Q. Why does the U.S. Postal Service have a position of small-business specialist?

A. I help businesses do business with us without coming to us. I find myself educating people about our products and services and teaching them how to use us. That's pretty much 99.99 percent of my day. The position has existed for a while. In Honolulu, it's never been filled. About two years ago, we decided to try it out and see if there's a need for it. Now I'm permanent. If (postal carriers) find someone using our competitors, they'll ask that customer or business if they're interested in seeing whether the Postal Service can meet their shipping needs or save them money. Then they refer the customer to me.

Q. How did you get your position?

A. I actually started in '95 as a letter carrier out in Waipahu. Honestly, back then I wanted a retirement job. I actually wasn't going to get hired. My supervisor told me, 'I figured you'd get bored as a carrier,' and she was right. A year and a half later, I moved up into management. In 1998, I got promoted to supervisor and got shipped out to Mililani and then to Kailua.

Q. Many of the top people in the Postal Service also seem to have also started out as carriers.

A. Our district manager started out as a letter carrier, all the way up to the Postmaster General. I'm not saying that since I started out as a letter carrier I'll go all the way up there. When I tell people I work for the Postal Service, they automatically assume I'm a letter carrier. But when I tell them I'm a small-business specialist, they say, 'What do you do?' They don't pay for it. I once said to a customer, 'I can come out and help you' and this guy said, 'Well, how much does it cost?' 'Nothing.'

Q. You mentioned small businesses' misperceptions about the Postal Service.

A. The perception is that the Postal Service is hard to use. We're not like what we used to be. Now we're focusing on making the Postal Service really, really easy to use. When I was trained as a carrier 10 years ago, my trainer told me that we're a delivery service, not a pick-up service. Well guess what? We're not just a delivery service any more. We are also a pick-up service 50-50. When I ask businesses why they use our competitors, UPS and FedEx, they say, 'Because they track and because they pick up.' I tell that we do both. And we provide (free) shipping supplies. I introduce people to usps.com, which is not entirely easy to navigate. But once you know where to go, there's a wealth of information there. Once you discover that, why would you ever come to the post office?

Q. How many businesses have you worked with?

A. Not that many. On this Island, maybe a couple of hundred. Any phone call can take an hour. It never takes five minutes. A lot of time I'm giving them ideas on how to increase their business, like our in-store shipping program. We give them a little sign with our logo that says, 'Ask this store about shipping your purchases.' The customer comes in and buys something for themself and then buys something else that they can have shipped. A tourist has to pack it up in their suitcase, but if they can ship it back, they tend to buy more. That's the beginning. When they go back home, they remember that the store shipped it for them and will look for their Web site and continue ordering. In-store shipping fosters customer loyalty and lets you generate revenue in an area that you never had before. It doesn't cost you anything. You don't have to hire anyone else. I've done it with Rainbow Crack Seed in Kane'ohe, jewelers, stores at Ala Moana. Ward Center has a slew of them.

Q. You also teach free classes for small businesses.

A. Once a month, we put on a 2 1/2 hour class — very intense — about eBay. The objective is to get buyers to become sellers. Of course, there are people who want to learn how to buy. I get into the nitty-gritty about how to present your business. I tell them, 'Make no mistake. You are becoming a shipping business, and that's what we are here for — not just national shipping but international shipping.' I show them how to print off labels from usps.com. I do not want anyone to come to the post office. I want them to stay at home, if that's where they do their business, and we'll come out and pick up from you. We also used to teach an online shipping class and if there's a need, we'll definitely consider offering it again. We bring people here to our computer-training facility and get them online at usps.com. We hold their hand and have them set up an account, print out a shipping label — priority mail, express mail, international.

Q. Do you also work with Neighbor Island small businesses?

A. We're going to do some direct-mail seminars. We've already done one on Kaua'i and we'll probably schedule two or three more on the Big Island and Maui in the next year. A lot of businesses do not know how to direct mail. I just talked to a Realtor in Hilo this morning. She wants to get involved with netpost mailing online. She does not like sticking stamps on post cards. I said, 'Call me up, and I'll walk you through it.' A coffee operation on the Big Island used to use one of our competitors to ship. I did a cost analysis and cut their costs 50 percent, to the tune of $60,000 per year. They were really happy. I ask a lot of questions of my customers. We don't offer discounts. But I find what they're shipping and do an analysis of where we can save them money.

Q. How can businesses contact you directly?

A. My direct line is 423-3937. My e-mail is aaron.t.oya@usps .gov.

Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com.