The Post Office

When you think of great service, it is rare to think of the US Post Office. In fact, I normally try to avoid going there at all costs. My usual experience can be characterized as long wait lines, slow service, unhappy service people and cold/sterile storefronts. When I stepped into the Milburn, NJ post office yesterday, I expected this very same experience. What I expected was:

• check!    a long line --- there were 2 people ahead of me and 2 people behind
• check!    slow service --- there was only one person attending the front desk and he seemed to go to the mysterious back room a lot (what is in the back of these places, btw?)
• check!   sterile / cold storefront --- this post office was built a long time ago, with it's light blue wall color and colored linoleum floors
• wait!     unhappy service people --- not here! 

The man behind the counter was nice, friendly and warm. He clearly had many years of working for the post office and did not seem angry for having to work there. The customers in the line all knew him and were actually smiling and patient with the fact that the line was long while he was not braking a sweat to take care of them. Interesting.

So this made me think...can a nice, friendly service experience overcome all the other negatives? Are we as consumers that sensitive to a kind smile that we will forgive all other shortcomings? The answer is yes!

In addition, repeat customers have more patience and will overlook your shortcomings as a business. So the trick is not to wow on all factors of a great experience but perhaps to wow on the one that is the most important to the customer. The trick is, what is this one factor? I would think it is different for all of us?

My grade for this experience at the Milburn, NJ Post Office is a B. 

I value my time and my issue was pretty simple. I needed to buy stamps. This location did not have any machines so as a customer, you need to wait on line. In addition, if the Post Office is to survive, they may want to consider borrowing a page from Starbucks and make their environment a place where people want to come and do business. I am not suggesting that they serve coffee but, hey, maybe some tables and chairs with decent working pens would be great. Offer free Wi-Fi and perhaps people servicing you at your table to see how they can help you with your postal issues? Far-fetched but I bet if you took out the bureaucrats and brought in some savvy, creative entrepreneurs, they could save the Post Office. Just a thought.

Share your thoughts on the Post Office and by fixing service alone, how might they survive.

To a great Thursday!

the customer experience factory