I don't have many nice things to say about this USPS location. It's a nightmare to get to because…read moreit is located on one of the busiest streets in the Seven Cities (Battlefield Blvd). If you're coming from I-64/Military Hwy and decide to stop here, good luck making that U-turn at Battlefield & Volvo!
I don't care much about how it looks because I'm used to visiting some real beat up/rundown local post offices. To be honest, this venue doesn't look that bad. I've seen worse.
The issue I have is the people who work there, particularly Clerk 27. Her poor attitude screamed, "I hate this place. I don't want to be here," and she didn't like that I wasn't "prepared" with my package.
I was returning a purchased item and was provided a free return shipping label. I came in with the item in its original shipping package, and the label, which I printed at my office (I no longer own a personal printer). She mumbled something about the label, and I replied, "Sorry, I didn't have anything to attach the label." Clerk 27: "Yeah, that's what I said. You need to attach the label." It was the tone that got me, but I simply apologized again.
Then I mentioned to her that the package wasn't sealed. At the Norfolk P.O., they're cool with providing BOTH the plastic shipping label adhesive to attach to the package, AND they automatically will tape the package shut. In this instance, after I told Clerk 27 that the package wasn't sealed, she emphatically replied, "You need to have this sealed already when you bring it in. We don't do that, but this one time, I will." Again, it was the tone that got to me. Yet again, I apologized and thanked her.
The worst part about this transaction - as I was walking away, Clerk 27 muttered something under her breath. I know it was derogatory, but I just let it go and kept walking.
I know it sucks to engage with all sorts of characters every day, five days a week. And I'm completely on board with standing your ground to difficult customers. But when dealing with people who are simply going about their day and want nothing more than to complete their chores and tasks, being an a-hole because they don't know anything about your job's policies and procedures is not the move.
Don't be a jerk.
I'm glad I don't visit the post office much. Even though this post office is near my office, I don't want to come back. I'd rather wait until a Saturday morning to conduct my business at a Norfolk post office. The irony here is that you'd think it'd be vice versa. But yeah, I'd rather go to a Norfolk post office than a Chesapeake one. JV