Service with a Glare

Now maybe it is not the case at all post offices, but the one that I frequent has a delightful similarity across all staff ..... they are dreadfully unhappy, insufferably rude and obviously hate their jobs. 

I have reason to go there quite regularly.  Maybe I simply pick the wrong days every time.  The first time I went armed with two slips and my ID book.  I had signed the slips, entered my ID number, given a thumbprint and a spit sample.  She did not greet me, simply snatching the slip from me as I said good afternoon.  She looked at me with disdain ... "is this you", she said, looking at the slip and ID.  I replied in the affirmative as the slip and the ID had the same number and the photo is clearly me.  She consulted a higher authority (aka the other unhappy teller) and decided she would trust me with MY parcel.  It got thumped down and the "thank you, goodbye" I expected was instead replaced with her filing her nails. 

The next time I had to enquire about a parcel that should have arrived but I had not received a slip for it.  It was a Speed Services parcel and all those parcels are recorded in a simple system in a lever arch file.  All she had to do was let me page through the file and find the correct name (heaven forbid she should have to flip through the file).  "No", she said, after I requested to look, "it is not here".  Now I thought that was pretty insightful, in fact bordering on a miracle .... she guessed my surname and knew in amongst 2000 parcels that mine was not there?  I mentioned this to her.  She pursed her lips, rolled her eyes, sighed, glanced at miserable teller no 2, pulled up her skirt, glared at me and thumped down the file. The parcel was there.  After waiting 3 hours for an apology I left. 

Now I wonder if their home lives are miserable, is the trip to work miserable or are their whole lives miserable?  When they chat to each other, which is often whilst assisting customers, they seem to morph into very social, friendly and chatty people, but as their eyes return to the customer on the other side of the bars, they give you a look that would be well placed in a Harry Potter movie. 

You would think with the unemployment numbers in this country that the GPO could find friendlier staff ..... or here is a ridiculous thought .... perhaps explain to them that customer service is not an option it is a must.   But rudeness seems to be a right often today. 

Till next time
c'est la vie xxxx