn but had failed to have it confirmed
DeleteAnother NCR branch closes in May at Oldham with the closure of WH Smith.
ReplyDeleteAnother NCR branch will close at a date yet to be confirmed at Orpington with the closure of WH Smith.
ReplyDeleteFound this comment on the AV Magazine Website
ReplyDelete"ImageHOLDERS has teamed up with Ricoh, Intelligent AR and Meld CX to enhance the kiosks' functionality and the customer experience."
Intelligent AR are involved so presumably its next generation versions of their equipment? At least we at least we know their original machines dispensed stamps! (or maybe these are those being re-purposed to real locations!)
Full link: https://www.avinteractive.com/territories-news/uki/self-service-kiosks-to-be-rolled-out-across-uks-post-offices-21-11-2024/
W H Smith are in talks to sell off their high street branches it will be interesting to see who, if anyone would take on so many branches or the PO elements. Perhaps the new kiosk roll out is intended to circumvent such an event by placing them in smaller retailers?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7zj8yr5x7o
ReplyDeleteSome interesting comments in the new PO Chairmans speech for the New deal for sub postmasters
73. We also want to prioritise new in-branch technology, hardware and automation.
74. This will reduce your costs and give customers the experience that they have come to
expect from modern retailers.
https://corporate.postoffice.co.uk/en/purpose-strategy/strategic-review-2024/strategic-review-launch/
Looks like Woolwich potentially goes on 12th April
ReplyDeletehttps://greenwichwire.co.uk/2025/01/21/woolwich-post-office-wh-smith-closing-april-2025/
The closure date for Woolwich is now confirmed on the consultation website as the 12th April.
ReplyDeleteWoolwich 5th February
ReplyDeleteSSK67 OOU
SSK68 OOU
SSK69 Machin R20YAL & CL19S
Lewisham 5th February
SSK67 Machin R20YAL & Greenery CL21S
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & CL19S
SSK69 Machin R20YAL & CL18S
Sydenham 5th February
SSK67 Machin R17YAL & CL17S
SSK68 Machin R17YAL & CL17S
Dalston 5th February
SSK67 Machin R18YAL & MA14
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & CL18S
Kilburn 5th February
SSK67 OOS
SSK68 OOS
Paddington 5th February
SSK67 Machin R20YAL & CL19S
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
SSK69 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
All machines were OOS at Woolwich initially. When I asked if they could be brought into use, I was told that 67 has a long term fault and is not being repaired due to closure of branch. 68 gave the option to purchase but said cash only when I came to pay but the coin slots were taped over!
Just to confirm an earlier post now on consultation website Oldham closes on the 3rd May.
ReplyDeleteA further WH Smith closure will be Swiss Cottage (South Hampstead) 042005 on the 12th April as confirmed by the consultation website.
ReplyDeletePity this one as the staff there were more knowledgable than some of their colleagues at other branches.
Interestingly the PO counters at Swiss Cottage were closed but the Kiosks open, with a minder, not normally that way round!
DeleteNew machine(s) at Queensway Express, 70 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5SH according to the letter on the consultation website
ReplyDeleteAlso now on website is the reopening of Camberley on the 23rd April with the consultation showing post & go.
ReplyDeleteKilburn 13th February
ReplyDeleteSSK67 Machin R17YAL & MA14
SSK68 OOU Comms error rebooted 3 times with no success
Swiss Cottage 13th February
SSK67 Machin R20YAL & Greenery CL20S
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & Game of Thrones CL18S
Hampstead 13th February
SSK67 Machin R17YAL & CL17S
SSK68 Machin R20YAL & CL16S
SSK69 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
Islington 13th February
SSK67 Machin R20YAL & CL17S
SSK68 Machin MA16 & CL19S
SSK69 Machin MA13 & CL17S
Poplar 13th February
SSK67 Machin MA12 (2nd in 1st ) & Game of Thrones CL18S
SSK68 Greenery R19YAL & CL19S
Again now on website new offices at Basingstoke 30th April and Clapham Park Rd on the 30th March both showing as post and go.
ReplyDeleteEnquiries show that Queensway and Camberley will not be the new type of kiosk so with these dates unlikely Basingstoke and Clapham Park will be either so it looks as if roll out will not commence until at least May, still I suppose that is still Spring as I think the publicity showed for trial installations.
https://htc.uk.com/property-search/properties/129936-the-malls-shopping-centre-4-loddon-mall-basingstoke
DeleteBridgend - both kiosks removed completely when visiting this morning
ReplyDeleteThanks for the update Trevor I believe you reported some time ago one kiosk had been removed out to a back room as not working.
Delete