By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
The Bradley Beach Postmaster wants her post office to be a place where people feel welcome.
“Customer satisfaction is very important to me and I’m always here to help,” said , who took over as supervisor in charge in August.
Sarmiento is not only the first woman to hold the position in Bradley Beach, she is the first Hispanic.
First woman and Hispanic to be in charge of the Bradley Beach Post Office.Postal Employee for 20 years. Puts customer service at the top of her list of priorities. |
“Diversity is so important to the post office,” she said.
Sarmiento started her career in the post office over 20 years ago and has steadily worked her way up through the ranks.
Before coming to Bradley Beach she worked for 16 years in the Elizabeth Post Office. She was transferred to other offices as she was promoted. She was attending Rutgers University when she first started working part-time as a temporary casual clerk.
After leaving college she went to work for a computer terminal company before getting married and moving to Howell, where she lived for 10 years.
When her son was six months old she returned to work at the post office as a letter carrier, a position she held for about a year and a half.
From there she worked her way up.
“The post office has a lot to offer, there is room for upward mobility and advancement. They give you the tools,” she said.
Sarmiento said the benefits the post office has to offer lead many people to longtime careers.
“Once you’re in, there aren’t that many people that leave,” she said.
Sarmiento takes a pro-active role in her position reaching out to business owners in the community making sure their needs are being met.
“I like to be involved in the community,” she said.
Sarmiento did not know very much about Bradley Beach before she began working there.
“I came to the beach, it’s a very nice town, but then I was walking down the street and I saw the Spanish restaurants and bakeries,” she said.
That not only made Sarmiento feel more at home it gave her another way to reach out to the community.
“People (Spanish speaking) feel comfortable, they know there is someone here to help them,” she said.
Sarmiento said others in the community have stopped in to just hello.
“I’m glad to see there’s a woman here,” she said one resident told her.
Another, a man wearing a Cuban hat, comes in to say hello, she said.
“Right now I’m very content here,” she said, although she does not rule out moving up the ladder further if the opportunity presents itself.
Sarmiento said the post officer is always working to stay ahead of technology and convenience for its customers.
She said anyone with questions or looking for easier ways to send their mail can log onto USPS.com.
“The post office gives us a lot of information, anything new we can offer to customers,” she said.
Sarmiento said at-home businesses can send a message via email to the local post office if they need a letter or package picked up.
She just received a packet from the post office entitled “How to grow your business through the mail,” which she will share with customers.
She said she will now call a couple of business customers and discuss the packet and how it can help their business.
Summing up her chosen profession she said, “I’m proud to be a postal employee.”
Email to joanne@thecoaster.net.
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