Going postal

Just after my run-in with the idiot receptionist, I had another run-in that pissed me off a whole lot more. On my way home I stopped by the downtown post office to mail some CDs I'd sold on half.com. Here's a transcript of the incident: Postal clerk: Help you? Me: I'd like to mail these three packages through media mail and this one through first class mail. Postal clerk: (holding up the first package) "What's in this?" Me: "A CD." Postal clerk: "OK, that's covered under media mail. I wanted to check because it's so light. If we don't know what it is we'll open it." Me: (thinking) Huh? The postal clerk proceeds to weigh the first package and affix it with a mailing label. The price is something like $1.80. She continues for the next two packages. As she's weighing the third package, I notice a message flash past on the screen in front of me that says something about upgrading to a better service for a lower price. Because she was moving through her process quickly, though it disappeared before I could read it. Me: "I'm sorry, what was this saying about sending for a cheaper rate?" Postal clerk: "First class mail would be $1.06." Me: "So I could actually pay less and they'd get there faster?" Postal clerk: "Yes, first class is usually faster." Me: "Oh, then can I send these first class instead?" Postal clerk: "You could have, but you said media mail." Now, I understand that'd she'd already printed and affixed the stickers, but that was the wrong answer. Nevertheless, I kept my cool. Me: "Why didn't you tell me, then, that first class would have less?" Postal clerk: "Because you insisted on media mail." Me: "I didn't insist on anything. I..." Postal clerk: "When I asked you how you wanted to send these, you said 'media mail'." Me: "Yes, I understand that I said I wanted media mail. I'm just asking why, if there was a different service that was cheaper and faster, that you didn't mention it to me." Postal clerk: "Because you said you wanted media mail. And I asked you what was in this because it was so light. And you said it was a CD, so that's covered under media mail." Me: "Yes, that is absolutely correct. I'm not questioning anything you said or anything I said. I'm asking why you saw it on the screen in front of you, but you didn't suggest first class mail if it was faster and cheaper." Postal clerk: "You said you wanted media mail. We have that screen right there so you can see what the other rates are." Me: (thinking) No shit! That's why I'm asking you about it in the first place! So far, I had been firm, but I had not yet lost my patience. Now though, I was indignant. Me: "I would like to send these first class instead of media mail." With a scowl, the postal clerk ripped the labels off the three media mail packages and printed out new labels for first class mail. Postal clerk: "Stamps or anything else?" I hope the people I'm sending the packages to actually get their mail. Considering that woman's attitude, she might have just thrown them in the trash after I left. Obviously there are people who do their job and just don't give a damn, and there are people who do their job and make that tiny little extra effort for the customer's sake. But if you're one of the former, and a customer asks you for some help, there's no need to be a jerk about it.