How the North Pole Post Office Works
The North Pole Post Office is one of the busiest places at the North Pole. Our North Pole Chat for September was held with Postmaster Elf Hugo, who runs the North Pole Post Office.
The North Pole Post Office not only handles letters and wish lists for Santa they field questions from around the world and process the mail for thousands of elves living at the North Pole.
In this discussion Elf Hugo talks about why the post office is so busy and how they handle all the special requests that Santa receives.
Chat Transcript
Elf Ernest | We welcome you all to North Pole Chat today. Our guest is Elf Hugo Slavia, postmaster of the North Pole Post Office |
Slimey C | hello |
Elf Ernest | Welcome, Hugo! |
Elf Hugo | Hi Ernest. Thank you for having me |
Elf Ernest | Hugo, is Santa getting a lot of mail already? |
Slimey C | im here |
Elf Hugo | Yes. It’s not Christmas Eve, but business is brisk |
Elf Hugo | Hello Slimey C |
Slimey C | hey! how are you Hugo! |
Elf Ernest | Are there seasons for the North Pole Post Office? |
Slimey C | Elf Hugo* |
Elf Hugo | Not really. We never take a day off |
Elf Hugo | Doing well, Slimey |
Elf Ernest | How many elves work in the post office at the North Pole? |
Elf Hugo | We just crossed 15,000 |
Elf Ernest | Oh my. |
Elf Ernest | That is a lot more than I imagined. |
Elf Hugo | Yes, the North Pole gets a lot of mail |
Elf Ernest | what is “a lot”? |
Elf Hugo | Our new daily average just passed 14 million pieces of mail a day for September |
Elf Ernest | My goodness |
Slimey C | wow |
Elf Ernest | Of course, you’re handling the mail for more than just Santa, correct? |
Elf Ernest | Who else gets mail besides Santa? |
Elf Hugo | Oh most of the elves get mail |
Slimey C | thats so cool! |
Elf Ernest | Who are the most popular elves? |
Elf Hugo | Well, Crash gets a lot of mail |
Slimey C | so much mail curculating in and out of the north pole |
Elf Ernest | I thought you’d say that |
Elf Hugo | Yes, the post office is one of the busiest places at the North Pole. We operate 24 hours a day |
Elf Ernest | How much mail comes in via the Internet versus regular mail? |
Slimey C | can I send a letter to you Hugo? |
Elf Hugo | Most mail is over the Internet these days |
Elf Hugo | Of course, Slimey |
Elf Hugo | But I don’t get much mail myself. |
Slimey C | Ill send you a letter today! Ill address it to Elf Hugo |
Elf Ernest | Why do you think people write letters to elves? |
Elf Hugo | I think it is because they have questions |
Elf Hugo | Crash gets a lot of mail just because he’s on the radio a lot |
Elf Hugo | Plus, he’s honest |
Elf Ernest | Yes, a lot of people like Crash. He’s a straight shooter |
Slimey C | haha |
Elf Ernest | What about Mrs. Claus…does she get a lot of mail? |
Elf Hugo | She does, which is surprising because she is NOT on the radio a lot and does not write a lot of stuff for SantaUpdate.com |
Elf Ernest | So why do you think she gets so much mail? |
Slimey C | thats interesting |
Elf Hugo | I think it is because there is not much known about her |
Elf Hugo | And I think people want to know more about her |
Elf Hugo | I’ve been told that is part of Elf Trixie’s job this year – to educate people about Mrs. Claus and answer questions about her |
Elf Ernest | Yes, that is true. I have talked to her about it. |
Slimey C | My phone is about to die |
Elf Hugo | I think that will make more mail come her way than ever. Mrs. Claus is popular |
Elf Hugo | Sorry about that Slimey |
Slimey C | will I be able to read the chat after its over? |
Elf Ernest | Hugo, we have seen a lot of mail recently from teachers |
Elf Hugo | Yes, that is true. School is back! |
Elf Ernest | Yes, Slimey |
Elf Ernest | We will post it |
Slimey C | gotcha sounds good |
Elf Hugo | Schools can send a LOT of mail |
Slimey C | I really appreciate you guys doing these chats, they really help make me and a lot of other people’s days better |
Elf Hugo | Every time we get a teacher involved we get classrooms full of students who mail in |
Elf Ernest | Thank you, Slimey |
Slimey C | in case my phone dies ill say bye right now |
Elf Ernest | That’s really cool, Hugo |
Elf Ernest | Bye Slimey! |
Elf Hugo | Thank you, Slimey! |
Slimey C | thank you! |
Elf Hugo | Yes, I actually love the letters from students, Ernest |
Elf Hugo | They are always polite |
Elf Hugo | And the spelling is usually spotless. |
Elf Hugo | I love the work teachers do |
Elf Ernest | Do you have elves over there that specialize in working with the schools? |
Elf Hugo | We do. It is important because their needs are always a little different. |
Elf Ernest | How so? |
Elf Hugo | Well, a teacher wants a point to their interaction. So the questions are usually very specific and sometimes really different |
Elf Ernest | Really? So what are the kinds of things they ask? |
Elf Hugo | They will ask questions specific to where the school is located. |
Elf Hugo | The will ask questions related to history, geography and things of math and science |
Elf Ernest | Oh wow |
