Window Clerk Meets The Public

e [Music] in the daily operations of the United States Post Office Department every one of us makes an important contribution to the general welfare large or small antique or modern no matter where we work each office maintains and advances through postal Communications the social and business life of our communities and thereby the nation every year 54 billion pieces of mail Deluge upon half a million of US postal workers in approximately 40,000 different offices and every year we handle and deler deliver this growing mountain of male yes every year we do a tremendous job even if it does take us 365 days and nights every man and woman in this work must know his business and in our relations with our patrons the mailing public we must conduct ourselves with unfailing courtesy and in the spirit of service in this connection you window clerks and the letter carriers have the major responsibility behind every one of you are thousands of employees whom the public never sees we count on you to give the rest of us a good name remember you represent the entire Postal Service to the mailing public how well you serve them and how you conduct yourselves can improve public relations with our customers now why is this important because ours is one business where the customer is also the boss if he's not treated right he has the right to complain and he does on the other hand give your customer courteous and efficient Window Service and you'll make your own job easier and happier our operation is so great if we can improve our overall efficiency just 1% will'll save $25 million a year because of the extent of postal operations and the great number of places we do business certain procedures have been standardized for which reason we shall regard all of our thousands of postal Windows as one and study the problems regardless of where they take [Music] place problems are Universal we'll use this setup as our laboratory and since people are well people will use these right here first let's take up the matter of handling a line before you go any further Mr post office I think I have something to say well this has nothing to do with you I'm afraid it does I'm John Q publ you admit I'm your boss and since my complaints brought up this matter I'd like to point out some of the things that I and my 160 million stockholders find wrong with your service you've never handled a public how would you know who better than the public should know when the treatment is good or bad we know when we're ignored mistreated misunderstood made to wait abused and insulted and by whom I'd like to show you a few examples of what I mean meet postal clerk no manners he's at home anywhere I'm sure you've seen Mr poor appearance always dressed for some other job and clerk uninformed he never knows or looks up the right answer and clerk wrong attitude he thinks he does us all a favor when he waits on us how often have you heard Mr insensitive make a fool of himself these are the worst of your bad apples I'll admit there may only be one in a thousand but these few hurt the reputations of the rest of you who do your jobs efficiently and well all right Mr public let's see if the rest of us can learn by their mistakes fine let's go back to this character no manners he sure lives up to his name notice how gracefully he handles that candy bar now let's see how he deals with a customer uh uh I I'd like to I i' what do you want I'd like to mail this wait a minute hold it stop we realize that eating is necessary but the postal window is not the place to go out to lunch the public for whom I speak feels that courtesy is just as essential a part of the service offered as the sale of stamps clerks must realize that Their Manners while handling transactions are equally as important as their technical knowledge now let's turn to what happened where's the clerk he just walked off that's yeah regardless of any other assigned duties the primary job of the window clerk is serving his patrons when a clerk leaves his window unattended we feel neglected so he goes down to the garage and AES ride everything they finally give me a new carberator how's the car it still stalls pardon me we don't care about the health of your car your personal all right all right keep your shirt on bud see you later boy another thing where did you go I went to get some threes and a drink of water I don't have to explain to you maybe you don't care but these people on your line come to the post office for business don't you think I know that then why didn't you get someone to cover your window or tell your supervisor when you left at least excuse yourself and tell the people in line you'll be back shortly then they'd feel better about it try it and see come on okay I'm running out of Threes it'll just take a minute will you please excuse me is that how you mean that's it always remember in your job you're dealing with people be pleasant and businesslike okay okay who's next I want to ensure this can't do it why I must get this to my daughter in Cleveland thumb rapping no I can't ensure it I'm sorry I live alone and I have no one to help you're breaking my heart I still can't ensure it pardon me you could have handled that better the very least act like a gentleman we haven't got time for that stuff you seem to overlook the very simple fact that if it were not for this lady and others like her you might not have a job now while the requirements for mailing Parcels are well known to you they're not to her and it's your job to treat it that way you certainly could have instructed her how to prepare it for mailing put yourself in this lady's place I get you you mean like if I was the customer well I'd like the clerk to say hello good morning I'll be with you in a minute I'd like to be treated in a courteous efficient and con considerate manner I'm sorry for the delay I'm afraid you'll have to wrap this in a stronger box and you stouter twine I get the idea that's it treat others as you'd like them to treat you the golden secret of humanity is the secret of postal courtesy next I'd like you to take a good look at clerk poor appearance although he's physically here in the post office his clothes and his mind are elsewhere give me a sheet of twos please just a minute how would you like to lick dirty stamps hand your stamps out with a glue side up and another thing your window is a place for government business not a barber shop and A good rule to follow is to dress like other people in your community doing the same kind of work like Bank clerks how's this no no that's not right and your messy window creates an impression of negligence The public's mail is important you treat it like so much wastepaper and it shouldn't be necessary to call attention to hair grooming and shaving and the like clean that up that's better but smoking at the windows forbidden same goes for ice trays clean it