Jamaica Post Continues To Expand Its Offerings

The 350-year-old Jamaica Post has cemented itself as an outstanding service provider, delivering mail items both locally and internationally, the major plank of its core business.

And, in keeping with the mandate to increase revenue based on customer demands, Jamaica Post has, over the years, expanded its offerings with the introduction of premium services to better serve its customers.

These include Zip mail, a local next-business-day delivery solution; an express international shipping service, dubbed Fast Track, and Klick N Ship, a hassle-free freight-forwarding service to facilitate online shopping.

In an interview with JIS News, Deputy Postmaster General for Business and Regional Operations, Jamaica Post and Telecommunications Department, Sophia Hamilton-Brown, says as the entity continues its transformation, these services will be expanded to match demand.

“We have plans to establish some premium service centres across the island in the different parishes. We plan to establish one each in Kingston, Mandeville and Montego Bay in the first phase and then we continue the expansion,” Mrs. Hamilton-Brown says.

“What is different about this is that in these premium service centres we will be driving these services. We will have marketing officers at these locations signing up persons; we will have information technology (IT) professionals so we can have the information and communications technology (ICT) support, different security support, human resource (HR) support; so this is the plan to drive the service in itself,” she adds.

When these premium service centres are built out, their sole focus will be offering premium services. Other social services, such as the collection of pension vouchers, will continue to be issued through post offices.

Mrs. Hamilton-Brown says Jamaica Post hopes to begin its expansion plans in the next financial year.

“We would have pulled out from our strategic objectives to digitise the postal service and we understand that we need to expand our premium service offerings and, therefore, we have been rebranding,” she shares.

The first cashless Jamaica Post Shop, established in December 2020, is located inside Fontana Pharmacy, and serves as a pilot project. It will help determine whether similar facilities should be established in other parishes.

The Mobile Post has also been launched as a multipurpose unit that will provide greater access to postal services in rural communities across the island.

“In terms of our modernisation, we’re looking at moving forward if a physical postal location closes for whatever reason – we could take that mobile to that community and still deliver letters, still offer services for a period of time,” the Deputy Postmaster General says.

On October 31, 2021, the entity celebrated its 350^th anniversary under the theme ‘Transformation Through Innovation’.

Several activities were undertaken to mark the momentous achievement, including a tree-planting initiative where 350 plants were planted across the island, beginning October 1.

Providing further details on the suite of activities, Public Relations Officer at the Jamaica Post and Telecommunications Department, Tanickea Bennett, says during the period, customer appreciation activities were held.

 

“We also engaged in our customer appreciation activity, and this was to give back to persons who would have contributed to the success and the ongoing service delivery of the postal service, and that happened islandwide,”  she notes.

“We also had ongoing media promotions to let persons know that the postal-service is still here. We are still relevant; we have all sorts of services to meet the need. If you’re a child, a pensioner, a millennial, whichever category you’re in, we have a service to meet your need,” Ms. Bennett says.

She points out that work has started to spruce up the entity’s various locations across the island.

“We believe that this is part of our customer service delivery, and rebranding is a part of our strategic objectives. So, we would have done works at the Half-Way Tree Post Office with a view to continue with the Constant Spring Post Office, Cross Roads Post Office and our head office, Central Sorting Office, and this will then expand to our parish capitals,” Miss Bennett says.

The activities culminated with the launch of a 350^th anniversary commemorative stamp on October 29.

She says Jamaica Post is grateful to all stakeholders who have contributed to the legacy of the postal service.

“Jamaica Post is definitely committed to serving our customers. We will be here for the next 350 years and beyond. The postal service is definitely a mainstay; it’s a cornerstone in any civilisation and in any community; we’re more than just mail,” Ms. Bennett emphasised.

The postal service was started in Jamaica on October 31, 1671, making the island the first British colony to have an established the Post Office.