Monday 30 September 2013

Going Postal

You would think, wouldn't you, that given the Post Office is to be privatised, and the media is full of adverts telling us what a great investment buying into it would be, they would be selling their excellence in their branches, too. Wouldn't you?

Well, because of my Post Crossing hobby ( two more cards arrived today - one from Poland and one from Russia; it is all marvellous and cheer-making stuff) I go into the Post Office fairly regularly to stock up on stamps, and thence I was today.

Now, a few months ago the main office in town was installed of some fancy shiny red leatherette banquettes, upon which people can sit whilst waiting to be served. To me, this said, 'You might as well park your backside because the queue will be massive and the counter staff non- existent.' To me, this is NOT GOOD. I want to stay standing and move asap to the front of the queue and then be gone as swift as a swifty thing. When I sit down I want it to be at home with a cup of tea in my hand and a cat on my lap. 

When the banquettes first arrived I wondered how much they cost and if another member of counter staff could have been employed instead. Not for people to sit on, I hasten to add, but to cut through the extensive queues. Same with the installation of a couple of 'Serve Yourself' stations, which are okay providing you know what you want, which buttons to press and you don't get stuck behind someone who doesn't. 

But the queues remain the same as they were pre-banquette/ serve yourself. The only difference is that  you can now seethe about queue lengths and rest your bunions at the same time. Oh, and one of the counter staff has been re-deployed to tell people, nay force them indeed, to sit down, and to tell them how to use the serve yourself machines, although the lady on that duty today seemed just as confused as everyone else and took so long to show another lady how to get the correct stampage for a letter to Australia that I almost snatched the thing from her hands and said, 'Oh for heavens' sake - this is how you do it!'

But I didn't because I was resolutely avoiding the banquettes and standing in the queue, Number 114 on my ticket and with 17 people ahead of me.

Well, at some point a Time and Motion Gnome must have employed his pointy stick because there was a flurry of counter activity and the queue standees and banquette sittees began to move at a goodly brisk pace. It was 'Ticket Number 98 to counter C, ticket number 99 to counter H, ticket number 100 to counter D, ' and it all got a bit frantic, what with us standees crossing paths with the sittees who were becoming standees and cutting across the path of the queue.

And because it is Monday, which I believe is pension day (correct me if I am wrong) there were several senior citizens attempting this cross dancing routine, and some of them were very senior indeed and understandably not the quickest of movers and shakers. 

Number 111 was called twice by a counter staff person who, in the common vernacular, had a face like a slapped backside. Or bulldog chewing a brick. Or possibly a wasp. Any how, you get the idea. She did not look like serving the Great British Post Office was a vocational thing. And after calling 111 to her counter twice in quick succession (feeling the sharp end of the stick of the Time and Motion Gnome no doubt) she moved on to Number 112. 

The owner of ticket Number 111 was a very, very senior citizen. He was sitting on a banquette. He had a walking stick and a hearing aid. He looked frail, and a little confused. And when his kindly banquette neighbour pointed out his ticket number and gave him a nudge in the direction of the right counter, he negotiated the cross queue of us standees, and arrived at the same time as Ticket 112.

'I called your number TWICE!' barked the counter staff woman. 'You have to come when I call your number or you lose your place in the queue.'

She was unkind. No, she was more than that. She was horrid. Buy a share in her? I think not.

Luckily, Number 112 insisted this elderly gentleman was served first and stood patiently to one side whilst Grumpy Horrid Woman did her job, for which she is presumably paid, with all the grace and cheerfulness of a bag of poo. 

Now, I am not saying that we can all be cheerful all the time. Heaven knows, when I worked in Customer Services I could have quite cheerfully told some of my customers where to go sometimes. But I was in Customer Services and the Customer Is Always Right, so you smile and grit your teeth and then, at the end of the day, go out the back for a good swear.

And this chap in the Post Office today wasn't even being awkward or cantankerous. He was coping with his great age. He was coping with what amounted to two sets of queues, and an automated voice  calling ticket numbers and counter places at a fast pace. He did not deserve being told off like a teenager. 

I'm just saying. That's all.


6 comments:

  1. Oh that's Just Horrible. What a miserable miserable human being. It must be something to do with larger post offices- our large one (Romsey) is staffed with Miserable Gits who make you feel like they are doing you the most GIGANTIC favour just by serving you. Conversely, our local one is staffed by three LOVELY people who know my name, ask after the kids and generally indulge in leg-pulling and self-depracating humour.
    BTW- very impressive crochet triangle. Have you, perchance, dropped several end stitches as you went along?? CT x

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  2. Now see here Mrs Woman. You know FULL well that it is NOT an impressive triangle but an UNIMPRESSIVE square! I think I was concentrating so much on the through up and under thing, that I stopped counting stitches and before I knew it I was at the top of a pyramid.

    Therefore, I have two options. I either a) continue my crochet career by making anything as long as it involves triangles or b) work out what is happening when I turn the corners at the end. Clearly something is going amiss, but I am too crochet-stressed today to be scientific about the problem. But I shall conquer it, oh yes I shall!!

    I am glad you have access to a nice Post Office. Sadly, I don't. You very much take your chances in Maidstone. X

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  3. I haven't been in a proper post office for years, I avoid them like the plague. All I can say is, if I had to work in one I would be miserable too, but hopefully not that rude.
    That's the spirit on the crochet, never give up.

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  4. If it's any consolation my crochet squares usually have odd ends. I think the last stitch is notorious for hiding when you come towards it. It does get better with practice. I haven't crocheted for a couple of years but did some last night and it looked pretty wonky- I shall not give up either though because I know I have at least 3 squares that do actually look like squares. Sadly none of my wonky ones ever come out as perfect as your triangle :-)

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  5. I remember the post office queues well, and the atmosphere that went with them, so perhaps the post office will become a more cheery and respectful space once it is sold off.

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  6. Jessica, I am determined not to be beaten by a bit of wool and a hook!

    I have to admit that my triangle was accidental, CT. But lovely Olly ( resident of the East Wing) has pointed me in the bunting direction, so I feel better. Andy pointed me in the direction of making a bikini...we both had a really good laugh at THAT one!!!

    I do hope so, Vera. I don't go in there very often but when I do it is remarkably grim. Like waiting for the dentist.

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