up okay now well that's better but your clothes neatness must be maintained with conservative dress neatness conservative dress listen you handle all kind of parcels paint pen and ink and letters newspapers all day see how clean you stay no one likes to do business with anyone who appears disheveled and careless about his personal appearance a clean shirt and clean working jacket will do wonders try it and see that's fine true knowledge of the postal service or of any large organization serving the public is acquired only by long and intensive effort and it doesn't just come with age or experience take a look at Mr uninformed and see what I mean they tell me this Fell's been in the service 40 years although he's new at the window now no one can Master every detail but unnecessary fumbling certainly creates a bad impression this is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard of just what do you mean you can't register my letter it's against regulations but there's a valuable document in this that must be mailed just why can't you register this letter sorry but we can't register an envelope that has this tape over the flap I don't believe it can you show me that in your silly regulations sure it's right here look I've been registering mail for years I defy you to find that silly little rule in that silly book somewhere here lady please believe me good window clerk should know how to find the regulations this fell doesn't even know where to look well I'm waiting well it's it's it's here somewhere say a quick accurate answer is the best way to satisfy your Patron and yourself you've got the answers right in front of you look in the table of contents for the general subject matter then turn to the specific paragraph which gives directions for mailing well I'm still waiting nothing to it when you know where to look give complete and exact information never leave a question unanswered if you don't know look it up find out or refer the customer to someone who does your patrons don't know the regulations you should or at least should know where to find them hello Walder may I have those letters please of course thank you very much in one week these letters of complaint were sent to a single post office by some of my stockholders most of them are about carelessness inattention or failure to do something as postal clerks that you normally do as individuals now what watch Mr insensitive in action or should I say in a state of inaction Mr in sensitive never even noticed the line at the window next to his will you handle these how many you got there oh a half a dozen this will take a few minutes folks please bear with us this clerk certainly has a lot to learn if Mr insensitive was on the job the other line would not be so long say when there's no one at your window you should offer assistance to patrons in the other line why because sir to the public is your primary Duty not the specific service rendered at a particular window but I can't help all of them well then just call over those you can help okay may I help any of you with the stamps or money orders that's it regardless of which window you're serving money order parcel post or stamp a courteous offer will make a good impression and produce results besides cooperation with your fellow clerk makes for office Harmony and Goodwill look lady I don't know anything about mail deliveries I'm just a window clerk why don't you go see the superintendent of males well how do I know it isn't lying back there somewhere you don't do you don't worry I'm going to the postmaster about this you do that lady well where's your identification go say you know look buddy I haven't got all day where's your identification identification I'm sorry buddy look we haven't got all day here come back and see me some other time back and see me some other you didn't help the post office in the way you handled those two customers what do you want me to do Patron doesn't make an inquiry unless he wants an answer or help normally he doesn't complain unless he feels he's been badly treated okay so they write to the postmaster so what they weren't even my customers anyone who steps into the post office is your customer the serious complaint can bring disciplinary action okay what should I have done well don't carry over annoyances from One customer to another and as for the complaints always answer them refer them or follow them up now as for this man you know anyone who deals with the old the young the infirm or the foreign born in fact anyone who deals with the public will show a greater degree of Tolerance than those who don't now let's do it again first the woman how can I find out about a letter with a check in it mailed to me by my brother I never got it I'm sure we can help you if you'll just take this form to the clerk at the next window he'll fill it out for you and we'll try to trace your letter thank you very much yes sir Italiano say Italiano just a moment say Joe will you explain to this fellow in Italian that we have to see his identification surely person gra my last example is Mr Wrong attitude he comes in many forms for instance work too fast and you make mistakes give wrong denomination money orders and lose money out of your own pocket what can I do for you some clerks act like machines and treat the public the same way be human not a robot what can I do for you that's the idea now let's see you put this courtesy into practice well H what can I do for you cutie fresh act friendly but don't be rude or fresh yeah wait a minute first you acted like you wanted a date now you act like a machine instead just act like a man in a responsible job that's what you are good morning what can I do for you I'd like to mail this please you look carry Insurance yes $5 that'll be 35 cents sorry I'm closed closing your window on a patron is like slamming the door in his face every window clerk must realize the responsibility he has in his position and act accordingly the post office more than any other Federal agency comes into daily contact with the public you post office employees particularly window clerks must exemplify in your actions the qualities and service which the public has a right to expect from his government to many of us patrons our post office is the entire United States government here is the only place we meet our government face to face we the public feel that you w clerks have the responsibility to represent Uncle Sam properly thank you Mr public those of us who work here and in an about 35,000 other communities know the post office as a bank Insurance Agency distributor of government form information center and delivery service and yet some of us in and out of the post office seem to take the Postal Service pretty much for granted you mail letters of Love sympathy friendship or business and you seldom give their safe delivery a second thought and that's the way it should be h for