US Post Office

The cashier wasn’t particularly warm, but I appreciated the convenient location while waiting for a delayed train. I’ve only ever encountered a few friendly USPS employees though, so I’ve come to expect it. The office was practically empty, so I was served right away and was able to return to staring at the concourse info board in no time at all.

I assume this is the office inside 30^th Street Station.
The week before Christmas, I visited this post office to mail a package overseas. One clerk was working. When I got to her she asked if I was paying with a credit or debit card. No, I said, I’m paying cash. She said there was no cash on hand, and that if I couldn’t pay in the exact amount, I couldn’t be served. I did have the cash on hand, but when I said in disbelief, «No cash!?» She ignored me. She would not make eye contact with me, and wouldn’t acknowledge my question when I asked for information about the different overseas rates available. I bought twelve first-​class postage stamps, and when I stepped away from the till, thankfully I went to affix the stamps right there. She’d only given me ten stamps. I turned and loudly said that to her, and waved my receipt in the air. She gave me the extra two stamps. Just as I was leaving a second clerk came out. I don’t know that it would have done any good demanding to speak to the postal inspector at that station.
Another time when I went to the station one afternoon, I arrived to find customers standing in line waiting for service, but the doors were locked. Someone who came out, and closed the door quickly behind them, told me that the one clerk on duty had locked the doors to prevent more customers from entering because there were more customers than she felt comfortable having wait in line.
Does anyone supervise the clerks at this post office? I did complain on the USPS web site and they did respond to me, but I doubt very much that there was any disciplinary action.

Although the location is quite convenient in the city, service is unreasonably slow and the cashiers act as though I am burdening them when I have a simple letter to mail. It’s worth the effort to head out to another post office.

Service is unbelievably slow! I swear they must take slow-​down pills before starting their shift!

I kinda dislike the post office (I think that puts me with the majority of Americans). Brilliant idea: it costs the same to mail a letter down the street as it does to Alaska. But like any good bureaucracy, there is no benefit to working hard at the post office. And the Post Office workers here at 30^th Street are attune to that fact.
Somehow, I feel like I am over paying for my mail every time I go to the post office. I just checked the post office website, and it turns out I wasn’t being screwed by this post office, but rather by the Postal Service, in general. I paid what I was supposed to, but nevertheless I feel cheated.
An extra star for being in a convenient location. Another star for wishing me a nice day, I did have a nice day.

Despite its convenient location within 30^th Street Station, it’s my belief that the cashiers at this post office are encouraged to assist customers as slowly as possible. Without fail, they fail to meet even the lowest expectations for customer service. Given how poorly inefficient this particular station is, it’s no wonder USPS is projected to run billions of dollars in deficit.