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The Happiest Place
on Earth. No, I am not talking about Disneyland in Anaheim,
California. The happiest place on earth is right here in our own
backyard. It is the Rio Rancho Post Office on Pinetree Road!
I do a lot of mailing for my business and know that the worst time to
schedule your trip to the post office is during lunch hour or at the
end of the day just before closing. Let’s not even bring up the entire
holiday season.
I scheduled myself for a safe low-attendance 10am, mid-week arrival.
When I walked in, much to my surprise, there were a fair number of
people waiting. This would be a “take-a-number-and-wait” occasion.
Ok, I can handle this. I grabbed my “FastPass”…. number 71, and
compared it to the scoreboard on the wall …23. This meant I would
need to wait for the next generation of numbers +23; that’s 52! I felt
the blood pressure rise but told myself I HAD to mail the packages
today so I might as well join the other guests in line and relax.
I took a deep breath, queued up and proceeded on my self-guided tour
thru Gulley Grotto taking a window seat near the Priority and Express
Mail supplies to watch “Post Office Playhouse - Live on Stage”. It was
quite entertaining watching the different performances and noting how
unnecessarily long each one was. I took pride knowing my transaction
(or performance) was well planned, efficient and going to be quick.
I have been to post offices when the line is out the door and there is
only one clerk behind the counter. Just seeing those “Next Window
Please” signs lined up at 5 out of 6 windows make me fume. But at the
Rio Rancho Post Office, there always seems to be at least two or three
Guest Services windows open, one Passport Runner, and one “Package
Pickup-Only” Floater. That is 5 workers on duty at one time. Now
that’s what I call service!
Watching guest after guest taking full enjoyment of their turn in the
spotlight, chit-chat with the clerks without any consideration for
their fellow guests and taking much longer than I would take at the
window, I had quietly built up a fair amount of hostility. I was ready
to blow.
I didn’t experience zero gravity in a 77 foot freefall, or get soaked
shooting the rapids in a hollowed out log. But I did get a big smile
on my face and feel the adrenaline rush when they called “Seventy-one?
- We’ve got a winner”. I collected my packages and made my way to the
front of the line, window 4 was waiting for me.
All of a sudden time
stood still. The “Guest Services” clerks who work at the Rio Rancho
Post Office are genuinely the nicest people I have ever met. When you
are at their window, they make you feel like you are the only one on
the ride. “Would you like that certified? Insured? Any stamps today?
Can I get you anything else? Are you sure?
My preplanned
animosity–filled attitude just melted away. How can I be angry with a
person who calls me into the winners circle and treats me like Queen
of the Day? It was the same euphoria you feel at the end of an
exhilarating rollercoaster ride. All the giddiness of the transaction
erased the memory of the wait. No wonder the prior performers seemed
to milk their turns on stage.
So, packages mailed, stamps purchased, and with a big dose of hurrah I
am out of there in a quick minute.
Rio Rancho Post Office – The
Happiest Place on
Earth, or at least in Rio Rancho,
New Mexico.|
Next stop
Mickey’s Candy Palace for a deluxe funnel cake and lemonade slush to
go. Or maybe just an overdue appointment at the Octopus Car Wash.
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