I can NOT believe what happened to me at the POST OFFICE today (long)

[KathiWithAnI]

Ok, so I go into the post office with my youngest 3 ( 3, 5, 7) children to mail about 5 different packages ( 4 book exchanges and 1 key ring exchange).... this is a tiny post office with only 1 employee at a time in there.
It was very crowded ( about 5 people) which for this post office, means about the 4th person inline is standing in the doorway between the counter area and the lobby where rental mailboxes are.......
As the line moved up I came into the room and then when we moved up again, the last lady came into the room and that let the door shut. I told my kids to either come in with me or wait in the lobby ( there is a glass window so I can see the kids in the lobby)... my kids now get silly and one of them ( the 5 yr old) runs and bangs into door ( there is a cow bell on it so it was loud). The employee yells out OH MY GOD! So I say sorry and open the door and bring Kevin in with me and tell him he has to stand next to me... he doesn't like this and we go back and forth until I tell him to stand with me or I'll paddle his bottom.
Ok, so now it's my turn at the counter and it goes like this:
Me- would you mind checking to see if the first class rate is really close to the priority rate on these books.. if so, please just send them Priority.
Her- this one is $3.55 first class
Me- ok, just send them all priority then please.

So she begins to run them all through and then I look through the window and the 3 and 7 yr old are being silly, so I motion for them to sit down and the employee rolls her eyes at me.

Her- your total is $16.16

I still have 2 letters on the counter, so I ask her to please make sure 1 stamp is enough for the puffy one and say I need to buy 10 stamps please.
So now my total is $20.36 I write a 3 instead of a 2 first, write over it and initial the change and then write out twenty and 36/100 in the right space. I hand her the ck.
She begins staring at it and makes faces, I ask her if she needs my drivers license?
Her-- ok I guess
Me --here you go
Her-- still frowning at my ck-- um well...
me-- is something wrong?
her- yeah your 20 30 thing here
me- I'll be glad to write a new check, all you had to do was ask ( yes, I'm getting frustrated about this time and I want to get my kids out of there -- it's been about 15 mins since we first walked in)
so I start to right a new check ...
Her-- welll it just didn't look right
Me- ok, no problem, you just had to ask
Her--(YELLING)- Look I ain't paying for your ck when it gets processed wrong!
ok- I am now shocked and have no idea why she is yelling at me

Me-- Pardon me....
Her -- YEAH PARDON ME TOOO__ BUT YOU ARE RUDE
Me-- why are you yelling at me.. I...

Her --BECAUSE YOU ARE RUDE
Me-- maybe I've been rude, but I'm not yelling at you and I wish you stop yelling at me-- here's the new ck, do you need my license again? ( and I mutter, now I remember why I don't come here.) [ok, so that wasn't nice ]

Her-- JUst GIVE ME THE CK AND GET YOUR KIDS OUT OF MY POST OFFICE
Me-- what is the matter with you?? and STOP yelling at me. I need a receipt please.
Well this sends her over the edge
Her-- THAT"S IT I"M CALLING THE POLICE!
me-- what???!??!??? will you please just give me the receipt?
her- Will you PLEASE just get out of here ( and she slams the receipt on the counter)
I turn to go and then turn around looking to see if there is a comment/complaint number to call listed on any walls and she says
her-- THAT"S IT!! I'm calling the police now!!!

ME-- oh for heaven's sake go ahead.. I'd be happy to tell them that you're crazy! Do government employees not have to worry about customer service?? You can just yell at me and tell me to get out??

