Back and ready for action

I learned today that it can be tricky to mail letters! Only just arrived yesterday I hurried into city centre to pick up a few things I was going to mail home directly. When I had the things intended for the mail ready I entered the Post Office as one does when they want to send a letter. I made my way over to the envelopes but before I even got half way across the floor I was stopped by this rather determined woman. I swear she must have worked at airport security at some point in time, she was that direct. Basically asked me what I was doing in here, I was rather flabbergasted over such a welcome. Naturally I replied that I wanted to purchase an envelope. 'To be mailed today?' she asked in the same direct no-nonsense kind of voice. I nodded and she then started to direct me through the process. 'Pick up your envelope and pay for it ...(like I had any other intention)... then bring the letter back here once you have done that and I will tell you what to do next!' Sheesh, the only thing I felt at this point was the enormous pressure of picking the right envelope and paying for it right away. I swear she was likely to pull up a gun if I didn't behave accordingly. Once I had picked up what I hoped was a large enough envelop I paid for it and proceeded to preparing the wee package for delivery. So naturally not wanting to face the mad woman at gunpoint I dutifully turned back to her to find out 'where I should go next'! Thankfully the woman had disappeared probably being carted away to a loony bin when I had finished with the package but this rather nice fellow directed my to the newest gizmo in the store.
I finally started to understand why there was a crossing-guard stationed in the middle of the floor of the Post Office. They wanted to show off their new gadget. Like so many other businesses in Britain they are taking away consumer choice, customer - service provider interaction, and jobs!!! Now everything is done by kiosks. When you purchase cinema tickets, pay for your groceries, checking into flights and now when you post an item you are faced with talking to a computer. Because this was a new gadget they had a person there situated to help with working this wonderful machine. I must say I am not sold on this idea. Even before the age of know-it-all computers people were struggling with putting enough postage on the package or even basic information, like an address, on what they were posting. People vs people interaction often caught those mistakes before they came to a dead end. Having been at all the turns and ends a letter can go through in the receiving, sending and delivery service this is not winning any prizes in my book. That they have to have a person to assist in the workings of this gadget prooves that they will never get rid of the human element of customer service, so why bother with expensive machiner as well as personal, when the human can to the work of both. It also prooves that obviouslay a machine can never be so idiot-proof that you won't need more detailed instructions than the ones that 'pop-up' on the screen!
In the end I managed to maile my package but it took much longer than if I had been allowed to talk to a human Post Office person instead of a kiosk, luckily it wasn't that expensive that I had to pay with a card .... then it would have gotten complicated, because you can't yet!!!