In this episode, we're continuing with our postal job series, where we explore the diverse roles within USPS. Today, we're shifting gears and focusing on the crucial role of sales and services associates at the Post Office. Join us as we sit down with Asia Hunter, a talented sales and services associate who has been a part of the Postal Service since 2014. Asia will shed light on her job responsibilities and share some of her most memorable experiences.
This week on Mailin' It, we dive into the world of sales and services at the Post Office with Asia Hunter, a talented sales and services associate who has been a part of the Postal Service since 2014. Join us to learn how these individuals play a vital part in providing excellent customer service, answering inquiries, and assisting customers with a wide range of tasks, such as purchasing stamps, shipping internationally, and even obtaining passports.
DALE PARSAN:
HEY EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO MAILIN' IT, THE OFFICIAL PODCAST OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE. I'M DALE PARSAN. IN TODAY'S EPISODE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH OUR POSTAL JOB SERIES. PREVIOUSLY, WE SPOKE WITH DAVITA LAWRENCE, A MAIL CARRIER HERE IN THE WASHINGTON, DC AREA. WE HAD A REALLY NICE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE OUT THERE DELIVERING MAIL DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
IN TODAY'S EPISODE, WE'RE SPEAKING WITH ASIA HUNTER, A SALES AND SERVICES ASSOCIATE WORKING AT THE POST OFFICE IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, JUST SOUTH OF WASHINGTON, DC. OUR SALES AND SERVICE ASSOCIATES HAVE AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT JOB BECAUSE THEY'RE THE FOLKS WORKING DIRECTLY WITH CUSTOMERS AT THE POST OFFICE, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND HELPING PEOPLE WITH DOZENS AND DIFFERENT KINDS OF TASKS, WHETHER IT'S BUYING STAMPS, SHIPPING INTERNATIONALLY, OR GETTING A PASSPORT. ASIA HAS WORKED AT THE POST OFFICE SINCE 2014 IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ROLES. SHE'S HERE IN THE STUDIO WITH ME TO TALK ABOUT HER JOB AND SHARE SOME OF HER EXPERIENCES. WELCOME TO MAILIN' IT ASIA.
ASIA HUNTER:
HI, HAPPY TO BE HERE.
DALE PARSAN:
HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. SO, ASIA, GIVE ME SOME BACKGROUND. HOW DID YOU COME TO WORK FOR THE POSTAL SERVICE?
ASIA HUNTER:
I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND AT THAT TIME, BACK THEN, IT WAS KIND OF ALONG WITH YOUR DEGREE. THEY WANTED YOU TO HAVE EXPERIENCE AND IT WAS LIKE, WELL, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET THE EXPERIENCE IF NOBODY WANTS TO HIRE ME? ENTRY LEVEL.
DALE PARSAN:
AGE OLD CONUNDRUM. RIGHT.
ASIA HUNTER:
SO I WAS KIND OF LIKE, I DON'T WANNA DO ANYTHING ENTRY. I DON'T WANNA BE A POLICE OFFICER AND I DON'T WANNA DO CORRECTIONS. I WAS LIKE, NO, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE. SO I GOT AN INTERVIEW FOR THE POST OFFICE AND I NEVER REALLY LOOKED BACK. I STARTED AT 18 AND THEN TIME KIND OF SLIPPED PAST ME AND HERE I AM 10 YEARS LATER.
DALE PARSAN:
GOTCHA. SO YOU JUST SAW A POSTING ONLINE OR YOU SAW A BILLBOARD, A COMMERCIAL. HOW'D YOU COME TO FIND US?
ASIA HUNTER:
I THINK ONE OF MY FRIENDS WAS, SHE WAS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AT THE TIME TOO, AND I'M LIKE, OH, OKAY. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A GOOD JOB. IT'S, SO I'M LIKE, OKAY, I'LL, I'M GONNA LOOK INTO IT AND I DID IT THAT WAY.
DALE PARSAN:
WONDERFUL. SO YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE 18 WHEN YOU JOINED. WHAT KINDS OF WORK WERE YOU DOING WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED?