( and no I don't for one second think that all Gov. employees are like this, but you know how it is when you are mad and I'm being honest about what I said )

Then she is on the line for quite a few seconds waiting for an answer and I say forget it, they are right next door, I'll go turn myself in! As I start to leave she begins saying, yes, I have an irrate customer that needs to be removed from the premises

( I'm afraid to just leave since she has my name and address on all the mail she just got from me)

So I drag all 3 kids next door, but there is no one in the police office ( this is a VERY small town).
So I walk back to the PO, put the kids in the car and stand outside the car looking around.
Now here comes an officer from around the corner in his raincoat and hat and I say, "I believe you're looking for me"
He-- what in the world is going on?
Me-- she's crazy! and then I fill him in
he-- ok, just wait out here a minute

So he goes in and comes out a couple minutes later....
He-- she says she wants you to get off the property and not to come back until the regular post master is back. But I don't know who that is or when that is.
Me-- that's ok, if it's Angelyn still - we're friends so it's no problem and I don't usually come here anyway, I normally go to Wake Forest.
He-- sounds like that's the best thing, if you want to file a complaint, I'd wait until the regular person is back.... I'm supposed to be directing traffic for a funneral and I really need to get back
Me-- no problem,, have a nice day!!


Ok, my husband is furious and wants me to file a formal complaint, but I'm just not sure what the point is.... I sort of just want it to go away.....

all my feelings about now!

Kathi

 

[amid chaos]

It sounds like she was having a bad day and had her undies in a wad before you ever got there.
If it were me, I'd just leave well enough alone and never go back.

 

[Nancy]

Boy...what set her off?? You probably stayed calmerthen I would have in the situation!

She must not have liked kids!

 

[Kermit]

I would DEFINITELY file a formal complaint. I know that people have the right to refuse service to people who are being uncooperative, but it doesn't sound like you were. Plus, I'd like to know what the rules are concerning postal employees. It seems like we have a right to have access to mail service, so they shouldn't be able to throw you out for just anything.

I'd start working on the complaint now instead of waiting. The people at another branch should be able to tell you what you'd need to do.

 

[Straycat]

You just found out first hand where the word POSTAL comes from.

That was a terrible experience for you, try to relax and remember that 'what goes around comes around'.
She will get hers.
It might be a good idea to file a complaint though, someone should know how she treats the customers, it is very wrong of her.

 

[SilverLily]

Wow, she just reinforced that expression "going postal"!

 

[A kid at heart]

You need to speak with the postmaster of that particular office. or if you have a main office that handles everything you can call there.(I mean like a corporate part that is nothing but offices) I hope you got the clerks name!

 

[jldriscoll]

YOu have to file a formal complaint!!! We'll talk over "you know where.." That is just crazy, she needs and extended vacation!!!

 

[Blondie]

I think a formal complaint is in order too.

Sounds like her sewing machine is out of thread!

 

[nancy679]

I would file a complaint also. I also tend to think when people over react like that that they must have some awful circumstances going on in their lives. Which is not an excuse to take it out on any one who comes their way. I would still go back to that post office in the future just so she knows that you arent intimidated by her.

 

[mickey4ver]

Kathi: Maybe one day in your "mall" profession you will be on the other side of the counter....show her what exceeding expectations is all about! LOL

 

[KaitlinsMom]

I was reading this thinking - there is now way this could have happened! That postal woman is CRAZY!

She must not have kids - Any mother would understand what you were going through -

I can't believe the woman over-reacted like that -

I am with the others, she had something else going on. It doesn't give her the right to behave that way - But what goes around comes around -

I say, sit back, have a glass of wine, and know that her turn is coming!

Karen

 

[KathiWithAnI]

yes, I did get her name.. I had noticed it while waiting in line because it was a name I'd never seen before.

I don't want to file a complaint just to cause her trouble.. but now I feel maybe I should file a complaint because I'd feel really really awful if she totally lost it with someone in the future and things got way out of hand........
Funny thing is, I can normally be a yeller myself.. I think if we had progressively gotten more and more angry with each other, I may have yelled. But she totally shocked me when she jumped to the yelling stage, I guess it gave me a chance to look at her and I was absolutely not going to yell back-- yeah for me!!

