by moparrotti
eBay Member

As a fork lift driver for the United States Postal Service in Marysville, California (near Sacramento), I worked an average of 65 hours a week. By the end of the week I was, well – tired! But with the money it gave me, I would usually head to eBay. I racked up hundreds of purchases, enough so that the “dock rats” I worked with started calling me "Miss eBay." Most of the time, I could reach into the site and grab what I wanted for my granddaughter in the final seconds of an auction, because I had the willingness to pay more than the previous bidder.

I already had over 700 purchases under my belt when I saw a flyer that asked for Postal employees with experience on eBay. I was thrilled to learn that our Sacramento District manager, Rosemarie Fernandez, was putting together a team of USPS employees that could teach people about how to use eBay! From the creation of the listing all the way through actually shipping the item, this team would assist folks in every aspect of eBay. We would do this on specially designated days, called eBay Days at the Post Office. eBay was playing an active role in these events, I learned. Filled with excitement, I threw myself into this activity with enthusiasm.

Teaching people eBay – at the Post Office
eBay Days at the Post Office – often simply called USPS Days or eBay Days – is a simple yet powerful concept. Special booths, manned by USPS employees like me, are set up in the lobby of a participating Post Office. It's a great opportunity for people coming to the Post Office to have their basic questions about eBay answered. We also help them understand everything they need to know about shipping their eBay items using the USPS, including how to purchase and print USPS labels online. It's exciting to see visitors to the Post Office walk away armed with useful information and resources to start buying and selling on eBay. Even experienced members gain additional knowledge on how to be more effective in their eBay activities.

After my first event, Darcy Phillips, a manager of Business Planning for the USPS, called with an invitation for us to go to Chicago for another USPS Day. There we joined with co-workers from local USPS to once again help people create listings on eBay. The results of this and other USPS days were phenomenal. Hundreds of people padded through the classes we hosted at our USPS branches, complimenting us for our help. It wasn't long before Washington took notice.

Stamp of approval from Washington
The success of these events bolstered the realization within the U.S. Postal Service that the public was clamoring for more. We created what we called "The Traveling Road Show" within the USPS. When I was asked to be a part of the Road Show, I had transferred to the Post Office in Palermo, CA (even farther north than Sacramento) to begin training as a window clerk. Being part of the Road Show meant that I would need to be on the road for the next five weeks, going to Post Offices around the country. Fortunately my Postmaster, Mike Smith, was very supportive, and I headed out to take part in my Great eBay Adventure. I traveled to Milwaukee, Minnesota, Kansas City, Phoenix and Atlanta.

Selling and shipping demystified
In every city, the turnout was overwhelming! New users actually brought in items that they wanted to list on eBay, and asked us to teach them. As an eBay seller myself, I understood that people often find the process of selling on eBay complicated and intimidating. My team members and I were determined to help them understand how to minimize the “bumps and bruises” of the process. Step by step, we walked them through the eBay selling process, showing that it really wasn't as complicated as it looked. It was a thrill to see them walk from one learning station to another, first to learn about eBay and selling in general, then to get help getting their item photographed, and then to actually create the listing. We were with them every step of the way.

One of the biggest hurdles to selling on eBay that I've seen is shipping. As United States Postal Service employees, we were able to help folks avoid many common mistakes. For example, stuffing a box with newspaper causes the box to gain unnecessary weight, which can cost the seller unexpected money. (We've seen that new sellers sometimes reduce their profits by losing out on shipping costs.) Most people also do not realize that our Priority Mail boxes are free! You can order them right on eBay. (As one of my coworkers likes to say, "Free is better than cheap!") We also provided special tips, such as showing them that squeezing a little Febreeze is a nice touch when shipping some items, and cheaper then putting a dryer sheet inside the box.

We also covered the subject of labels. We answered questions on the use of peel-and-stick labels vs. taped plain paper – both work for us. We reminded people to leave the delivery confirmation label free of tape as it can cause glitches in our high tech scanners. And we spread the word that, with eBay and the USPS' integrated shipping solutions, the delivery confirmation is free with Priority Mail. We gave them only one commercial - an introduction to our Postal Scales (such as postage rate information) which our hometown heroes always had available. There's nothing worse than having your buyer receive a package marked "Postage Due".

It was exciting to see that look in people's eyes as they realized that eBay was a fun, friendly venue on which to sell. I can't wait for the next tour!

We thank moparrotti and all her enthusiastic co-workers at the USPS for their hard work during the eBay Days at the Post Office events.