'It's The Mindset': Merrick Postmaster Officially Sworn In

MERRICK, NY — Renee Bright has been with the United States Post Office for 27 years. The Baldwin resident joined the Merrick Post Office in October as postmaster, and on Tuesday she was officially given the oath of office.

Bright faced an enormous challenge restoring customer confidence, which she said started from within.

"It's the mindset," Bright told Patch. "The employees were more in tune to doing wrong and never [correcting] it."

Based in 52 branches, a rating survey factoring, among other things, in customer satisfaction, Merrick was ranked 51st. Bright said they've made in her first eight months on the job —now in the middle of the pack at number 26.

"Let's go back 10 years," she said. "If the culture, the mindset and the structure were all broken, then that carrier believed what they saw was correct, and no one corrected them."

Bright brought those internal changes to a post office in Canarsie.

"It was hard place. She made it great," District Manager John Tortorice said.

One way to correct the culture, Bright said, is to address absenteeism.

"[It's] a big problem. If you don't come to work and nothing s happening to you, why would you come to work?" Bright said.

That mindset also translates to having a safe environment for her workers.

"If the wall is grey, it's too dark. Let's paint it white [and] brighten it up." she said. "Little things they can make a mountain and use it as a reason to not perform. So let's take away their excuses."

And when the workers are content, it will spill over to the customers.

"If I can actually have my employees enjoy coming to work they will treat the customers better," Bright said. "If I come to work screaming and yelling at them they are going to scream and yell at the customers. Everything is a domino effect."

With so many mailing options for the community, Bright said it's important to bring back trust in using the USPS and, in particular, the Merrick branch.

"Renee really takes passion in the job," Tortorice said.

While she had manager roles at the USPS in Brooklyn and Queens, this is Bright's first postmaster position.

"[It's] similar duties. Out here, you do your own hiring," she said. "It's a learning experience."

The lengthy commute to Canarsie got to be too much of a hassle, so when the Merrick position opened, Bright jumped at the opportunity.

"I never looked at what the station entailed," she said. "I looked at the 10-minute ride to and from work."

Coming to Merrick and other locations where she gets to "remodel and remold it" and "build a better foundation, yeah I enjoy that."