My name is Ryan Hoekstra and I’m a retail associate at the Fox Lake, IL, Post Office. I’m one of two employees who ensure customers are taken care of, reports are run, the lobby is clean and fully stocked, and the mail is sorted and ready for distribution.
I’m also a business development specialist liaison. Before I start my shift at Fox Lake, I travel to other Post Offices to promote USPS sales leads programs such as Rural Reach, Customer Connect and Clerks Care. I deliver stand-up talks on the importance of lead generation and talk to employees to determine if they have potential leads.
I ask carriers if there are businesses on their routes that could use our services and take down the information to submit the leads to our sales team. I also coach other retail associates to be inquisitive of potential business customers to help identify leads.
I’ve had as many as 20 leads come from one visit. Generating leads helps bring in revenue, and that helps secure our jobs.
I enjoy promoting the Postal Service and the value we bring to customers. Two years ago, when I applied to USPS, I was just looking for a seasonal job. But after being given a chance to excel and seeing all the training and advancement opportunities, I decided to stay. The types of jobs you can find in the private sector are also here in the Postal Service.
When I’m not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family, especially my six nieces and nephews. There are a lot of us and we all live within five minutes of each other.
We love sports and being outdoors together — it’s how we bond. We go hiking, camping, snowboarding and canoeing, and also play on volleyball teams.
I enjoy my job at USPS. I tell my colleagues that the organization’s future is in our hands. It’s important to work together as a team and look for ways to bring in new business.