New Aizkraukle Post Office: More Visitors, Broader Services, and Human Touch
Since moving to the IGA center, the Latvijas Pasts customer center in Aizkraukle attracts new visitors, including shoppers. Staff emphasize that the main reason people come is still the desire to talk to a real person.
Relocation to IGA Center Changes Customer Profile
A little over a year ago, the Latvijas Pasts customer center in Aizkraukle moved from Bērzu Street 1 to the IGA center at Gaismas Street 35. The new location attracts different visitors than before – some come while shopping, others notice the post office by chance, and many discover they can do much more than just send or receive parcels.
Employees Inese Pusbārniece and Jugita Paškova, each with over 20 years of experience, say the new spot draws people who are out shopping. In the old location, mostly seniors came to pay bills. Now visitors also drop in out of curiosity – for example, to buy an envelope for a gift card, and later return with a parcel or a bill to pay.
Accessibility and Services
The new premises have no stairs, which previously posed a problem for mothers with strollers and people in wheelchairs – now the center is easily accessible. However, for some seniors the new location seems farther, and they are brought by children or grandchildren on weekends. Staff hope a bus stop near the IGA center might be added in the future.
The post office offers various payments, international money transfers, use of the Pasta norēķinu sistēma card, and consultations on the second pension pillar. Lottery tickets are sold, and winnings up to €100 can be cashed out. Staff note that training is provided on responsible offering of lotteries and loans.
Human Interaction Still Key
Staff emphasize that many customers come not only for transactions but also to talk. Sometimes people enter in a bad mood and pour out everything that has built up. The company holds remote training on handling difficult situations to help employees calm clients.
Technology has not made the work monotonous – computers work faster, and parcel tracking is easier. But the final step – proper mailbox maintenance – remains the recipient's responsibility. Traditional postcards are still popular, especially at Christmas and Easter. Staff recall German tourists who bought about 14 cards with Latvian nature scenes.
Customer flow varies by time of day, pension payments, bill due dates, and season – in autumn more rural residents come to subscribe to newspapers, before Christmas parcel and greeting card volumes rise.
Staff still find their work interesting. The new space has no barrier between customer and employee, and the blue design feels more open. As long as people need a human touch, the post office will have a place.
