You've Got Mail

A twenty-minute drive every day, Yilian makes it a priority to get to work on time at 7 in the morning for her customers. From working at five different postal facilities, Yilian has landed at Columbia Post Office in New Jersey, where for the last five years, she has built an improved office. From December of 1995 to now, working to climb up the ladder to management felt like her only choice. Although, being a Postmaster may seem simple. It's all just about delivering mail, right? Wrong.

"I wanted to be a postmaster because I have worked with some lazy employees, and I know I have the leadership qualities to help in giving better customer service, while building a healthy atmosphere for my employees." Yilian started her journey at Whippany Post Office as a casual for Christmas help, which provides a role to prep mail and sort mail into processing machines. After that position, they rehired her as a clerk, someone who primarily works at the window with customers. Since then, she has been promoted to Postmaster at three different offices, and now finally at the office she will stay at the rest of her career. "Being at Columbia Post Office, I have had an amazing experience with all my coworkers and find that they make the job more enjoyable." 

Natasha sorting the mail to get ready for her route as a carrier.

Natasha walks into work, wearing a hot pink sweater and khakis, in efforts to keep herself warm. Her vibrant smile and Jamaican accent light up the room. "Yilian, I'm here! Your favorite carrier is here." 

"Tasha, my darling, we've got work to do. Paul called out sick so would you do his route today?" Yilian continued to walk back to her desk to give Natasha more mail she needed to deliver.

"Boy, oh boy, when is that guy not sick? I'll do it, but I swear it's too cold out. I should've brought my coat." Natasha proceeded to get ready to put both her and Paul's mail in her truck. 

With kindness, Yilian handed Natasha her coat. "Take my coat, I have another one in the car. You are the best! See you later." 

Walking into the post office, a bunch of cluster boxes crowd the room, with another door that needs to be entered to make way to the lobby. The mint green tiles on the floor brighten the room, along with the walls to match in the same unique way. In the lobby, cards await older customers to purchase them, that read "A Very Happiest 50th Birthday", or "To My Husband". Additionally, at the counter, where two older Dell computers sit, a long, transparent shower curtain hangs down from the ceiling, attached to bolts, a reminder of COVID-19 precautions. Past the computers, a cluttered mess of postal bins and cardboard boxes take up a great deal of space, making it harder to walk. On the walls, cork boards come to life with papers that focus on "Customer Service" and "Public Regulations". More organized than the rest of the space here, Yilian's desk rests against a wall, with a panda keyboard mousepad smiling at workers who may walk by. The last of the space, in the very back of the building, includes a fridge and small bathroom. From the outside, visitors can see the unusual, small size of the office, maybe because the population of Columbia, New Jersey, as of 2020, is 206 people. 

"Mondays are our busiest days because since we’re close Sunday, we have Saturday and Sunday mail to deliver. Christmas time is the only time we have lines because this is a smaller office in a rural area." Yilian expressed that customers rarely visit the office, but when they do, she expects old men or women, mostly because that's what the town of Columbia brings. "Usually, the older customers we have come in to talk because they're lonely. We had an older gentleman who did a transaction and a little while later it smelled like crap, and we saw a big turd in the lobby. So, someone using the bathroom in the lobby was probably the craziest thing I've had happened in my office. I felt bad for him, mainly because I wasn't the one who had to clean it up." Yilian's wavy, light brown hair always makes way inside of her glasses. Her emerald, green eyes make her appear intimating, but those who have heard her loud, goofy laugh know otherwise. Upon seeing her, it is clear that she dresses professional, but also makes sure comfort is a priority.

In addition, Yilian finds her days consistent and easygoing. "I work from 7am-4pm with an hour lunch. I open up the P.O. box at 7am, sort whatever mail the truck drivers left for us to deliver, and sort flats, which are letters and magazines. Then, at 8:30am, we open up the lobby for customers and I work the desk until 10am. At 10am every day, we have a zoom call with our boss of all the postal masters of our district. At this time, I have to make sure all the carriers are out of the office by ten in the morning, and that all the mail is sorted. It is usually then my time for lunch between 12 to 1pm," She smiled, mentioning lunch, her favorite time of the day. "I go in the office to go on the computer for reports, where I would log pickups for my carrier, scanning percentages for mail.  I may have to pay for electrical, water, gas, with the money budgeted for my office. By that time, it's time to go.” Not only does Yilian have authority of herself, but the whole office staff. Therefore, it can be a challenge to make sure everyone performs efficiently. "Sometimes I have carriers that call out sick and I have to make sure I get someone to cover the route. Also, the trucks we have for mail are from 1994, so they need to be replaced because they break down frequently.”

"As you would imagine, people get too worked up over the mail and call the office to scream over the phone that their package is missing." Yilian proceeds to shake her head in disbelief of their response. "I try not to let it bother me for the most part, because we don't get complaints as often as other offices might. I just have to shrug it off and learn from it because I know how to take care of my office." She let out a smile, showing just how assured her work makes her feel. Her confidence continued to radiate as she demonstrates the type of leader anyone would want to be, strong and resilient.