Very OT: USPS

[John]

this morning I stopped by the local Post Office to pick up a package that was sent registered mail from Hungary. So I get there at 7:50 to be one of the first in line. Frustration 1: they don't open the door until 8:05. By this time there's a line of 5 of us, and a couple more pile in almost as soon as the door is open. There's only one person working the counter, and from the get-go she is clearly outnumbered and overmatched. At around 8:20 I finally get to the counter. Then she can't find my package, so she disappears into the back for a few minutes, comes back and tells me to step aside and helps the person behind me in line. Then a minute later, this guy comes out from back and starts rooting around the packages, can't find it (surprising considering I have a USPS form in my hand telling me to go to the Post Office to pick up my item) and that the Postmaster will need to file some sort of trace on it. Then he takes one last look at the pacakge area, and sure enough finds my package, then goes back to the Postmaster to tell him that he found it and to cancel the trace. Long story short, I didn't get out of there until about 8:30. I was livid - all of this to pick up a c k ing package. People in line were all grumbling, one guy saying this is why they lose a billion dollars a year and are failing. I try to stick up for the USPS, but after today that might stop.

 

[Kitaman]

USPS = Government

 

[IMind]

Screw that it's not just the government. My local bank doesn't open until 9am. I've routinely have to wait until 5-10 minutes after they are supposed to open. Once as long as 30... and it's not like I go every day. I would do it all online but it's not all possible to do. I would switch banks but the 30-40 websites and forms I would have to change.. not to mention possibly having direct deposits from my clients not go through isn't an option.

 

[SubbaBub]

Nobody wants to pay people to be there 30 minutes before they open the door.

Do you pick up the phone at whatever o'clock you report to the office? I'm guessing no.

 

[Gringo]

If a half hour in the post office is so traumatic that you need to post about it to strangers on a college basketball board I highly recommend never living in a 3rd world country. I think your head might explode.

 

[Kitaman]

If a half hour in the post office is so traumatic that you need to post about it to strangers on a college basketball board I highly recommend never living in a 3rd world country. I think your head might explode.

I think John only needs to go to his local DMV.

 

[elduderino]

I think John only needs to go to his local DMV.

I used to love how the Norwalk DMV had a sign reminding patrons that is was illegal to assault a DMV employee.

As for the USPS, when youre biggest proponents are your biggest rivals, see Fedex and UPS, rest assured your business model is duckcked.

 

[upstater]

I think John only needs to go to his local DMV.

People go to the DMV? In NY state, the DMV discovered the internet. Licenses, registrations, etc. All online. Phew.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Big gov commie.

QUOTE="SubbaBub, post: 1010111, member: 523"]Nobody wants to pay people to be there 30 minutes before they open the door.

Do you pick up the phone at whatever o'clock you report to the office? I'm guessing no.[/QUOTE]

 

[WhereistheDove?]

this morning I stopped by the local Post Office to pick up a package that was sent registered mail from Hungary. So I get there at 7:50 to be one of the first in line. Frustration 1: they don't open the door until 8:05. By this time there's a line of 5 of us, and a couple more pile in almost as soon as the door is open. There's only one person working the counter, and from the get-go she is clearly outnumbered and overmatched. At around 8:20 I finally get to the counter. Then she can't find my package, so she disappears into the back for a few minutes, comes back and tells me to step aside and helps the person behind me in line. Then a minute later, this guy comes out from back and starts rooting around the packages, can't find it (surprising considering I have a USPS form in my hand telling me to go to the Post Office to pick up my item) and that the Postmaster will need to file some sort of trace on it. Then he takes one last look at the pacakge area, and sure enough finds my package, then goes back to the Postmaster to tell him that he found it and to cancel the trace. Long story short, I didn't get out of there until about 8:30. I was livid - all of this to pick up a c k ing package. People in line were all grumbling, one guy saying this is why they lose a billion dollars a year and are failing. I try to stick up for the USPS, but after today that might stop.

It's not unique to USPS. UPS is much worse around me. I once waited for two hours for them to find a package, which they continually told me they looked for everywhere and couldn't find. I finally resorted to what the woman had done when I first got there (also after a two hour wait) and made a huge scene. About 2 minutes later they had found my package, just like they did for her. All that time I could physically see into the back and watched all the employees taking their 45 minute long smoke breaks.

