A well-oiled machine runs smoothly on its own, but even modern, high-tech equipment like the Anytime Postage shipping kiosk needs a little TLC every once in a while. 

While it’s true that a shipping kiosk is most likely simply an add-on service that you offer your customers, so even if your shipping kiosk isn’t working for a day, your operations will go as usual. Does this mean that you don’t have to do a tad bit of shipping kiosk maintenance every once in a while? Definitely not.

Before we discuss how to quickly and easily keep postal kiosks in prime running condition, let’s first understand what self-service shipping kiosks are all about. 

What’s a Shipping Kiosk?

A shipping kiosk is a compact machine that allows customers or guests to ship mail and packages independently. It comes with a touchscreen and a scale for accuracy and convenience. The kiosk connects via WiFi, Ethernet, or cellular signal, allowing for the real-time display of carrier fees and other charges. 

A self-service shipping kiosk is easy to use. Here are the basic steps:

1. The customer or guest weighs their letter or parcel.

2. They enter the sender and recipient details.

3. They input mail dimensions and pick a courier.

4. They pay by tapping on the kiosk card reader.

5. The kiosk prints the shipping label.

6. The customer attaches the label to their mail.

Depending on your store's setup, customers will drop their mail in a designated box or hand it over to your staff.

Why Shipping Kiosk Maintenance is Important

A broken shipping kiosk isn’t good for business, and if it’s not up and running it’s merely glorified store decor gathering dust. So, here’s a few reminders why shipping kiosk maintenance is crucial to business success: 

• Continue Earning: A shipping kiosk is an additional revenue source for your business. By keeping your shipping kiosk in working condition you avoid potential revenue loss.‍
• Keep Customers Happy: A shipping kiosk is pivotal to customer satisfaction. With Anytime Postage, you can serve customers faster and smarter since some of your customers will be able to take care of their shipping independently. ‍
• Ease Staff Workload: A shipping kiosk benefits your customers and provides valuable assistance to your staff. However, if the kiosk is out of commission, your staff's work will increase because customers can’t ship mail or packages on their own. 

Is a Shipping Kiosk High Maintenance?

Not at all. While some additional services for your business involve steep learning curves and even steeper maintenance processes, a shipping kiosk is the complete opposite. 

Anytime Postage, in particular, is designed to work immediately with minimal setup. Plug and play. Launch and earn, just like that. 

Shipping Kiosk Maintenance 101

Anytime Postage kiosk maintenance is simple and it can easily be incorporated into your current store clean-up system. No specialized clean-up materials are needed. 

To keep your shipping kiosk in top condition and always ready to serve your customers, simply keep the following in mind:

1. Set up the kiosk on a flat surface. The top of a stable desk or counter should work.  

2. Dust the touchscreen, weighing scale, and other surfaces regularly with a clean, dry cloth. A microfiber cloth is ideal.

3. Parcels should be within the weight limit. We recommend putting a helpful sign by the kiosk informing customers of the weight limit. 

Anytime Postage comes with two weight capacity types: 30 lbs (15 kg) or 70 lbs (30 kg). Be sure that you display the kiosk’s capacity prominently for your customers. 

4. The kiosk has a convenient plug-and-play setup, but it’s always a good idea to make sure that you use the proper power input voltage to assure best performance.

5. Monitor the thermal paper quantity for uninterrupted operation. When the printer runs low, be sure to replace the rolls promptly.

6. Keep the kiosk powered on and connected to the internet as much as possible. Software updates are conducted remotely and online. As long as the kiosk is online, updates will apply automatically. To avoid potential Wi-Fi disruptions, we recommend Ethernet for the most reliable performance.

In Case a Shipping Kiosk Needs Repairs 

If, for any reason, the kiosk stops functioning, we encourage you to contact technical support right away. Depending on the extent of technical maintenance needed, we may either walk you through the remedy over the phone, send a repair team, or have you send back the machine so we can do an assessment and restore it to its former glory.

Last Words

A well-maintained shipping kiosk will continue earning you money and making your customers happy. 

Rest assured, shipping kiosk maintenance isn’t at all complicated. Generally, you only need to remember to wipe it clean every once in a while and make sure it’s connected to the internet for prompt software updates.