Austrian Post has opened its first post office in a new design in Vienna representing acomprehensive restructuring of its previous branch concept to provide customers more convenience
with a new shopping and service experience.The newly designed post office features modern vending tables with products divided up in fourmain topics including gifts, shipping, entertainment as well as paper & stationery replacingthe previous shelves, adding to an adapted “queuing” management and redesigned counters.
At the ‘Gifts’ table, customers can get ideas and suggestions for gifts packaging and smallpresents. The ‘Shipping’ table features envelopes, padded envelopes, post boxes and everythingrelated to this topic while the ‘Entertainment’ table offers a variety of CDs and DVDs. Finally,the table “Paper & Stationery” provides useful items ranging from pen to a tube of glue.
In the redesigned queuing area, customers are additionally informed through information screensabout new products and special offers.
At the counters, computers that have been occupying the space between the postal employers andthe customer previously have been moved out of sight allowing thus a more direct communication,according to the principle of a ‘clean desk policy’. It prevents distraction and makescommunication between customer and employee more efficient, the postal operator explained.
Moreover, for the first time a large telecommunications area offers mobile phones for trying outand a large self-service zone enabling customers to handle their postal and banking activities 24/7in a convenient way. Mail boxes, ATM machines, printers, transfer and deposit machines areavailable for customers while specially trained staff responds to their needs related to internet,fixed line, mobile phones and more. Directly on site, they can purchase smartphones, tabletcomputers and equipment with the corresponding forms that can be filled out right away.
“Following the successful launch of the enhanced partnership with BAWAG P.S.K. we developed anew branch concept as the next step, based on customer needs, as well as on our new serviceofferings and our streamlined product range,” Austrian Post CEO Georg Pölzl said. “The post hasfinally started a new era at its branch network.”
Austrian Post’s branch network currently consists of 1,878 post offices throughout Austriaincluding 612 of its own post offices and 1,266 Post-Partner branches. Of the self-operated stores,353 are already operating in cooperation with BAWAG PSK, and the number of the combined branches isdue to increase to more than 500 by the end of the year. Over the next two years, all combined postoffices will be switched to the newly presented design.
