Column Saskia Stender: Mail delivery robot

Do you remember the good old days? When PostNL was still affordable, and mail carriers knew exactly where to go, even with a typo in the address? Those days seem long gone. The service was personal, fast, and when you sent something, you could sit back and relax, knowing it would arrive within 24 hours. But after 31 years, that’s just a nostalgic memory.

I used to have a 100% delivery guarantee for my trade magazine, also within that 24-hour window. The regular mail carriers have been replaced by delivery personnel who change neighborhoods constantly. I’m paying more and more for shipping my magazine. What used to arrive within a day is now called ‘next week’ delivery. Often, there's a silent upgrade to ‘next two weeks’... as if we’ve suddenly shifted into a new time zone. The delivery service has turned into a sort of lottery.

As the prices go up, the speed goes down. It almost feels like the mail is being delivered by carrier pigeon again! Even regular post now takes 48 hours, and that’s just forced upon you. I can’t help but wonder: where does this end? How much further can they delay things? It’s seriously frustrating.

Maybe it’s time for innovation. What if we automate the whole process? A robot that drives around 24/7, delivering the mail. No coffee breaks, no delayed deliveries, just nonstop action, day and night. A mailbox-friendly robot that’s always on time, no matter the typos in the address. Would it work? Maybe we should give it a shot. Because if things keep going this way, the current postal service might surprise us with ‘next month’ deliveries.

New times, new opportunities. I’m opting for a mail delivery robot.

Saskia Stender
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