They can get away with it. You can’t.
I had to drop a package off at the post office this morning. Made a big sale on eBay, $6!
I’m one of those rare people in the millennial generation who actually owns a printer, so I print my labels at home and get to skip the line.
This always gets me lots of dirty looks as I walk past everyone impatiently waiting, set my package on the counter, and walk out.
One guy tried to block me today. Big winner.
Today I overheard something different though. The woman at the front of the line was arguing with the postal worker.
Something about US Bank being better than the US Post Office. (Huh?)
But I bring this up because of the reaction of the postal worker. Complete indifference. No fucks given.
I don’t write this to complain about the lack of customer service at the post office. Many lesser minds than me have been doing that for decades.
For a more entertaining look at the thing, check out Post Office by Bukowski (not for the easily offended, like anything Bukowski wrote)
I mention this because of how it got that why. Why the post office, and the DMV, and other government agencies can get away with a “fuck you” approach to customer service, and you and I can’t.
Government enforced monopoly. No competition.
What are you going to do, send your package from Canada? Register your car in another state? You’re stuck with them.
You MUST go, and you MUST put up with whatever they dish out. You have no other choice.
Complain all you want, they’re still going to get your business. Or not. But the get your tax dollars either way, so they have no incentive to perform better.
Obviously the same isn’t true in real business.
Whatever you’re selling, if you treat your customers like shit, they WILL leave. There’s no government man with a gun forcing them to continue subsidising you.
But that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult.
Or complicated.
Or time consuming.
Or expensive.
Customer satisfaction (not mere service) can be simple and automatic. IF you know what to do.
That’s why I write these emails.
And if you’re ready, that’s why I wrote this: https://gumroad.com/l/rkbth/VIP
— Mark
