The Gen Z managers changing perceptions of the Post Office

"I didn't have any understanding of how a post office worked before I started here - I'd never even bought a stamp."

As one of the youngest sub-postmasters in the UK, 23-year-old Billy Burrows admits he knew very little about his future career when he first set foot inside a Post Office.

Now, as manager and co-owner of Crookes Post Office in Sheffield, not only is he learning quickly about the business, he's also trying to shine a light on the profession for others.

Along with assistant manager Alex Bake, 26, they have been on a mission to reveal life behind the post office counter they've worked at since they were teenagers by making social media videos that have amassed more than a million views.

"It's bringing a positive vibe to the post office which I think is really important, because the service is really important for communities," said Bake.

Alongside 60-hour work weeks, Burrows and Bake spend their free time after close making videos in which they take part in social media trends and joke about customers' bad habits.

"We've always had situations in the shop where we would say, 'oh, this would be great on Channel 4 [or] The US Office," said Burrows.

"It snowballed from there into what it is now."

One video shows one of the pair hidden inside a fabric postbox costume playing a pretend trumpet made of a broom and loo roll, while another shows a shop tour where they imagine the floor is made of lava.

Their most popular Instagram reel has nearly a million views and about 25,000 likes, with other posts regularly hitting 50,000 views.

Burrows, who bought into the branch two years ago, said: "Suddenly you're walking down the street, and I don't want to say a celebrity...

"But it does come about that way, people notice you, people say lovely things, we've had so much amazing feedback."

Assistant manager Bake said he wants to change the perception that the Post Office is "old-fashioned, or a bit formal".

"We offer a lot of services that people might not be aware of, so we can pay bills, pay people's rents for older people, it's a bit of a lifeline."

Bake said people tend to be a bit surprised to see someone in their 20s running the branch.

"When they see how far we go out of our way to try and serve them, they realise how much we care about it," he added.

"You become part of people's lives, and that's a pleasure. It makes it more than just a job."

On top of the time the pair spend filming, Bake spends hours editing the videos and brainstorming their next ideas.

"We're just two normal lads and we just have a laugh," he said.

A spokesperson for the Post Office said posting on social media was a "gateway for postmasters to reach new audiences".

"It enables postmasters to let their personality shine through, to get their branch out there and make people smile," they added.

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