The Best Post Office In Tulsa?

By Rick Wells, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- Mailing a letter or buying stamps, is pretty basic and not very personal.

A viewer contacted Rick Wells about a little post office in a South Tulsa gift shop with customers who drive out of the way to trade there.

Because as he shows us, simple postal transactions can be very personal experiences.

Nancy Vaughn calls herself the Postmistress General, she operates the Contract Postal Unit inside Jan Markey Gifts at 61st and Yale in South Tulsa.

"Can I put some tape across the back?" Nancy asks a customer

"Oh, I meant to do that - you sure can," the customer said.

"That's why they keep me around," Nancy replies.

A CPU is authorized by the postal service, but Nancy works for the store.

She tells me about her relationship to the customers, she says she has seen kids grow up to be moms and dads, and that relationship is what makes this post office so special.

"I just know everyone who comes in the door and they know me, we say hi and how are you and really mean it," Nancy said.

Customers told me they drive out of the way to come here rather than somewhere else.

"This is always my stop, for everything cause they're so nice," a customer told me.

There's more than postal business going on. One lady came in to say goodbye; she's moving out of the neighborhood.

"I hope you'll come see me," Nancy told her.

Another customer comes with a picture of her late mom who used to be a customer here.

These CPU's give the Postal Service an outlet in the neighborhood without building a free standing post office.

They are not popular with the postal workers union, but they're intensely popular with the folks they serve.

"May I help you?" Service with a smile.