So I guess maybe I need to maka a trip to the next town over and see what they recommend.......

and now 4 hrs later I'm starting to get the giggles...... can't you just picture Sherriff Andy Taylor having to halt the local funeral because the lady at the post office has gone nutty and Barney is tied up down the street with the school kids getting out of school at the same time ??? LOLOL Well that's HOW SMALL this town is.... would fit right in with Mayberry!

 

[lisajl]

imo....
You should file a complaint. What if she reacted this way to someone else? If you don't file it, someone else does...if you see where I am going with this. The more ammunition against this person, the better.

She should not have reacted that way. She could have been nicer, and kept her mouth shut. What if she yelled at someone with a heart condition?
I also believe what others have said....what goes around comes around.

lisajl

 

[LuvTigger]

I also would file a formal complaint. Not just for "revenge" or to teach her a lesson, or whatever you want to call it, but it sounds like this person could have a serious anger-management problem.

If you recall a few years ago here in Hawaii the Xerox shootings, apparently the person who committed the shootings had some serious emotional problems (I found out that he used to service the office I work at now and people in my office filed complaints). Although it may be unlikely that the postal worker you had an encounter with would go to that extreme, I say be safe and file a complaint. I think if something ever did happen, you might regret just "letting it go."

 

[annemariec]

KathiWithAnI, that experience is sooo strange!

Normally, I'm pretty easy going. It takes a good amount to get my feathers ruffled. But I have to say, that would do it. Someone going wacko -- yelling at me, (not to mention) in front of my kids and other people, telling me to leave the property and calling the police? Too wierd. Uncalled for. I'd file a complaint and I'd request a letter of apology to boot.

Then I'd sit back and have a glass of wine, chill out and forget about it.

IMO, people that do that kind of thing and get away with it, tend to repeat that type of behavior. It would be a shame if she continued to go ballistic on other customers.

Annemarie

 

[PatMcDuck]

Not nearly as exciting as your story, but once I went into our PO to ask why I no longer was getting any catalogs. Now this may sound very odd, but some I DO want to get! LIke Disney, Lands End, etc. I kept calling the companies, they said they were sent. (I suspected my mail carrier of tossing them, but who knows, LOL) So I waited online, and at my turn asked my question. The fellow says, he has no idea what the problem could be. I start to muse outloud, I say, "maybe someone else put a stop on that type of mail, and it got confused with me or something?" (not that I know if that is even possible, but something was obviously wrong!) The PO employee ignores me, and calls out loudly "NEXT!" I said, "wait a minute, I still have a problem here, could you ask a supervisor perhaps?" Again, he calls NEXT, and starts to wait on the next person, sort of over my shoulder, as I have not yet moved away. I was FURIOUS. I went to the supervisor, who said all I had to do was see him with a problem like this. I complained about the rude service, and like you, I walked away very confused! All the guy had to say was, "go ring the bell over there". Sigh.

 

[KathiWithAnI]

Wish there had been a bell to ring today!!

I guess I'm leaning to the side of those that think I should file, more as a HEADS UP that this woman is acting like this...... since she works alone when in that office, no one may know... BUT I'd love to know how many times she's called the police.. I can't possibly be the only person... I know there have to have been people that have gotten really upset with this lady!

 

[annemariec]

KathiWithAnI, ask your friend (that normally works there) once she returns. I know if it happened to me, I'd want to know that too.

Annemarie

 

[kylara]

I'm with the others here that say write and complain. There is something seriously wrong with her that she just started to yell for no reason. There is no problem taking a check with a change when the change has been initialed (I worked at a bank and in a finance office for a college). The amount written on the line was correct and that is the legal amount (even though most places get it wrong and put the box amount on the deposit slip if they are different).

To yell at you and call the cops was way overboard, even if your kids were playing around a little. It doesn't sound like they were making any problems for the PO.

I would also check in a few days to make sure the people you mailed the packages to get them and get them in good condition.