Post Office Complaint!

FiftyPents

I think I was treated pretty unfairly at the post office yesterday. I went out of there thinking I was in the wrong, but after speaking with people, I think she was!

I came into my local post office at 5.00. I only finished work at half 4 so by the time i'd got home and picked up my parcels, I got to the post office as quick as I can. I joined the back of a queue that was about 9 people long, and the guy at the front was not moving. The lady serving him was sat on the phone sorting out a problem this guy had with a parcel. I waited for nearly 10 minutes then left, thinking there was no chance of getting served today. I decided i'd go off and get some petrol, then come back and see if the queue had gone down.

I came back at 5.20, and joined the back of a queue that was now 3 people long, plus me. It was getting close to half 5, but I even let the guy behind me go first, as he only had one envelope and i had 6 parcels to send. By the time I actually got served, through nobodies fault, it was nearly half 5, which is their closing time. The lady could have told me it was too late and to come back tomorrow, which I would have been quite annoyed about but probably just accepted, but instead I got this -

Her -"You do realise its nearly 5.30 dont you?"
Me - "Yes, i'm sorry"
Her - "Im serving you this time, next time i wont serve you, you need to come here earlier if you have this amount to send"
Me - "I appreciate that its nearly half 5 but theres nothing i can do about that, I actually turned up at 5 and there was a man at the front of the queue for a good 10 minutes, i've queued twice to get served, i only finished at 4, I work all day"
Her -"You'd stay on would you? You'd stay on after hours for no extra pay? and I don't think you were queuing, I certainly didnt see you"

None of what I said to her came across as aggressive or rude, where as she came across as incredibly rude and snooty! She then proceeded to pretty much chuck all my parcels into the bag, she swiped my main parcel off the scales, bouncing it off the counter, there was a £150 laptop inside there, and she was just tossing it around as if she didnt care!

I left feeling really annoyed that anyone can speak to a customer like that. I appreciate that I came late in the day, but is it fair at all to have a go at me because i was going to cause her to stay on a few minutes after closing?!

I'm thinking about making a complaint to Royal Mail, should I?

Oliver14

So you think she was rude because she said she didn't see you queueing? Also they always chuck parcels in the bag. All she did was tell you that if you have large amounts to post you need to come earlier (which is fair enough) she didn't want your life history of why you came at that time. She could have refused to serve you but she did you a favour and actually processed the parcels.

You're overeacting and being a bit ridiculous.

kutsu119

You should get there earlier; couldn't you have put your parcels in the car and gone straight from work?

FiftyPents

Oliver14 wrote: »

So you think she was rude because she said she didn't see you queueing? Also they always chuck parcels in the bag. All she did was tell you that if you have large amounts to post you need to come earlier (which is fair enough) she didn't want your life history of why you came at that time. She could have refused to serve you but she did you a favour and actually processed the parcels.

You're overeacting and being a bit ridiculous.

No, I think she was rude because she had a go at me the entire time I was there. She said she 'didnt believe' that Id been queuing, and that id simply turned up.

A friend of mine who works in a shop, when I told him this, said it was absolutely out of order. If they had a customer come in at 5.29, its their job to serve that person and ensure they walk out the store happy.

Why is it any different for a post office? and why is it fair enough that I need to come earlier? If you read the thread, I did come earlier. I couldn't get served.

JulieElizabeth

I see where you are coming from OP. I was browsing the towels in Harry Corry last night only to be told "it's six o'clock, we're closed" to which I replied "well, you've lost a sale". I marched promtly out only to find others walking in and NOT being turned away.

custardy

FiftyPents wrote: »

No, I think she was rude because she had a go at me the entire time I was there. She said she 'didnt believe' that Id been queuing, and that id simply turned up.

A friend of mine who works in a shop, when I told him this, said it was absolutely out of order. If they had a customer come in at 5.29, its their job to serve that person and ensure they walk out the store happy.

Why is it any different for a post office? and why is it fair enough that I need to come earlier? If you read the thread, I did come earlier. I couldn't get served.

personally i wouldnt go in any store that late in the day
you went in early and could have got served
you just chose to go away and come back
perhaps like myself they have childcare or have to get home to let their partner get to work
theres days when its like a military operation for me
Ive also been stung for a £35 'late fee' on the nursery as i couldnt get there on time
how would you like to work on for free and pay £35 for the pleasure?

chalkiesalem_2

OP, I totaly agree with you, manners dont cost anything. Plus its not as if you didnt get there untill 5.30, you where there 10mins earlier which i assume would of been enough time to process your packages. So she would of had to work an extra 5 mins, this is quite common in most customer facing roles and you dont get paid extra

custardy

chalkiesalem wrote: »

OP, I totaly agree with you, manners dont cost anything. Plus its not as if you didnt get there untill 5.30, you where there 10mins earlier which i assume would of been enough time to process your packages. So she would of had to work an extra 5 mins, this is quite common in most customer facing roles and you dont get paid extra

she would finish serving 5 minutes later. how many in retail just walk away when they serve the last customer?

FiftyPents

custardy wrote: »

personally i wouldnt go in any store that late in the day
you went in early and could have got served
you just chose to go away and come back
perhaps like myself they have childcare or have to get home to let their partner get to work
theres days when its like a military operation for me
Ive also been stung for a £35 'late fee' on the nursery as i couldnt get there on time
how would you like to work on for free and pay £35 for the pleasure?

Then why are they open that late? That's ridiculous, a store is open until that time, thats the time it shuts. Whether I go in there at 9am or 5.25pm, they serve me, thats their job. If i'd ran in at 5.30 with my parcels and demanded she serve me as she was getting ready to leave, i'd fully understand her turning me away or complaining. But i went in there 10 minutes before closing, i was polite, and all she did was be consistently rude towards me for the 7 minutes it took to process my items.

Leory

I agree OP, you did get there before it closed and how can you tell how long the person infront will take.
I dont think she was being terribly rude, but there probably should be someone stopping people coming in, and then everyone that is in gets served

FiftyPents

custardy wrote: »

she would finish serving 5 minutes later. how many in retail just walk away when they serve the last customer?

I worked in a supermarket for 3 years, when the store was closing they announced it via the tannoy, and all the customers in the store were told to take their items to the trolley to pay. There'd be numerous occasions where i'd still be serving past 4pm, we never turned people away at 4pm on the dot. If they were in the store, buying our products, we completed the transaction.

What sort of a message does it send out to customers if you're turning them away because 'you don't get paid extra for it'.