APO - Army Post Office

Much emphasis is laid on customer service in the European APOs. This is most notable to the customer in the rule that he should wait in line an average of no more than 10 minutes. This service, it has been determined, can be supplied if there is a postal window for each 2,000 persons in the population served.
The ten minute waiting time begins once the customer enters the line and ends when he approaches the customer service counter. The time the customer spends in the postal facility wrapping packages and/or filling out forms is not included in the ten minutes.
Also not included is the actual time the customer is being served. He could, in fact, require more than ten minutes of service from the postal clerk; mailing numerous packages, purchasing numerous money orders or purchasing such time-consuming services as registered, certified or insured.
Other services instituted for the customer�s convenience also contribute to the "ten minute average:"
� There are "mini-service" window in facilities with three or more customer windows. They only sell stamps and money orders and accept items with the correct postage. This is not only a convenience to the customer but also speeds the line for others.
� The "mail by appointment" service, formerly offered only at Christmas time, now is available all year round at all facilities. Under it, customers with five or more packages can appear at an appointed time and be served without having to juggle the packages in line. Within reason, the appointment may be made outside normal business hours.
� Several steps have been taken to spare the customer the trouble of going to the postal facility at all. AAFES PXs and shopettes sell postage stamps, there are conveniently located stamp vending machines and all unit or organizational mail rooms provide mail drop boxes for articles with the correct postage.
� Samples are provided in the postal facility for military and foreign economy mailing addresses, properly wrapped packages and customs document preparation. Customers then don�t have to wait in line to ask the clerk questions.
Hours of operation at the postal facilities are tailored to individual location need. They are open as a rule a total of six hours per service day. This is based on an eight-hour workday with an hour to set up and an hour to close out and verify accountability of all stamps, money orders, cash and equipment. These hours of operation are adjusted to meet customer demands in various locations.
Package wrapping supplies are placed in postal facility lobby areas as a convenience to the customer, and efforts are made to see that all postal clerks are well trained in all areas of postal customer service. Courtesy and efficiency are an integral part of the training. Customer comment cards are available to all customers in the postal facility lobby. They will be answered, if required, by the local post office, the postal company commander, or the Postal Operations Directorate.
Mail is processed, dispatched and collected from drop boxes five days a week. Inbound mail flows into the theater seven days per week.