ASIA HUNTER:
I WORKED IN A DISTRIBUTION PLANT, SO I WOULD PRIMARILY AT THAT TIME, JUST COMING IN AND SORTING THE PACKAGES BY HAND. OF COURSE, AT THAT TIME EVERYTHING WAS BY HAND. THE MACHINES WERE JUST UP AND COMING, SO YOU LITERALLY HAD TO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE IN LIKE LITTLE CIRCLES, BAGGING THE BAGS UP, PUTTING THEM ONTO LITTLE CARTS TO WELL 'EM OFF SO THAT THEY WENT ONTO THE TRUCK TO GET ON THE PLANE. EVERYTHING AT THAT TIME WAS TYPICALLY BY HAND. AND THEN AS I THINK THAT WAS LIKE MY FIRST YEAR, YEAR TWO, I KIND OF SWITCHED INTO AUTOMATION WHERE THEY SORT THE LETTERS. SO I DID THAT. THOSE WERE MY NEXT FEW YEARS. TWO THROUGH LIKE MAYBE SIX.
DALE PARSAN:
IS IT NORMAL AT THE DISTRIBUTION CENTERS TO JUMP FROM DIFFERENT JOBS, DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, OR IS IT MORE USUAL FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO STICK TO ONE SET OF ONE SET OF RULES?
ASIA HUNTER:
TYPICALLY EVERY DAY IS THE SAME, TYPICALLY. THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE YOU JUMP AROUND A LOT, BUT AS IN ALL OF OUR JOB DESCRIPTIONS,
DALE PARSAN:
YES. I REFER TO THEM AS OTHER DUTIES AS A SIGN. RIGHT,
ASIA HUNTER:
EXACTLY. AND YOU'D BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE FORGET THAT
DALE PARSAN:
SO WHAT MAY, WHAT WAS THE TRIGGER RIGHT BETWEEN WORKING AT THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER SORTING PACKAGES, WANTING TO GET MORE INTO THE SSA ROLE? SO HOW DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THAT JUMP?
ASIA HUNTER:
WELL, I WAS UNASSIGNED IN THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER, SO I WOULD'VE, I WOULD'VE PREFERRED TO STAY THERE. BUT I WAS AN UNASSIGNED REGULAR AT THE TIME. SO THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE, YOU, YOU GOTTA TAKE A JOB SOMEWHERE. IT'S EITHER YOU TAKE A JOB SOMEWHERE OR YOU, WE PUT YOU SOMEWHERE
DALE PARSAN:
SO FOR OUR LISTENERS WHO MAY NOT BE AS ACCUSTOMED TO POSTAL LINGO, COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT, WHAT UNASSIGNED
ASIA HUNTER:
BEING UNASSIGNED PRETTY MUCH MEANS THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC JOB THAT'S ENTITLED TO YOU. THIS BEING, YOU KNOW, ASSIGNED A JOB, THIS IS MY JOB, THIS IS THE DAYS OFF, YOU CAN'T CHANGE THEM.
DALE PARSAN:
GOTCHA. IT'S A BIT MORE WHEN YOU'RE UNASSIGNED MAYBE THE AUDIENCE CAN THINK OF IT AS BEING A FLOATER. RIGHT. YOU'RE FLOATING BETWEEN WHEREVER THERE ARE OPEN, OPEN OPPORTUNITIES OR REQUIREMENTS. RIGHT, RIGHT. SO ASIA, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THROUGH ALL OF THESE JUMPS SINCE 2014, YOU KNOW, WORKING AT THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER WANTING TO BECOME AN SSA, YOU, YOU SWITCHED LOCATIONS. SO I THINK ORIGINALLY YOU WERE, THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER WAS LOCATED SEPARATELY FROM WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. YES. WHAT WAS, WHAT, WHY DID YOU MOVE? WAS THAT FOR THE UNASSIGNED STATUS?
