I have never had the postal worker try to "upgrade" me.......my postal workers are terrific!  They mention  that 1st class is only  xx amount more...do  you want that instead??

Yes, my postal workers do this.  Does it bother me?  Not in the least!! They are employees doing what they have been taught and TOLD to do.  Upselling - everyone does it.  At McDonald's it is ALWAYS "do you want a drink with that?"  The PO is no different.    I could let it bother me I guess, but why?   It only takes a few seconds and they have a difficult enough job already.  I have mailed up to 40 packages in one day.   IF they can put up with ME, I can put up with THEM.    But I certainly will go take the survey!!

The PO workers are required to ask. They have "secret shoppers" just like retail stores. If they don't ask and get caught by one they get reported.  By now, the employees at my local office know me so well they usually don't ask me, as they know I'm not a spy :-)  Heck, one guy doesn't even till me the total for my order as I just hand him my credit card anyway after he labels the last package.

Holly - I'm with ya!  I find it truly annoying too!  Yes, I get that they are required to say all this stuff, no one is disputing that fact.  What Holly is suggesting to all of us is to provide them with feedback if it annoys you.

My favorite requirement when I send a book via media mail: "Is there anything hazardous or perishable?" (Ummmmm.... no!)

Poor counter workers must feel silly asking that over a restricted-shipping category!

It annoys me too.  I understand the necessary Q's, even though they are silly, but all the ones asking me do I want to add insurance, delivery confirmation, upgrade to 1st class, buy stamps, etc. make me crazy!  Especially after being asked if I am mailed anything hazardous, liquid, or fragile when I have made it clear it's a book.  No wonder the lines are so long!

I just always tell the PO employee that I want Media Mail unless First Class is cheaper, and they don't try to upsell to me.

-Layne

It's called suggestive selling, just like, "do you want fried with that?" When I hand a package that already has postage on it and just handing it over I've never had them ask. I had one postal worker stamp all of my packages media mail because one was being sent media. I had to tell her only the one was media or I would have marked them that way. If I go in without postage I tell them how I want to send it before they even ask and then they usually ask if I want to insure it or use DC.

I use 2 post offices and always get the security question "Is there anything hazardous or perishable?" which I find humerous and don't mind.

They  never give me the other shipping options.  I annouce up front that "I would like to send these Media Mail" and they never ask about other options.

Have you noticed that they have to hit a ton of button on their screen to get to media mail?  I wonder if USPS actually loses money on Media Mail?

I wonder if USPS actually loses money on Media Mail?

Yes

I use a PO in a town of 14,500 so the clerks know me by sight and even though I always say media mail,  they repeat "media mail" back as if it is a question to me but then they just weigh and print the postage strips.  One of the clerks will always ask if I want DC but they have stopped asking me about liquids, etc and they do not try to upsell me.  Maybe it is good to live in a small town and mail lots of books. (LOL)

Some Postmasters or Supervisors might discipline a clerk for "failure to follow instructions" if they do not ask.  How do I know?  I work for a Postmaster like that but I am a Letter Carrier.

I would bet asking all the questions and upselling doesn't bother anyone as much as it does the clerks.  I've been there long enought that I can remember when we didn't do all of this, or at least most of it.

The HAZMET questions are logical and make sense, expecially if you worked on our side of the counter and found out some of the stuff people try to mail totally ignorant of the problems they can cause.

The upselling is just as has been said, we are a business and need to generate revenue.  When they first started it and all us clerks objected and complained McDonald's was the example given.

Not all PO's get mystery shopped on a regular basis.  The small ones don't even though they are still supposed to offer additonal or different services.  The mystery shops are done by a company contracted to do it.  The small ones do have to be concerned about an internal shop done by someone from district level. 

Mystery shopping is a big business and almost any retail/service company of any size uses it.  Google it sometime.  I work with a clerk who's wife mysteryshops for a hotel chain.