Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Customer service as a quality of life issue

If you can get home before 5pm or leave sometime after 8:30am, you might have used the post office at the very tip of Truxton Circle's triangle (yeah, call it a circle when the neighborhood forms a triangle), the LeDroit Park Post Office at 416 Florida Avenue. Until recently the post office was manned by a very grouchy civil servant. She was impatient, belittling, and in some cases down right mean. Currently, the new woman in charge of the post office is more pleasant and customer friendly. My only complaint about her is she pushes the more expensive postal options (I just wanted to send it first class, not priority), but it is pushiness with a smile.
But I was thinking, this change in personnel, to a more customer service friendly person has made the post office visit more pleasant. I feel a bit better about my post office. Just add a few Saturday hours and it will totally rock, but I'll take what I can get. Feeling better about my neighborhood post office, I feel better about the neighborhood.
Quality of life isn't simple crime stats and economic indicators, it is how I feel about my block and my hood. I get excited when a retail or restaurant business opens around here because I hope that will improve my quality of life. Having the business in the hood, in this case the US Post Office, there is one plus, looking forward to going to the business and feeling positive about it, a thousand other pluses.

5 Comments:

At 3/16/2005 9:09 AM, Blogger John Whiteside said...

The pushiness can be annoying... but on the other hand, at least she cares, which is kind of a step forward.

 
At 3/16/2005 10:01 AM, Blogger Sophiagrrl said...

I totally know the former lady you are referring to. I haven't gone back to that Post Office because I felt so harassed the last time I was there. Thanks for the heads up on the change... I'll put that office back in my circle of options.

 
At 3/16/2005 10:49 AM, Anonymous jimbo said...

Huh...I never thought she was rude. Or perhaps I'm just accustomed to that kind of service being the standard here in DC.

I find it easier to get cabs on Rhode Island and 7th for some reason. Florida Avenue is just too congested.

Regarding worms and acidic coffee grounds, I know the soil in DC is mildly basic, which may help neutralize the acidity in your compost. But the decaying process is generally acidic too, so it may be futile. The worms will survive.

 
At 3/16/2005 11:28 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

And why is a post office in Truxton Circle called the LeDroit Post Office. Just sayin'.

Scott

 
At 3/19/2005 12:08 PM, Blogger tenchiindc said...

I totally get what you're saying about quality of life. For me, it's coming out of the house and not seeing a gaggle of homeless people in the baseball diamond across the street. It's walking past the places where I expect to get jacked or harassed and instead an old lady makes a nice comment.

 

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