ASIA HUNTER:
NO, I MOVED BECAUSE HONESTLY, I WAS JUST TRYING TO MOVE UP IN MY CAREER. BEING WHERE I WAS IN MERRIFIELD, THERE WASN'T REALLY THAT MUCH OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH
DALE PARSAN:
YEAH.
ASIA HUNTER:
ULTIMATELY FOR ME TO GROW. AND ME TRYING TO GO INTO BEING A SUPERVISOR AND EITHER THE DISTRIBUTION CENTER OR IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, BOTH REALLY KIND OF REQUIRE THAT YOU KIND OF KNOW THE FIELD, WHICH ARE YOUR OUTSIDE POST OFFICES, AND THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL THE FIELD OFFICES. THEY KIND OF ALL REQUIRED FOR ME TO KNOW THAT. SO I, I TOOK AN E-REASSIGNED TO LIKE, LEARN MORE AND GAIN MORE KNOWLEDGE SO THAT WHEN I DID APPLY FOR THESE JOBS, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, I KNOW THIS AND I, I, I, I HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE AND I HAVE THE ABILITIES TO DO THAT.
DALE PARSAN:
GOTCHA. SO IS THAT YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL, WANTING TO BECOME A SUPERVISOR?
ASIA HUNTER:
IT'S MY FIRST STEP. I WANNA KIND OF GO UP THE LADDER INTO A BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS. I DON'T WANNA STAY THERE, OF COURSE, BUT I KIND OF FELT LIKE I WANT TO, I WANNA RIDE THE LADDER FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, SO I WANTED TO GO FROM, YOU KNOW, SUPERVISOR AND THEN JUST GO UP THE CHAIN OF JUST TO LEARN WHATEVER I CAN LEARN. YEAH. I DON'T LIKE TO BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE UNDER ME ARE GOING THROUGH. SO I LIKE TO START, AND I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU WENT THROUGH BECAUSE I WENT THROUGH IT. SO, BUT ULTIMATELY THERE'S, THERE'S SO MUCH GROWTH WITHIN THE, THE POST OFFICE, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT FIELDS, EVERYTHING THAT PEOPLE, WHEN YOU'RE ON THE OUTSIDE, YOU, YOU DON'T THINK THAT THE POST OFFICE HAS THESE JOBS AND THOSE JOBS AND WE HAVE NURSES AND WE HAVE LEGAL, AND WE, EVERYTHING YOU WANNA DO, IT'S HERE. OH,
DALE PARSAN:
ABSOLUTELY. IT'S STILL SURPRISING ME SOMETIMES HOW MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF POSITIONS AND HOW MANY DIFFERENT SKILL SETS WE CAN UTILIZE HERE WITHIN THE POST OFFICE. YEAH,
ASIA HUNTER:
DEFINITELY.
DALE PARSAN:
SO, ASIA, LET, LET'S WALK THROUGH A, A TYPICAL DAY IN THE LIFE FOR YOU. WALK ME THROUGH WHEN YOU START YOUR DAY, WHEN YOU END YOUR DAY IN ANY OF THE GOOD DETAILS.
ASIA HUNTER:
OKAY. SO I HAVE ONE OF THESE ODD POSITIONS RIGHT NOW WHERE I'M A RELIEF POOL, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS THAT I COVER THE SHIFT FOR THE PERSON THAT IS OFF. SO YOUR SHIFT TYPICALLY STARTS AT 10 EVERY DAY, BUT YOU'RE OFF ON WEDNESDAYS. THEN MY SHIFT STARTS ON 10 ON WEDNESDAYS, AND SO IT KIND OF FOLLOWS THAT. SO EVERY DAY I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY. SO SATURDAY AND MONDAY I STARTED SEVEN TUESDAY I STARTED AT EIGHT 30. WEDNESDAY I'M OFF THURSDAY AND FRIDAY I START AT 5:00 AM SO NOT TOO MANY JUMPS, BUT A TYPICAL DAY IS, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT EVERY DAY. SO ON A, LET'S SAY MONDAY I COME IN AND I START SORTING PARCELS TO, YOU KNOW, HELP THE CARRIERS GET THEIR PACKAGES OUT. SO I'M SORTING THE PARCELS FOR THEM. AND ONCE I'M DONE WITH THAT, I GO OPEN UP THE STORE. SO I START, GET MY MATERIALS TO GET THE STAMPS OUT, TO GET EVERYTHING THAT WE NEED TO OPEN THE STORE. AND THEN AROUND THAT TIME IT'S ALMOST NINE O'CLOCK, WHICH IS WHEN OUR STORE OPENS. I THEN GO TO, YOU KNOW, OPEN THE GATES AND BE THERE TO HELP THE CUSTOMER.
