Meet Jayne: TSC post office invites students to learn about the services they offer

A lover of all things British, new Utah State University post office employee Jayne Hamblin is an England native. She finds enjoyment in the “Great British Baking show” and any of the British mysteries on Netflix. She recently also just started watching “Stranger Things 2.”

Hamblin originally came to Utah State for school “many years ago” and graduated in business management. She decided she liked it enough that she wanted to come back.

By word of mouth from a few of her friends who work at the university, Hamblin discovered there was a job opening at the post office and decided to apply. She was hired on at the end of March.

Before accepting her current post office position, Hamblin worked a variety of jobs, her most recent being with kindergartners.

While she says working with college kids is a little bit of a different dynamic, Hamblin loves finding ways to help them and to make their lives easier.

Hamblin describes herself as a friendly, outgoing and funny individual who loves to help mail things and crochet.

“I love talking to people, meeting new people, and I always try to be happy,” Hamblin said.

Being a post office employee doesn’t come without challenges, which Hamblin chooses to address head-on. There are many different postal rules and mailing rules for packages that Hamblin has had to learn.

“Every once in awhile I’ll get something that I’ve never mailed before or something I’ve never done, so it does kind of challenge me,” Hamblin said. “I never realized what goes into mailing a package or mailing something international. I’d never really thought about it.”

Allen Wolcott, Hamblin’s post office counterpart, finds Hamblin easy to get along with, even when they don’t always agree.

“If I do something she doesn’t like, Hamblin isn’t easily offended,” Wolcott said. “It isn’t always easy to coexist in a space where we are sometimes shoulder to shoulder to accomplish things. We don’t get each other upset.”

Hamblin has found that her job seems to fit her personality.

“I love helping people,” Hamblin said. “This job brings a lot of variety. It just seemed like a good fit.”

Wolcott describes Hamblin as someone who is willing to get her hands dirty.

“Jayne’s best quality is that she is energetic. If she sees something that needs done, she will jump in and do it,” Wolcott said.

Recently, Wolcott and Hamblin noticed that the post office was not being used as much as it should be. They decided to do something unique to try to attract people to the post office by hosting an on-campus event that has been ongoing throughout the semester.

Jayne the new postal woman at USU Post Office.

The “Meet Jayne” event was created as a fun way to get people to use the post office and to let people know of the services they provide. They added a twist by giving out candy and creating a drawing that visitors of the post office can enter to win. The grand prize will be drawn Dec. 8.

Hamblin encourages everyone on campus to stop by the the post office to meet her and to grab a piece of candy.

“People don’t mail quite as much as they used to, but we are just trying to get the word out that we are here,” Hamblin said. “We want to be here serving the university.”

Hamblin said the event has already increased traction and visitation to the post office, something she hopes will continue.

The post office, which is located inside the Taggart Student Center, is full-service. Services range from selling single stamps or envelopes to mailing packages internationally.

United Parcel Services (UPS) is partnered with the post office to give students the best options and prices.

“The whole point of this post office is to save students, faculty, staff and professors time so they don’t have to run downtown,” Wolcott said.

Wolcott also expressed how helpful P.O. Boxes can be for students. P.O. Boxes are a great way for students to keep track of their mail without the hassle of changing mailboxes and addresses as students move from place to place throughout their time at the university.

“Most of us have the idea that we don’t write letters very often, so they don’t need a P.O. Box, but the students who do rent the P.O. Boxes on campus realize how important they are,” Wolcott said. “There is nothing worse than trying to track down packages.”

Melissa McElvany uses the post office for getting stamps and mailing packages to family and friends. She appreciates that the post office ensures that she is getting the best deal for her packages.

“I like knowing that my packages and mail will for sure go out the same day I drop them off,” McElvany said.

McElvany said the post office values the importance of her time with every visit she makes.

“They’re always so friendly and I kind of feel like they know how important time usually is to us. They try to make the trip as quick as possible so we can get back to school,” McElvany said.

Wolcott encourages everyone to take advantage of the post office that is available to them on campus.

“We try to do our best with our prices, and do our best to help them,” Wolcott said. “We are kind of like a barbershop where people come just to talk. We try to make them feel better.”

McElvany also said Hamblin and Wolcott are pleasant to associate with.

“It’s nice to just have a conversation with them, no matter how brief,” McElvany said.

Hamblin wants to remind students to use the post office to mail their textbooks if they need to be returned to places off campus.

“If students have any questions about anything related to mail, we want them to come here,” Hamblin said. “Or come visit us and send a card or letter to your mom. They like that.”

— kortni.marie.wells@aggiemail.usu.edu
@kortniwells