 

[Northbound]

It's not unique to USPS. UPS is much worse around me. I once waited for two hours for them to find a package, which they continually told me they looked for everywhere and couldn't find. I finally resorted to what the woman had done when I first got there (also after a two hour wait) and made a huge scene. About 2 minutes later they had found my package, just like they did for her. All that time I could physically see into the back and watched all the employees taking their 45 minute long smoke breaks.

Except I'm guessing that this is an anomaly for UPS or they would be out of business versus running some pretty good profitability. They run a pretty good package delivery business.

 

[Mots010]

You went to the post office, and they couldnt find your package, but then they found it. Sweet blog.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Except I'm guessing that this is an anomaly for UPS or they would be out of business versus running some pretty good profitability. They run a pretty good package delivery business.

If you get it delivered to your house, it's fine. I live in an apartment though and work during their dropoff hours so I have to go to the facility around me to pick it up. I assure you it's not an anomaly when it comes to that. I've been there to pick up three packages and not one time has it gone smoothly, nor have most of the other people waiting around me had it go smoothly.

 

[Strummer]

this morning I stopped by the local Post Office . . . .I try to stick up for the USPS, but after today that might stop.

It's quite plain to anybody with common sense that the problem with the USPS isn't the fact that they overpay their employees, that their benefit plan is ridiculous, that they pay by the hour, and not the route, that they only caught up in Internet-age tracking in the last two years, that they have massive worker apathy, that they rely on a 20-1 junk mail to regular mail ratio, that they have zero commitment to serving their customers, that they're more concerned with having stupid portraits on their stamps rather than simply producing the cheapest postage possible, that they deliver their junk mail 6 days a week unnecessarily, that their "guaranteed overnight" is not guaranteed, that they are federally given a monopoly to deliver normal mail, that their basic package rates are embarrassingly high for the delivery time, that their website sucks and they have "express mail" as the defaulted mail type when you try to calculate postage . . . no.

The quite obvious reason for their failure is that they aren't receiving a government subsidy. I say triple their budget and use taxpayer money to not only continue, but to expand - EXPAND I SAY - the level of incompetence.

After all. They're government employees and, given the proper amount of monetary remuneration, they're certain to improve the product they offer.

Oh - and if "putting a trace" on the missing package is more that Sally yelling out the back door to Ted, "hey Ted, where is that registered mail from a foreign post office," then I'll eat my head.

 

[ZenConn]

Should I say - Not a big package guy?

 

[RichZ]

Nobody wants to pay people to be there 30 minutes before they open the door.

Do you pick up the phone at whatever o'clock you report to the office? I'm guessing no.

Before I retired? Sure did. And if it rang on my way out the door at night, I'd stop and grab it, too.

 

[Jim]

Someone should change the thread title to "John Goes Postal".

 

[Mattydog7]

Screw that it's not just the government. My local bank doesn't open until 9am. I've routinely have to wait until 5-10 minutes after they are supposed to open. Once as long as 30... and it's not like I go every day. I would do it all online but it's not all possible to do. I would switch banks but the 30-40 websites and forms I would have to change.. not to mention possibly having direct deposits from my clients not go through isn't an option.

TD Bank

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

USPS = Government

I guess. I don't really get people who bi tch and moan about the mail. Find somebody on the street and offer them $0.49 to take your letter across the country. See how that goes.

 

[BearJWS]

Oh yeah, the post office delivered my mail on the 1st day I had put a hold on my mail for the prior week. Nothing like coming home from vacation to a mailbox of mail, that sat there for 10 days while I was away! I'm mad as Hell & I'm not going to take this any more!

 

[Strummer]

Should I say - Not a big package guy?

Awesome man! I can't believe I missed it!

 

[elduderino]

Someone should change the thread title to "John Goes Postal".

John and Strummer: Postal and Postaler?

 

[John]

Oh yeah, the post office delivered my mail on the 1st day I had put a hold on my mail for the prior week. Nothing like coming home from vacation to a mailbox of mail, that sat there for 10 days while I was away! I'm mad as Hell & I'm not going to take this any more!

mail holds are always hit or miss.

 

[elduderino]

mail holds are always hit or miss.

Wait, if you got one to hit, I think youre still ahead in the game. USPS had to refund me over $300 just last year after I contested failed holds and forwards.

 

[metsfan2323]

Doesn't UCONN = Government too? Where did all that UCONN 2000 money come from? Hey lets shut the school down so we can all be BC and CUSE fans.

Maybe i'm just lucky, but in my entire life I cannot remember having a problem with the Post Office.

Poor man, had to wait in line. Oh the pain.