DALE PARSAN:
SO WALK ME THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A, OF A NORMAL DAY. WHY DON'T WE WHY DON'T WE ASSUME THAT I'M A CUSTOMER WALKING INTO A POST OFFICE WHEN I WALK IN, I SEE POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES, BUT YOU KNOW, I MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHO DOES WHAT. SO IF I'M A CUSTOMER WALKING IN, WHAT'S GONNA BE A TYPICAL INTERACTION WITH SOMEBODY LIKE YOURSELF?
ASIA HUNTER:
WE'RE GONNA GREET YOU AND IF, YOU KNOW, DEPENDING ON YOUR, YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, IF YOU LOOK CONFUSED, HEY, DO YOU NEED ANY HELP WITH ANYTHING
DALE PARSAN:
SO I'M, I'M ALWAYS A LITTLE SHOCKED AT HOW MANY SERVICES THE POSTAL SERVICE OFFERS, RIGHT. THAT YOU CAN GET AT A POST OFFICE. SO AT OUR RETAIL LOCATIONS, WHAT'S MOST POPULAR WITH CUSTOMERS?
ASIA HUNTER:
STAMPS, BECAUSE NOT ALL LOCATIONS HAVE PASSPORT.
DALE PARSAN:
I FELT SILLY AS SOON AS I ASKED THE QUESTION.
ASIA HUNTER:
NO, CAUSE CAUSE NOT ALL LOCATIONS. I WOULD SAY, I WAS GONNA SAY PASSPORTS, BUT NOT ALL LOCATIONS HAVE PASSPORTS. OKAY. BUT THOSE ARE THE HOT THING RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY WITH SUMMER COMING. THEY'RE LIKE, I'M GETTING MY PASSPORT. SO
DALE PARSAN:
YEAH. MY I REMEMBER BACK WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL WHEN I WAS REALLY YOUNG, WE ACTUALLY HAD OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN HOW TO ADDRESS AN ENVELOPE, WHERE TO PUT THE STAMP, YOU KNOW, WHAT GOES WHERE. AND THEN WHEN I'M TALKING WITH MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS WHO ARE IN GRADE SCHOOL NOW, THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
ASIA HUNTER:
NO
DALE PARSAN:
BUT THEY KNOW HOW TO DROP THINGS INTO AN AMAZON CART AND ASK THEIR PARENTS
ASIA HUNTER:
AND PAY FOR IT WHEN YOU'RE NOT LOOKING
DALE PARSAN:
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STAMPS. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PASSPORTS. WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT POST OFFICES THAT THE GENERAL CUSTOMER WOULD BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT WE OFFER?
ASIA HUNTER:
I WOULD SAY DEPENDING ON YOUR OFFICES, BECAUSE AGAIN, NOT EVERY OFFICE IS, IT'S RIGHT NOW JUST IN PILOT, BUT THERE'S GOVERNMENT CREDENTIALING, THE YOU KNOW, YOUR CARDS, YOU CAN TAKE THEM IN AND GET THEM UPDATED, GET NEW ONES. I KNOW THAT HAS BEEN DEFINITELY A BIG SERVICE FOR PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY COMING OUT OF THE DC AREA. THEY'RE LIKE, I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO DC
DALE PARSAN:
SO WE'RE TALKING THINGS LIKE DIGITAL BIOMETRIC SCANNING, STUFF LIKE THAT WHERE BACK WHEN I APPLIED FOR MY JOB YOU KNOW, I HAD TO GO INTO A POLICE STATION AND USE INK AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I DIDN'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS GOING ON AND THEY WERE LIKE, PUT YOUR FINGER HERE AND ROTATE IT AND NOW WE CAN DO IT DIGITALLY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING THAT THE POST OFFICE CAN OFFER. YEP.
