Sally Schofield chatted with Joan Leeds, licensee of the local post office, to find out the secrets of her success and tips for wrapping packages in the lead-up to Christmas.
“If you’re not happy in your work, then it trickles down to everyone,” says Joan Leeds, who, along with daughter Kristy, took over the Bangalow Post Office in early 2023. “I love it when people say, ‘Oh, the girls in the post office are so lovely and happy.’”
In a world where postal services seemed destined to diminish, the Bangalow Post Office is flourishing. With front street access, parcel lockers, and hopes for a third terminal at the service desk, business is booming, and customers are beaming. In fact, a post on the Bangalow Herald Facebook page acknowledging Joan and her work reached over 3,000 people, and the praise for Joan and her team flowed in.
Joan is happy the Post Office building is a thriving hub, with people sipping coffee and working in the sunshine around the adjacent park. The Post Office Wi-Fi password is the worst-kept secret in all of Bangalow, but Joan doesn’t mind. She’s passionate about supporting local business and economic growth in regional areas, so is delighted to offer everything from post, parcel lockers, banking, and business services to the community. “We’re social animals, whether you like it or not, and we like to feel like we’re part of something.”
As a customer, one of the things that frustrated Joan most about post offices was the queue. Not at her place. Things move swiftly and efficiently, but with a sense of warmth and humour that can’t help but put a smile on customers’ faces.
“People like to be seen, people like to be acknowledged as well, and it’s not that hard to do even in a small way,” she says. “You can’t do this job if you don’t like people. I’m social, I’m out there. I really enjoy having a chat,” she says. “You’ve got to enjoy what you do.”
Joan’s advice for breaking the ice is to get involved. “Not long after we arrived, I went down and helped out painting the stands at the Showgrounds,” she says. “Not long after, Bangalow Museum invited me to a launch event, which was lovely,” she says. “This town gives you a big warm hug if you’re prepared to be part of it,” says Joan.
With many years of experience in a range of industries— including starting her career as a psychiatric nurse, owning two news agencies, and working in local economic development on the Mid North Coast—Joan has customer service down to a fine art. The Post Office seems to be thriving with the perfect mix of services, customer care, and a good dose of smalltown friendliness.
“I’m gifted with a good memory for faces and names, so I’m lucky that way,” she says. “After I’ve delivered your parcel a couple of times, I know who you are, and you’ve probably told me a bit about what’s in your parcel. And it doesn’t hurt to say g’day, does it?” she adds, noting that even customers using the self-service parcel lockers in the back of the building will pop in just to say hello and get a dose of Joan’s trademark bawdy banter.
With Christmas coming, Joan has this sage advice about packaging. “One of the things people need to be reminded is: if you’re going to send something fragile, movement is your enemy. You cannot afford to have the contents moving around in the box. You cannot afford to have empty space in the box above or around your item as it could get squashed, which can lead to breakage.” If in doubt, ask the friendly team’s advice on how to best wrap your package to ensure it gets to the recipient in one piece.
Joan also cautions against using whiteboard marker to address packages. “If it gets wet, it smudges, and the parcel eventually gets sent to the Dead Letter Office (Ed.—yes, it really exists). I’ve got a parcel there in a prepaid satchel that’s been put into the red post box, but it has no details of the sender or receiver on it.”
Speaking of packages, Joan confesses to some lively exchanges with local celeb Liam Hemsworth. “He used to come in, and we’d rev each other up,” she says. The star uses a nom de plume for some deliveries, which initially caused confusion for the staff. “Liam got his items, and then he said to me, ‘No, there’s one more. I’ve got a big package,’” says Joan, eyebrows raised in mock shock. “I let one of the other girls go and get his big package, which he signed for, and as he was walking out, I called out, ‘Don’t come in here talking about your bloody big package!’ And I thought he was going to choke! I said, ‘I’m a 66-year-old woman and I can only take so much excitement, mate.’ After that, when he came in, he’d always wait for me to serve him,” she laughs.
Bangalow was a new start for Joan, who is blessed with boundless enthusiasm, a sunny disposition, and a wicked sense of humour. “I was married for 45 years, and I’m now divorced,” she says. “I walked away with nothing but my Super, which I used to buy an income [the Post Office]. And this,” Joan cackles heartily as she holds up her middle finger, now embellished with a sizeable piece of bling, in an impressive one-finger salute to her ex-husband.
With a solid business, a happy team, and the town behind her, it sounds like Joan got the last laugh.
*Photo Lyn McCarthy Niche Pictures