Going Postal at the Post Office

Let me start out by saying - when I worked for the government, we had STRICT rules on dealing with the "public" - one was definitely use your best customer service skills!     I feel like Public Service is a privilege and not an entitlement.  I had great benefits and an awesome pension / retirement option and awesome sick leave and vacation -- way better than corporate America.  Lots to be grateful for in that position....

So today, I go to the post office.  It's a rare thing, that takes about an hour in just driving time alone.  I use the self service to ship my packages and I thought -- while I am there -- buy stamps.    I bought 100 because like I said -- we RARELY go.

Well now the Self Serve station actually PRINTS the stamps in sheets inside the machine.  When they came out -- they were messed up.    They had QR codes and some were distorted, some were not.  Sometimes you could read the "forever" on them -- but it was always distorted and sometimes not there at all.  Some were cut in half.  It was crazy.  Some were more problematic than others but all 10 sheets were messed up in some way.   So I went and stood in line with my daughter at the counter.

Well when I got up there, the agent had to get - I guess the manager.

The manager looked at them and said   "she just changed the stamps in the machine -- just now." 

She looked at them and said "I can replace these two sheets -- but that's it" Every sheet had messed up stamps.  I'm not sure why she could only replace the two sheets???

I said "well I just don't want to chance it and would like them all replaced with real stamps."  (In my defense THEY WERE CRAZY PRINTED....)

"We can't do that"  she said.  "And these will probably work"
(I'm thinking -- probably? - really, we're going with that)

I was honestly surprised.  I had my receipt. I had just printed them.  This is a no brainer.  We aren't talking 20 cents of stamps -- but $49 worth of stamps.   I said "I just want to replace them with  a roll of stamps."  

She said -- " that machine is different from in here (what?!?!) and you'll need to come back tomorrow to talk to a supervisor. "

I was frustrated.  I admit it.  I was thinking -- if this office doesn't fix this issue - WHO WOULD?   And I said "Ugh - Why does this have to become my problem?"

And she instantly got FIRED UP.  Her complete attitude changed.   "It isn't YOUR problem!!!!"

I said " Actually it is, I now have to come back over here tomorrow." 

She said "(while storming off) let me see if I can take care of this with a phone call"

When she came back she had a roll of stamps...saying "we don't usually do this...I find it unreasonable...."

I said "are you calling me unreasonable?"

She said loudly "I am trying to fix your problem MA'AM" while walking away from me -- she started heading back to the counter and said to her colleage "You've got my back don'tcha"  Like this was some battle we were in.

She handed me the stamps FINALLY and said "we don't do this..." and she started to say something else but she hesitated after looking at my daughter.

I said "Thank you - have a nice day" and walked out.

I did a sample poll online to see what others would have done....here is what I got (names masked to protect the innocent):