ASIA HUNTER:
AND SO WE'VE, WE, WE'VE GOT AWAY WITH THE INK AND WE'VE GOT AWAY WITH THE POLICE STATIONS
DALE PARSAN:
YEAH. SPACED OUT A LITTLE BIT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
ASIA HUNTER:
THE SSK IS A LITTLE TRICKY.
DALE PARSAN:
ARE THE SSKS THOSE THOSE SMALL HELP YOURSELF KIND OF, KIND OF LOCATIONS IN THE POST OFFICES?
ASIA HUNTER:
YEAH, THEY'RE TYPICALLY IN YOUR BIGGER POST OFFICES. YOUR ONES THAT PROBABLY GENERATE A LOT OF CUSTOMERS. SO YOU TRY TO HAVE THEM IN TO STEER YOUR LINES LIKE, OKAY, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T USE IT. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CASH, THE PEOPLE THAT WANT STAMPS. AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN MAIL YOUR PACKAGES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FROM THE SSK. SO YOU CAN DO PACKAGES, YOU CAN SCHEDULE PASSPORT APPOINTMENTS, YOU CAN PAY PO BOXES. YOU CAN TYPICALLY DO EVERYTHING ON THE SSK THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU CAN USE WITH A CARD CUZ YOU HAVE TO PAY BY CARD. BUT THE, THE TRICKY THING WITH IT IS THAT YOU DON'T GET LIKE THE OPTION OF STAMPS. SO YOU KIND OF ONLY HAVE LIKE ONE OR TWO OPTIONS AND PEOPLE WANT THEIR OPTIONS. SO PEOPLE ARE USING THEM AND THEY'RE UTILIZING THEM AND ESPECIALLY DURING CHRISTMAS, CUZ MOST OF THE TIME DURING CHRISTMAS TIME, EVERYBODY'S JUST MAILING PACKAGES.
ASIA HUNTER:
OH YEAH. SO WE'LL, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S IN THE LOBBY LIKE, OKAY, YOU'RE HELPING THESE PEOPLE AND YOU CAN PULL THESE PEOPLE OUTTA LINE AND, AND SAY OKAY, I'LL HELP YOU MAIL YOUR BOX OVER HERE. AND THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, GONE IN A MATTER OF SECONDS INSTEAD OF STANDING IN THE LINE. SO, AND IT, IT TYPICALLY DOES EVERYTHING THAT WE WOULD DO AT THE WINDOW, JUST MINUS CERTAIN FEATURES. LIKE I, YOU CAN DO EXPRESS AT THE SSK, BUT MOST PEOPLE WANT THAT ACTUAL SCAN ON THE EXPRESS BECAUSE THEY WANT IT THERE THE NEXT DAY. SO THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAIN FEATURES THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE USING THE SSK FOUR. AND THEN EVEN WITH THE, THE, THE QR CODES, YOU CAN ALSO SCAN YOUR PHONE WITH THOSE AND PRINT THE LABEL THERE.
DALE PARSAN:
YEAH, I'VE DEFINITELY USED THE SELF-SERVICE KIOSK A FEW TIMES AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE A POST OFFICE JUST IN SHORT WALKING DISTANCE FROM HEADQUARTERS HERE. BUT DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON, DURING THAT MAILING RUSH YOU WILL SEE AN, AN EVEN LONGER LINE FOR THE SSK FOR THE SELF-SERVICE KIOSK INSTEAD OF JUST GOING TO THE ACTUAL FRONT DESK TELLERS. AND YOU KNOW, FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO KNOW HOW TO USE IT AND KNOW WHAT OFFERINGS CAN COME FROM THE SSKS, IT CAN REALLY SAVE YOU A TON OF TIME.
