How do I deal with rude staff at my local post office?

[chezzy]

Hi folks

This is not the first time I have raised the issue but could not find the previous post.

I am in a situation where my local post office has rude/unfriendly staff. During weekdays I am limited to

this Post Office. No matter what day, what time - even during the quietest times - the staff there can

barely utter a friendly word, a smile or even a thankyou.

Regardless I try to be courteous and organized. Seems to make no difference.

This alone is putting me off selling on ebay. I can't get my head around it. I have had enough

and this week when one of them told me bluntly to move aside I told them there was

"no need to be rude and you are always rude". They did not even look at me or respond,

completely ignored me.

Am at the point where I would like to lodge a complaint but not sure where? This is not a stand alone

Post Office, it is an agency/newsagent combined. Who are they accountable/answerable to -

Australia Post or is there a district manager who oversees these places?

Any help would be appreciated!

In the meantime I am thinking of having one posting day (Saturdays) and travelling to another

Post Office. Because I am not keen to give a single cent to my local one with their attitude.

Thanks in advance.

[cherry*135]

For quite a few years my local Post Office ( not a LPO) had staff with bad attitude. Even a new business owner to town commented on them to me one day.

Fortunately, they are all good now. I wouldn't let that stop me going in there whenever I wanted to though. Who is being inconvienced here.. You or the PO staff? You..and your buyers if you decide to only post on Saturdays.

You would need to provide specific details of how they were rude,( day, time, staff members name, what they said that was rude) when lodging a complaint otherwise whoever deals with the complaints may not take you seriously.

[chezzy]

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@chameleon54 wrote:

Having to face up to the AP staff attitude every day would get you down after awhile. I have a couple of P.O,s I avoid if I can. One single owner is a bit of a grump and not really up with international postage etc. and the other one employs a lady who gets flustered if I roll up with my suitcase on wheels full of parcels. It can take half an hour for her to work it all out. ( with customers banking up behind )

I had the situation reversed today. My usual PO is staffed by some very helpfull, friendly people. A customer came in who was absolutely off her tree on something pretty nasty. She was highly agitated, snapping at staff, making unreasonable demands in a loud voice and generally being highly aggressive. ( probably smoked too much ice. ). After five minutes of them politely trying to keep her calm and assist her, she swore at staff and stormed out of the building yelling all of the way. The poor staff where all a bit shaken by the experience.

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Hi Chameleon

You are right - it has been getting me down. In fact I feel apprehensive any time I think about having to go in there. I think I will try the "once a week" mailing of items at a different Post Office works (worse case scenario). Another option- although not ideal - is to buy up on prepaid satchels and post smaller/lighter/cheaper items in street boxes.

[chezzy]

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@cadam2010 wrote:
I stopped at a PO on the way home from work one arvo with about 6 parcels to lodge. It was around the time that Click and Send first became available. I noted with interest how the Asian man behind the counter was courteous and pleasant to the 2 people he served ahead of me, with a Hi, and thank you, your most welcome. My turn, I put the parcels on the counter. Said "Hi, I'd like to lodge these please?" He very rudely ignored my hi and instead gave me a mere sigh. When he had finished scanning the parcels I said thank you very much, got no reply. As I reached the door I heard, "yeh and what do I get out of it". I turned around and said "Pardon?" . "Nothing" was his reply. So I thought, I've had this. I'm am sick to death of rude people. I went home, called AP Customer Service and lodged a complaint. They actually rang me back to advise that they had spoken with him and basically said "you get xxx for each parcel you lodge". What he won't get, is my business anymore!

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Cadam, that is dreadful and I have experienced this/seen this sort of thing myself in the past. Glad you mentioned that you contacted AP Customer Service. Perhaps my local PO doesn't like it when they see me with an item to only be scanned! But in my case, sometimes I buy things and sometimes it may just be an item to be scanned. Anyway, high on my list is contacting AP. Thanks.

[outback_blends]

I had a problem with a country PO a while back. they refused to scan parcels and give me a lodgemant slip. Said it was a directive from Aus post. I got on aus posts facebook page and asked who I complain to and if it was in fact an aus post directive. I got a message with half an hour asking for more details.

2 days later I went to the PO and the bitc .... erm ..... lady behind the counter could not do enough for me. Seems the boss got a personal visit from the territory rep and got reamed.

Dont tolerate bad service ...go get 'em!!!

[feliz_da_kat]

Like other people have written, I would use another PO. Most of the time I don't bother to complain. Even if (and that's a big even) the boss has a talk to the staff I bet most just roll their eyes and continue on having bad attitudes.

I've been to some POs where they have been short with me becasue I've had to post a number of boxes. I try to go in when it's quiet but like a lot of shops now they only have one staff member working and if you have a number of things to post (even if it no one is in the shop when you arrive) it doesn't take long for a line to form. It can make you feel bad but on the other hand it's part of their job. If they really hate it so much maybe it's time for a change.

