April Burger has been helping customers see the world for 30 years.
The Jefferson City, MO, retail associate specializes in serving passport customers. In January, the State Department named her its Passport Acceptance Agent of the Year — choosing her unanimously from 45,000 contenders across the nation.
During late winter and early spring — peak season for passports — Burger serves as many as 30 travelers a day. To ensure each transaction goes smoothly, she keeps travel tips on hand and even procured a growth chart so customers can measure their children’s height for the applications.
“It helps everyone,” Burger says.
After serving a passport customer, Burger completes a form she created that reminds customers of the date they applied, the type of service they received, and who to call if they need help.
And just in case a customer has trouble removing their driver’s license or other card from a wallet, Burger keeps a pair of needle-nose pliers handy.
The reason for going the extra mile is simple: “We don’t want to lose our customers to the competition,” she says.
Passports are an important part of the Postal Service’s business. Post Offices accepted more than 6.5 million passport applications during the previous fiscal year, generating $164.9 million in revenue.
Burger credits her marketing degree for helping her promote the USPS passport program.
“I try to drum up business all the time,” she says. “It’s what I love: Helping people and building revenue.”
“Best practices,” a series on employees who demonstrate on-the-job excellence, appears regularly in Link.