I have been mailing for my small business for 12 years and when dropping off prepaid mailpieces (Express) I have always been able to wait in line and then receive a paper receipt for the Prepaid Mailpiece Acceptance showing the tracking numbers and the time scanned in (time accepted). In fact this NEEDS to be done prior to 7 PM at the window in order for the USPS Express Mail Time Commitment to be honored and for the consumer to get a refund for possible Express Mail failure(s). I have recently in fact confirmed with the Consumer Affairs people at 414-287-2530 that this is in fact Standard Operating Procedure. There are several surly and unfriendly clerks at the retail window at the Milwaukee St branch in Madison who are refusing to do Standard Operating Procedure in this regard. They refuse to do anything more than grab my Express packages and throw them in the back where they say they will eventually be scanned. I know that either way the packages will go out that day on the truck. That is not the issue at all. The issue is that they are, in the rudest manner possible, shockingly so and in front of my children, in fact rude enough so as to be grounds for disciplinary action, in my opinion, they are refusing to scan the packages in prior to 7 PM, for example if I am there at 6:45 PM, and refusing to provide me with the receipt that shows all the pieces have been accepted, and their tracking numbers and times accepted. Now this is the worst part. The USPS Consumer Affairs office had thanked me for informing them that the clerks at Milwaukee Street branch were refusing to do their job, and told me "we need people like you to help us keep our people on their toes." I asked what to say if they try to do this to me again at this branch - the consumer affairs person told me to tell them that the Retail Unit faxed them the SOP on Sept 7 or 8 and it said they must scan these Express Mails in for me and give me the receipt.
The other day I was again denied proper service by a very rude "Connie" at the Milwaukee St retail window. When I told them it was SOP and about the fax, they denied everything. My son was with me and after he mentioned to me that "Connie" snickered and scoffed at me at least 4 separate times during my interaction with her. I am sickened that my young child has to see this blatant display of disrespect from postal employees and I had to use the opportunity to teach him about good/bad work ethics.