posted on May 16, 2001 03:34:25 PM
This might be long, but I thought it was funny.
I went to the Post Office today to send out my Ebay packages. There was a guy standing two people ahead of me talking on his cellphone about having to go to UPS to pick up his package and what a pain it was because it was coming COD. He gets up to the window and tells the clerk, "I'm here to pick up my package." She asks if he received an attempted delivery notice. He replied with, "No, you called me and told me I had a package to pick up and that it was COD." She says, "Sir, we don't call about things like that."
"You do too! The guy said I had a package at UPS and that it was COD and that I could come pick it up after 4:00 p.m."
"Sir, this is the Post Office, not United Parcel Service." (The clerk was a sweetie through this whole thing. She never acted frustrated or anything. Was very professional.)
"Well, can't you just go out back and get it?"
"Sir, we are two separate companies. You'll have to go there to pick it up."
"He said it was at UPS."
"Sir, we are the Post Office, Not United Parcel Service. You will have to go to their building to pick up the package."
"OK. Where can I get a COD?"
"COD means Collect on Delivery. It isn't a receipt or anything. It means you have to pay for the item when you pick it up."
"Oh. Well, I guess I'll pay you here then and then go pick it up."
"Sir, you can't do that. YOu have to pay them."
"Can't you call them and tell them I paid here?"
"Sir, we are two separate companies. We don't handle any of their business. We are run by a government agency. They are a business. You will have to go pay them at United Parcel Service."
"I can't get a COD here?"
"No, sir. You pay the COD at United Parcel Service. I can't speak for their policies, but they will probably only accept cash or some kind of certified funds like a money order."
"I have a debt card."
"I don't know if they will accept that. I can sell you a money order. I know you can use that to pick up your COD package at United Parcel Service." (By this time she is be very exact in the 'United Parcel Service' usage.)
"OK, I'll get a money order."
He tells her how much he needs the money order for and then produces cash to pay for it. As he walked away from the counter the clerk just stood there and slowly shook her head a couple times and then brightly said, "Next, please."