It's like any shop, restaurant, etc... I think most workers are great or at least are pleasant enough and others treat you like you just asked for their first born.

[chezzy]

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@8966lorraine wrote:

my local post office is a combined newsagency & tatts outlet. It gets quite busy but the staff are fantastic, so friendly and helpful. When all the stuff about proving postage came up, i started printing out a copy of the letters i was posting. They happily stamp it for me as prove of postage. However when i tried the same at the main post office, the lady in charge wouldn't do it, and was quite rude about it.

I have had problems with her in the past, so i don't go to that post office anymore.

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Hi lorraine

Yes, one of my past LPOs was like this. On a couple of occasions even without me asking they would photocopy the front of the package and date stamp it! Or if I had a question about a particular service they would photocopy applicable pages of information.

When we moved and started experiencing the local unfriendly staff I did toy with making my old PO my Saturday morning post office trek but it is a fair distance so would be impractical. I am not seeking to make friends or exchange Christmas cards, all I want it courtesy. Heck they don't even have to smile (minimum courtesy/recognition/gratitude - smile or small talk would be a bonus).

[chezzy]

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@am*3 wrote:
For quite a few years my local Post Office ( not a LPO) had staff with bad attitude. Even a new business owner to town commented on them to me one day.

Fortunately, they are all good now. I wouldn't let that stop me going in there whenever I wanted to though. Who is being inconvienced here.. You or the PO staff? You..and your buyers if you decide to only post on Saturdays.

You would need to provide specific details of how they were rude,( day, time, staff members name, what they said that was rude) when lodging a complaint otherwise whoever deals with the complaints may not take you seriously.

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am*3 - the fact of the matter is that I don't want to go in there now, I am fed up. It doesn't need to be an inconvenience. Even if I have to leave the posting of larger or registered items until Saturday, my buyers will have the choice to buy from me. They need to decide if they are happy with my 'terms' and can be patient if I can't get to a PO during the week. And I am likely to mention the mailing info near the top of the listing description (not just tucked down the bottom or somehow hidden away or overlooked by those on mobile devices).  I am a casual seller so aiming for once a week may not even be a big deal. And once a week may be better than not at all?

[chezzy]

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@outback_blends wrote:

I had a problem with a country PO a while back. they refused to scan parcels and give me a lodgemant slip. Said it was a directive from Aus post. I got on aus posts facebook page and asked who I complain to and if it was in fact an aus post directive. I got a message with half an hour asking for more details.

2 days later I went to the PO and the bitc .... erm ..... lady behind the counter could not do enough for me. Seems the boss got a personal visit from the territory rep and got reamed.

Dont tolerate bad service ...go get 'em!!!

---

Thanks outback_blends

So it seems it is not country v urban thing but comes down to individual owners and attitudes. Here I was thinking I might have to move to the country but seems there are unhelpful and unfriendly people everywhere. Tomorrow morning I might suss out the PO a little bit further from home (can't get there during the week but Saturdays might work). I did go there once before and copped someone a bit stroppy but I thanked him 'so much' for his time and he softened. I will go in and buy something tomorrow and see how it goes. Anywhere has got to be better than my local newsagent....

[chezzy]

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@feliz_da_kat wrote:

Like other people have written, I would use another PO. Most of the time I don't bother to complain. Even if (and that's a big even) the boss has a talk to the staff I bet most just roll their eyes and continue on having bad attitudes.

I've been to some POs where they have been short with me becasue I've had to post a number of boxes. I try to go in when it's quiet but like a lot of shops now they only have one staff member working and if you have a number of things to post (even if it no one is in the shop when you arrive) it doesn't take long for a line to form. It can make you feel bad but on the other hand it's part of their job. If they really hate it so much maybe it's time for a change.

It's like any shop, restaurant, etc... I think most workers are great or at least are pleasant enough and others treat you like you just asked for their first born.

---

See this is what I am thinking too - time for a change, time for a holiday or time for some training in customer service skills.Because it wasn't just a one off but the sullenness seems to be ongoing.

Seriously we can cop some shocking attitudes, service and products in the customer service and hospitality industry.

I used to put up with it. If service was poor I would go elsewhere. If a meal was unpleasant I simply wouldn't return. But how can anyone know or be able to address issues if it is not brought to their attention? I am becoming more proactive. I don't like seeing money thrown away - so these days if a meal/product is unacceptable I will write a letter. Sometimes I will never hear back but I feel I have atleast done my bit.

[chezzy]

Thanks to all who have taken the time to post tips or their own stories.

Plenty of helpful info and a few cheeky suggestions and chuckles as well.

My style tends to be 'getting my ducks in a row' and then penning a

letter to the offending business.

Happy for more stories = motivation!!!