Elf Ernest | So you need some really smart elves there to answer those questions. |
Elf Hugo | Yes. Exactly. And if they don’t have answers they have to know where to get answers |
Elf Ernest | So if a teacher wants something special…do they ask the Post Office Department? |
Elf Hugo | Well, that’s where they start. We try to get them to the right person. |
Elf Ernest | Do you get a lot of applications for new elves over there? |
Elf Hugo | Well, no. We steer people to SantaTrackers.net but we don’t handle elf applications. There’s a team just for that over there |
Elf Ernest | Ok. We get so much feedback from tracker elves I wonder how it gets handled |
Elf Hugo | Well, the thing to remember is they are elves. So they fall under the direction of Flight Command |
Elf Ernest | So if a tracker elf wants to send in a wish list to Santa they contact Flight Command? |
Elf Hugo | No, they use the same forms for Santa everyone else does, then we handle it. But in their elf duties, they have places at [link src=”SantaTrackers.net”] for that |
Elf Ernest | Oh, I see. So it just depends where they input their information |
Elf Hugo | Right |
Elf Ernest | Ok. What are some of the most unusual pieces of mail you see come through? |
Elf Hugo | We see mail come in from all over the world. That mail will reflect the people who send it and where they are from |
Elf Hugo | For example, in India there are a lot of people who do not know a thing about Santa. So they will write in very basic questions. They are always nice, respectful and sweet. But they have some really basic questions. |
Elf Hugo | We love their letters |
Elf Hugo | But they won’t write into to Santa until they know more about him |
Elf Hugo | So we get a lot of mail that we answer from there, versus having Santa handle that mail. It’s just information they want |
Elf Ernest | Do you read Santa’s mail? |
Elf Hugo | No. If something comes in addressed to Santa, it goes to his office |
Elf Ernest | Hugo, this is a sensitive question and maybe you know the answer or not |
Elf Ernest | But how does Santa read all his mail? |
Elf Hugo | You’re right, he gets a lot of it. He can get more mail in a minute than any elf here gets in a year |
Elf Hugo | He has a very private and large staff in his office who work on Santa’s mail |
Elf Hugo | I don’t know how they are organized. But I know Santa has a system |
Elf Ernest | It must be an organized effort. |
Elf Hugo | It is. We get “emergency” mail for Santa all the time. I have certain people over there that kind of mail goes to. They know what to do with it. |
Elf Ernest | So you can kind of say Santa has his OWN post office in his office? |
Elf Hugo | Yes. That’s correct. These are personal assistant elves. Very skilled. Very trusted. |
Elf Hugo | And always around Santa |
Elf Ernest | We hear a lot of complaints about Santa not writing back |
Elf Hugo | Yes, we do too. But flks need to realize Santa doesn’t have time to write back a lot of the time |
Elf Hugo | I hear he does leave notes in stockings when he arrives in a home on Christmas Eve |
Elf Ernest | Yes, I hear that too |
Elf Hugo | But during the year, even during slow months like April, Santa really does not have time for return mail |
Elf Ernest | I think that’s why we have the Public Relations Department that puts up the websites and publishes the updates and such |
Elf Hugo | That’s right. Santa makes sure we all work hard to answer questions that way |
Elf Hugo | It is much more efficient than sending out one letter at a time |
Elf Ernest | Hugo, we are reaching that time of year where a lot of questions will come in about stocking mail |
Elf Hugo | Yes, sir. That’s true. |
Elf Ernest | What is stocking mail? |
Elf Hugo | Stocking Mail is a special last minute system of sending hard copy mail to the North Pole in the last day or two before Christmas |
Elf Ernest | Why is it only used the last day or two before Christmas? |
Elf Hugo | Well, it’s not perfect technology. It takes a lot of elves to pull off. And we just don’t have the elf power to sustain it longer than that |
Elf Ernest | What do you mean it’s not perfect technology? |
Elf snow | Hi |
Elf Hugo | Well, not all stockings are made of the same stuff. Some letters just don’t make it. So we don’t rely on it |
Elf Hugo | We only start it when Santa says so and we always pray that it works |
Elf Ernest | I see. |
Elf Ernest | So it cannot be used now? |
Elf Hugo | No, it will not work now in September. It’s not supported. |
Elf Hugo | Usually, one the day before Christmas, I will let Santa know when we are overwhelmed with mail and then he will start it up |
Elf Hugo | Usually that announcement will go out on Kringle Radio and SantaUpdate.com |
Elf Hugo | Hi Elf Snow |
Elf Ernest | Thanks, great answer Hugo |
Elf Ernest | We have just a minute or two left…any last questions for Hugo? |
Elf snow | Hi |
Elf Ernest | Hugo, thanks for joining us today. Good luck handling all the mail this year for Santa! |
Elf Hugo | Thanks for having me, Ernest. Merry Christmas, everyone! |
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