ASIA HUNTER:
DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY. ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE, LIKE YOU SAY, IF YOU'RE IN A RUSH FOR TIME. ME, I WOULD PREFER TO USE THE SSK ESPECIALLY BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, I KNOW HOW TO USE IT
DALE PARSAN:
SO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE TAKING YOUR TIME HELPING A POSTAL CUSTOMER, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT REALLY BECOME CHALLENGING? WHAT ARE SOME ASPECTS OF, OF THOSE INTERACTIONS? THINGS THAT THEY MAY NEED HELP WITH?
ASIA HUNTER:
TYPICALLY IT'S FILLING OUT THE FORMS. MORE OR LESS IT'S THE INTERNATIONAL FORMS. THEY CAN BE A LITTLE TRICKY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE FORMAT THAT THE INTERNATIONAL FORM IS IN IS IT SEEMS MORE DOMESTIC. SO IT SEEMS NAME, ADDRESS, ZIP CODE. AND A LOT OF COUNTRIES DON'T HAVE ZIP CODES AND IT ACCESS FOR CITY, STATE, AND COUNTRY. AND IT'S LIKE, YEAH, THEY MAY NOT HAVE A ZIP CODE AND SO PEOPLE ARE CONFUSED CUZ IT'S LIKE, WELL WHAT DO I PUT THIS INFORMATION IN OR WHAT DO I PUT? ESPECIALLY WITH THE, WHERE I SEE IT A LOT IS WITH THE APOS, THE MILITARIES, THE MILITARIES HAVE THEIR OWN SPECIAL CONSOLIDATED RATES. SO THOSE CHALLENGES ARE DEFINITE. THAT'S ONE OF THE, THE MORE COMMON CHALLENGES. SO THE OTHER THING THEY DON'T KNOW IS THAT THEY CAN PRINT THEIR RETURN LABELS. THEY COME IN AND MOST OF THE COMPANIES NOW HAVE IT SET UP TO WHERE THEY'RE GIVING YOU THIS QR CODE THAT YOU COME IN AND WE PRINT IT OUT IN A MATTER OF SECONDS AND YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY. SO THOSE ARE THE, THE, THE CHALLENGES IS I THINK NOT, THE NOT KNOWING HOW TO GO ABOUT IT.
DALE PARSAN:
THAT'S, THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING CUZ I WOULD'VE ASSUMED IT WOULD'VE BEEN THE DIFFICULTY THAT I THAT I GIVE THEM WHENEVER I HAVE MY CHICKEN SCRATCH HANDWRITING WHEN I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS SOMETHING AND I NEED SOME HELP AND THEY'RE SITTING HERE JUST LIKE LOOKING AT, AT MY HANDWRITING, LIKE, SIR, I DON'T UNDERSTAND A WORD THAT THAT'S STATED HERE. I NEED YOU TO, I NEED YOU TO REITERATE THAT.
ASIA HUNTER:
WELL SEE, I'VE HAD CUSTOMERS LIKE THAT AND FOR ME IT'S NOT CHALLENGING. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, BUT FOR ME IT'S NOT CHALLENGING BECAUSE WITH THE, THE SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING, WE ARE ONLY, AS THE CLERKS, WE'RE ONLY INPUTTING, SAY YOUR ADDRESS IS 1, 2, 3, WE'RE ONLY INPUTTING 1, 2, 3 AND THE FIRST LETTER OF THE STREET NAME. SO IF THE STREET NAME IS LOVE, I'M PUTTING L AND I CAN, YOU KNOW, NINE TIMES OUTTA 10 YOU CAN SEE 1, 2, 3 L AND THEN I CAN KIND OF LOOK AND SAY, OKAY, FROM THE LIST THAT I'M LOOKING AT, THIS IS, THIS IS THIS. AND THEN IT POPS UP ON YOUR SCREEN TO ASK YOU TO CONFIRM THAT. SO ONCE YOU CONFIRM THAT THE LABEL PRINTS WITH IT ON THE LABEL. YEAH. SO WHETHER YOUR HANDWRITING IS PERFECT OR NOT, WE GOT IT
DALE PARSAN:
WELL THAT'S GOOD. THAT'S A RELIEF. SO WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB?
