By Deanna Kirk – Special to the Navarro County Gazette
These are some strange times in which we’re living.
I guarantee you nobody thinks “Oh, I think I will start my own business just before a global pandemic hits and closes down the country.” Of course, in the spring of 2019 (when Goin’ Postal opened), who was even thinking of a spreading virus or the entire country going nuts?
Please do not think I’m complaining – I’m not. We have been very blessed with lots of wonderful customers, an excellent location (unless you’re trying to turn left on Seventh) and a brisk business. Sure, we’ve dealt with the usual stuff like closing in 2020 when we all got COVID, having difficulty finding help this year when my daughter was out on maternity leave, and supply chain issues.
But it was losing our friend, colleague and family member Melissa Battles on Oct. 2 that was the hardest blow. One day she was at work, then she was sick, was diagnosed with COVID, then entered ICU. Our love and prayers are with her parents and family. She did truly become a part of our family at Goin’ Postal, and we miss her greatly.
One thing Melissa did during her all-too-brief time with us was force me to implement certain changes. She knew how we struggled to pay the bills, and she knew I’m a softie when it comes to people I know or someone down on their luck. Problem is, I know nearly everyone and there’s always folks down on their luck. As she pointed out, if I didn’t start charging for certain things, there would no longer be a Goin’ Postal around for the convenience of other services. She fussed at me when I gave things away, and she implemented a policy where we didn’t run a card for purchases under $5.
I never realized this before becoming a merchant, but a business is charged for every use of a plastic card, be it debit or credit. Some businesses have been forced to add on a surcharge for card purchases. Others, like us, have just tried to implement a policy where we only run cards for purchases over $5.
When you shop online and the shoes you ordered for Junior don’t fit, the store often will give you a prepaid label to return said shoes. We take drop-offs at Goin’ Postal – but let me just tell you, we don’t make any money on them. Zero dollars. For two-plus years, we printed labels (thousands of them), walked people through Amazon return processes on their phones, provided free boxes, bags and shipping sleeves, and did the labor to package up hundreds and hundreds of returns – For FREE.
So, when Melissa came she said “We ARE implementing some small charges for these drop-offs that require us to put forth time and effort, and for our printing, receipts, and providing packaging.”
And since I’m the one who pays the bills, I knew that was going to have to be the case if we were to survive as a business. It is, however, still free if you bring your return in labeled and ready to go on the shelf.
At Goin’ Postal, we do strive to always get you the best price to ship whatever you’re shipping, from whomever offers the best rate. It just so happens all the shippers (including post office) have hiked their rates for the holidays already, and the rise in gas costs are causing those to go up even further.
I want our business to be around for decades to come, so that generations of my family are able to service this community we love with compassion and respect. All I ask is that you are mindful of what we sacrifice in order to do that, and maybe shop local whenever possible.
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