Good customer service, courtesy of USPS

Today I stopped at my downtown post office to check the mail in my P.O. box. I entered my combination (correctly - I made sure of that), but the door would not open. Drat. This happened to me last time, too. Now I would have to ask for help at the window.

And so, woefully, I took my place in line. I dreaded the interminably long wait, the imminent skepticism of the postal worker (who would surely think that I simply entered the wrong combination), and the inconvenient solution to my problem (would they be able to fix the mechanism? would I have to switch to another box and change my address?).

To my surprise, my dread was unfounded. (Except for the long wait - but even that wasn't too bad. I still had time left on the parking meter when I emerged.) When my turn came, I explained the situation to the postal worker, Sheryl. She listened (without any annoyed looks), asked me some questions (How long have you had this problem? Has your box ever opened properly? What is the box number?), slipped to the back to check my box, returned promptly, delivered my mail to me, reported her findings (the mechanism is missing a screw), and told me the solution (it should be a quick fix; I just have to find the right screw; it should be fixed by this afternoon). Then she told me what to do if I encountered this problem again (next time you come in, if it still isn't working, don't bother standing in line. Just slip up to the counter and talk to me.)

I left the post office feeling pleased and delighted with the U.S. Postal Service.

This is what Sheryl did to give me a great customer service experience:

- She listened.
- She did not treat me as if I were ignorant or mistaken.
- She did not scowl, frown, or grimace (although I didn't quite get a smile from her either).
- She asked me for the information she needed to solve my problem.
- She dealt with the problem quickly.
- She investigated the problem herself, and returned with an answer (and my mail).
- She communicated to me the source of the problem, and its solution.
- She made me feel as if I had preferential treatment ("skip line if this happens again")
- She made me feel as if I had an inside connection through her ("I'll fix it"; "come talk to me next time")

Do you handle your customer's problems with this kind of courtesy, connection, and efficiency? You probably do, but we all need reminders from time to time.

Accept this reminder, courtesy of Sheryl. And don't forget to smile!