ASIA HUNTER:
HELPING THE CUSTOMERS? BEING ABLE TO SATISFY THEM EVERY DAY IS DEFINITELY THE, THE MOST REWARDING PART OF IT. CUZ SOME PEOPLE, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY, THEY COME IN AND I'VE MET PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST LIKE, I'VE NEVER MAILED ANYTHING. I DON'T HOW TO ADDRESS A LETTER. AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL NOW THIS IS THE TEACHING MOMENT YOU'RE GONNA LEARN TODAY AND YOU'RE GONNA WALK OUT OF HERE KNOWING HOW TO DO IT.
DALE PARSAN:
ARE THERE ANY STORIES THAT, THAT YOU WANNA SHARE WITH US THAT STICK OUT IN YOUR MIND ABOUT INTERACTIONS WITH, WITH CUSTOMERS THAT, THAT REALLY STUCK WITH YOU?
ASIA HUNTER:
I HAVE ONE. IT WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC AND OF COURSE THAT WAS A TRYING TIME FOR EVERYBODY. AND WE HAD A CUSTOMER, HE HAD HAD A PO BOX WITH US AND HE MOVED TO FLORIDA, BUT OF COURSE NOBODY IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE PANDEMIC WAS GONNA HAPPEN.
DALE PARSAN:
YUP, THE COUNTRY WAS GONNA GO UNDERNEATH LOCKDOWNS HERE AND THERE.
ASIA HUNTER:
YEAH, LIKE WE, WE DIDN'T THINK OF THIS, SO I'M SURE IT NEVER REGISTERED IN HIS MIND. SO, WELL, LET ME UPDATE ALL OF MY ADDRESSES TO EVERYTHING. SO WHEN THEY WERE DOING, YOU KNOW, THE STIMULUS CHECKS, HIS STIMULUS CHECK GOT FORWARDED TO THE PO BOX AND HE HAD CLOSED HIS PO BOX. SO HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT, OH, IT'S JUST GONNA BE REROUTED AND RE RESENT TO ME. BUT THOSE ARE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WE CANNOT FORWARD ON. WE HAVE TO SEND THEM BACK TO SENDER. WE CANNOT FORWARD ANY OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT MAIL. BUT IT WAS, SO HE HAPPENED TO CALL AND WHEN HE CALLED THE OFFICE, I HAPPENED TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND HE'S LIKE, YEAH, I HAD THIS BOX. AND HE GIVES ME HIS STORY AND HE'S LIKE, I, YOU KNOW, HE, HE WAS ELDERLY, HE WAS PROBABLY 75 AND HE WAS LIKE, I REALLY NEED THAT AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
ASIA HUNTER:
AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BEING SENT THERE. SO I WENT AND LOOKED AND LO AND BEHOLD I HAPPENED TO FIND IT. AND WHEN I HAPPENED TO FIND IT, I'M LIKE, OH MY GOSH, LIKE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SOMEHOW GET THIS TO HIM. SO I SPOKE WITH MY MANAGER AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET IT TO HIM. AND I'M SURE THAT JUST MADE HIS DAY CUZ IT WAS JUST LIKE, HOW ELSE WERE YOU GOING TO, LIKE ANYBODY WHO DEALS WITH THAT TYPE OF LINE OF WORK AND TRYING TO GET THINGS TO CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS. YEAH. IT'S NOT AS EASY EVERY TIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH CERTAIN COMPANIES. SOMETIMES THEY GET IT AND THEN SOMETIMES THEY DON'T
DALE PARSAN:
THAT MUST HAVE BEEN SUCH A RELIEF FOR THE CUSTOMER.
