How Millennials and Gen Z Think About Services
Millennials remember a time before smartphones but were early adopters of online platforms. Gen Z, by contrast, have never known a world without constant connectivity. Screens, apps, and instant communication have always been there.
Their expectations are not identical, but they share a few core ideas about services:
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Digital first – If something can be handled online, it should be.
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On my phone – Services must work smoothly on mobile, not as an afterthought.
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Fast and transparent – They expect clear status updates and no guesswork.
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Secure without friction – Strong security is a given, but it cannot feel like an obstacle.
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Purposeful – Services that clearly support convenience, climate goals, or fairness stand out.
A postal experience built around paper forms, limited opening hours, and untracked letters sits badly with these expectations.
Pain Points Younger Generations Have With Traditional Post
To stay relevant, postal operators need to understand why Millennials and Gen Z often disengage from physical mail and traditional branches.
1. Physical Mail Feels Slow and Unreliable
Important documents still get delayed, misplaced, or delivered to the wrong address. In a world where messages can be transmitted instantly, it feels strange that official communication is still heavily dependent on paper envelopes and manual processes.
Some countries have already shown that this can be different. When governments and businesses move serious communication into secure digital postbox services, supported by law and policy, digital becomes at least as good as physical – and often better. Younger generations quickly adopt that as their baseline expectation.
2. Paper-Based Processes Clash With Climate Concerns
Traditional post relies heavily on paper and transport. Younger generations are more likely to notice the climate impact of this, not just the convenience angle.
Digitising communication allows postal operators to reduce paper waste and lower emissions from transport and handling. That does not just help the bottom line. It aligns the postal brand with values that matter to Millennials and Gen Z, who often expect large institutions to take sustainability seriously.
3. Branch Visits Feel Out of Step With Modern Journeys
For many younger people, visiting a branch is something they do only when everything else has failed. If the experience is slow, paper-heavy, and disconnected from your digital channels, it reinforces the perception that the post office belongs to a different era.
A “smart post office” experience might include:
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Clear digital notifications and booking options before a visit
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Self-service kiosks for simple transactions
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QR-enabled flows for identity checks, pick-ups, and returns
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Staff equipped with digital tools to resolve issues quickly
The goal is not to replace every branch, but to make the few necessary visits feel efficient and connected to the rest of your service landscape.
What Millennials and Gen Z Expect From a Modern Post Office
Younger generations rarely talk in terms of “channels” or “infrastructure”. They talk about how a service feels. For them, a modern post office:
1. Feels Like a Digital Service With Physical Support
The default expectation is that most tasks can be started and often completed online. Branches, contact centres, and physical touchpoints are there to support edge cases, onboarding, or more complex needs.
This means:
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Forms, applications, and updates accessible from home or on mobile
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Clear digital records of what has been sent, received, or signed
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Consistent design and language across app, web, and branch
2. Offers Secure, Official Communication in One Place
Younger generations are highly aware of fraud and phishing. They know that scammers copy logos and email styles. They are told not to click on unexpected links but are still expected to trust email for important information.
A secure digital postbox addresses this tension by:
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Providing a single, official place for serious messages
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Ensuring that only verified senders can deliver into the system
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Keeping a searchable archive of important documents over time
From the user’s point of view, this turns digital communication from “just another email” into something that feels official and reliable. A digital trust platform.
3. Shows Visible Progress on Sustainability
Millennials and Gen Z are more likely to ask: “Why are we still printing this?” When they see a service reducing paper, optimising routes, and using digital alternatives, it signals that the organisation is paying attention to its footprint.
For postal operators, that means:
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Moving high-volume communications to digital postboxes
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Offering digital receipts and documentation instead of paper
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Being transparent about how digital solutions reduce emissions
4. Respects Their Time and Attention
These generations juggle work, study, side projects, and social lives. They are not willing to spend hours on tasks that could be solved in minutes.
A modern postal experience:
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Minimises unnecessary visits and repeated steps
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Uses notifications thoughtfully, not aggressively
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Lets people complete common tasks in a few clear steps
When younger customers feel their time is respected, they are more likely to stay loyal – even in sectors where they have limited choice.
How Postal Operators Can Respond Strategically
Modernising for Millennials and Gen Z does not mean abandoning the core postal mission. It means delivering that mission through tools, processes, and experiences that make sense to younger users. Ultimately, a postal operator may embrace omnichannel communication be means of phygitel.
Build a Digital Core Around Secure Communication
Rather than building separate systems for each service, postal operators can establish a secure digital communication layer that supports many use cases:
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Official letters and decisions
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Notifications from government and regulated businesses
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Receipts, confirmations, and statements
A digital postbox platform for the postal operator is one way to do this. It allows the post to:
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Act as a trusted intermediary between authorities, businesses, and citizens
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Offer a national-scale digital service that feels modern and stable
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Create new digital revenue streams around document delivery and related services
Turn Branches Into Smart, Connected Service Points
Instead of treating branches as “the old way of doing things”, postal operators can redesign them as smart extensions of their digital services.
That might involve:
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Encouraging customers to start journeys online and complete them in-branch only when necessary
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Using digital signage, kiosks, and mobile tools to reduce waiting times
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Training staff to help citizens access and use digital services, not just handle physical transactions
For younger generations, this makes the branch feel like a useful safety net, not an outdated obligation.
Use Partnerships to Move Faster
No operator has to build everything alone. By partnering with specialists in secure digital communication, identity, and payments, posts can:
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Shorten time-to-market for new digital services
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Reduce the complexity and risk of building everything in-house
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Focus internal resources on customer experience and core operations
Younger users rarely care who built the underlying platform. They care whether the service works, feels safe, and fits their life.
Staying Relevant to the Next Generation
Millennials and Gen Z will define what “normal service” looks like over the next decade. If the post office does not adapt, they will route around it wherever they can. That is a risk for postal operators – but it is also an invitation.
By:
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Making digital the default for serious communication
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Using secure digital postboxes to replace unstructured email
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Aligning services with climate and convenience expectations
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Turning branches into smart, connected support points
postal operators can stay central in everyday life, even as habits shift.
The core role of the post has always been to deliver what matters most. For younger generations, that must now include delivering secure, trusted digital communication – not just letters through the door.
