I attracted confusion at the post office this morning. I love and appreciate our postal system: it’s fast, it’s safe, it’s affordable, it has always been good to me.
 
He: Your prices are wrong on this form.
Me: I’ve been using these prices the last 6 months, price list January 2016.
He: I’ll write the new prices down for your job. You have to fix it and come back.
Me: Can you give me a sheet with all the new prices?
He: I’ll just write down the ones you need.
Me: Can you please tell me where to find the form you are looking at on your computer so I can look them up myself next time?
He: No, you don’t have access to what I have in my computer.
Me: Can you tell me the name of it? Can you print out that page for me?
He: It is the Ratefold 123. It’s this thick (holding fingers a half inch apart.)     

That was the conversation at the post office this morning. When he said 123, I knew I had those forms. I said thank you and left. I went home to research and found what I know as the DMM Notice 123 Price List. When it changes, I get an email about it. I had the price sheet for January 2016. 

I checked online. There was an April 2016 update. I checked my email. Yep, I got an email about it that I spaced on. I thought, Was it so hard to say there was a April 2016 price change I missed? I said the words January 2016 update at least 3 times to him.  And as far as me not having access to what is on his computer, all those forms are at the USPS.com website. I downloaded the correct price list, updated my forms and printed out new pages for next month. 

Thirty minutes later I got a Post Office Customer Survey Form via email. I‘ve always been a fan of the post office and always get excellent service. I don’t judge the post office by one incident with one employee, so I didn’t fill out the form. What I mostly know about that employee from years of working with him monthly is that his way of playful interaction is criticism, sarcasm, abrupt answers and making me think I’ve goofed something up.
 
By the time I take my (magazine mailing) job to the post office, I’ve done several hours of math and physical labor in a hot warehouse so I’m not always in the mood for a smart ass.  I know he means well, I know he’s just being playful. I try to see what’s behind the intent of the behavior rather than spend too much time judging the behavior. But sometimes I just want a straight answer so I can get on with my day.