ASIA HUNTER:
IT, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS
DALE PARSAN:
WITH SOME, WITH SO MUCH GOING ON IT, IT CAN JUST BE SUCH A RELIEF TO, TO HAVE SOMEBODY REACH OUT AND HELP YOU. AND THE FACT THAT, THAT YOU AND, AND THE REST OF THE TEAM WENT SO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO TRY AND PROVIDE THAT, THAT PERSON WITH SOLUTIONS. IT, IT SAYS VOLUMES ABOUT YOUR PERFORMANCE.
ASIA HUNTER:
YEAH. LIKE DEFINITELY ULTIMATELY, LIKE I SAID, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO STICK TO TREAT ME THE WAY THAT YOU WANNA BE TREATED. SO I WOULD WANT SOMEBODY TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND, AND HELP ME. SO I, I DO MY BEST EVERY DAY TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND HELP OTHERS.
DALE PARSAN:
ASIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY HERE ON THE PODCAST. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU DO AS A SALES AND SERVICES ASSOCIATE.
ASIA HUNTER:
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
DALE PARSAN:
NOW WE'RE READY FOR ANOTHER. DID YOU NOW IN THIS SEGMENT WE TALK ABOUT INTERESTING FACTS THAT MOST PEOPLE PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE POSTAL SERVICE. WE ALL KNOW THAT BENJAMIN FRANKLIN WAS THE FIRST POSTMASTER GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES. WE ALSO KNOW THAT HE PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS POSTMASTER GENERAL FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS UNDER THE BRITISH. BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT FRANKLIN WAS FIRED FROM THE ROYAL POSTAL SERVICE IN 1774 FOR ALLEGEDLY OPENING AND PUBLISHING SOMEONE ELSE'S LETTERS? THE LETTERS WERE ORIGINALLY EXCHANGED BETWEEN MASSACHUSETTS ROYAL GOVERNOR THOMAS HUTCHINSON, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ANDREW OLIVER, AND BRITISH AUTHORITIES. IT'S COMPLICATED STORY THAT HAS BECOME KNOWN TO HISTORY AS THE HUTCHINSON AFFAIR. IN 1772, FRANKLIN RECEIVED A PACKAGE OF LETTERS FROM AN ANONYMOUS SENDER WHILE HE WAS LIVING IN LONDON, AS AGENT FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. IN A NUTSHELL, THE LETTER SPOKE OF THE GROWING DISSATISFACTION IN MASSACHUSETTS AGAINST ROYAL TAXES AND URGED THE IMPERIAL GOVERNMENT TO TAKE A TOUGHER STANCE WITH THE COLONIES.
SOME OF THE LETTERS ALSO RECOMMENDED THE CROWN SEND MORE TROOPS TO KEEP COLONISTS UNDER CONTROL. FRANKLIN ORIGINALLY SHARED THE LETTERS WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND WAS ADAMANT THEY NOT BE PUBLISHED DESPITE HIS WISHES. SOMEONE ENDED UP PUBLISHING THE LETTERS IN THE BOSTON GAZETTE, IN JUNE OF 1773, INCREASING TENSIONS BETWEEN THE COLONISTS AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. FRANKLIN LATER TOOK RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LETTERS BEING PUBLISHED, ALTHOUGH HE NEVER SAID WHERE THE LETTERS HAD ACTUALLY COME FROM AND WASN'T DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PUBLICATION. REGARDLESS, THE HUTCHINSON AFFAIR WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF EVENTS THAT PUSHED THE COLONIES TOWARD WAR WITH BRITAIN. AND THAT WRAPS UP THIS SEGMENT. DID YOU KNOW? WELL THAT'S ALL FOR THIS EPISODE OF MAILIN' IT.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HEARING THE FIRST EPISODE IN OUR POSTAL SERVICE JOB SERIES, CHECK OUT OUR FEBRUARY 7TH PODCAST WITH MAIL CARRIER DAVITA LAWRENCE. DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE TO MAILIN' IT WHEREVER YOU GET YOUR PODCAST. MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MISS THE NEXT EPISODE AND FOLLOW ALONG ON;
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