Upcountry Post Offices take three of the top six spots in national ranking for USPS retail service

Upcountry, Maui post offices are nō ka ʻoi when it comes to service. The US Postal Service recently recognized the Kula, Makawao and Pukalani Post Offices as among its very best postal retail offices in the entire nation.

The Makawao and Kula Post Offices are tied with each other for second in the nation with 44 consecutive Retail Customer Experience (RCE), or “mystery shop,” perfect scores, and the Pukalani Post Office ranks sixth nationally with 31 consecutive perfect scores.

The secret to the success of these three offices is clear to Makawao Postmaster Danielle Boteilho. “Upcountry Maui is more than just a pretty place,” she said. “Those of us who live and work here possess tremendous community pride and truly care for each other.”

The RCE program employs contractors who visit Post Offices, conduct mailing transactions, and document their experiences via standardized questionnaires. The questionnaires measure USPS retail clerks’ deliverables in appearance, wait time in line, employee engagement, and a series of safety and service questions.

The Makawao Post Office’s perfect-score streak began in 2010, while Kula’s began in 2012.

“That is a prodigious accomplishment,” said USPS Hawaii District Manager Eileen Veach. “I applaud our Upcountry Maui retail teams for providing such excellent service to their customers.” 

“I’m so proud of our Makawao team,” said Boteilho. “I’m filled with gratitude and appreciation for each employee. It’s an absolute honor for our office to be tied with Kula for second in the entire nation in this important indicator. I’m truly blessed with the best employees. Their success is a result of teamwork and stems from an understanding of the importance of the RCE program and a commitment to delivering excellent retail experiences to their customers.”

The Makawao management team promotes RCE excellence by conducting group discussions and leading role-playing exercises that test their retail clerks’ skills and product knowledge. Employee retail observations are also conducted to measure employee performance. They also track their office’s RCE results on a bulletin board and recognize their clerks during office-wide presentations. Over the years they have celebrated their success in a variety of fun ways, including a hot cocoa bar, pastries, catered lunches, desserts, and drinks.

“A huge part of our success is the positive rapport that our employees have established with their customers,” Boteilho said. “Our team is committed to delivering customer excellence with every single transaction, every single day.”

That attitude is exactly what the RCE program is intended to foster.

“A high RCE score is the mark of an engaged and motivated retail team that values customer service and has likely implemented effective policies and mentoring to ensure positive retail interactions,” said USPS Retail Experience Specialist Misty Wilhelm. “It’s not just about the score, though. The goal of the program is to drive changes in behavior that improve customer satisfaction. The bottom line is that excellent customer service builds brand loyalty and helps to ensure the success of the Postal Service.”