Post Office Ending Saturday Delivery

[Karen]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/02/06/news/economy/postal-service-cuts/

How sad is this that because Congress is unwilling to do anything about it, people who rely on Saturday delivery are going to suffer?

Any wonder Congress has such low approval ratings?

[Lady's Human]

Brilliant economic minds at work.

Raise rates (effective in January, more rates than just first class mail went up) and cut service, while retaining inept management and promoting more Vice Presidents with 6 figure salaries and outlandish compensation packages (the postal execs are on a far, far different retirement compensation plan than the hoi polloi).

Kudos.

[Lady's Human]

And for those who think Postal executives are pure as the wind driven snow:

http://postalnews.com/postalnewsblog/2012/12/13/usps-northeast-area-facilities-project-manager-arrested-on-corruption-charges/

http://www.postalreporternews.net/2011/05/12/five-michigan-postal-supervisors-indicted-for-taking-bribes-and-lapdances/

http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/06/cleveland_the_former_head.html

http://legacy.utsandiego.com/news/metro/20041220-1752-postal.html

There are more, those are just the ones I found quickly.

Those are the rare cases where they actually prosecute. For little things like sexual harassment they normally just move them to a different facility.

How Congress actually believes these people when they testify is beyond me, though it's liars testifying to liars, so what the heck.

[Catty1]

Canada lost Saturday delivery back in the 70s.

It ain't so bad really.

[Lady's Human]

Canada doesn't mandate delivery of veteran's meds by the postal service.

Combine no service standards (2-3 day delivery is out the window) with no saturday delivery and a vet or anyone else who is forced into Pharmacy by mail better not have an emergency...like an inversion that makes them use a month's worth of asthma meds in a week, just for an example.

In addition, this is all caused by a backroom deal in 2006 that is attempting to force the Postal Service to pre-pay retirement benefits for employees who haven't even been born yet.

[Cataholic]

Many other places survive on non-Saturday delivery, and the US will also.

When a holiday Monday follows a Sunday, no one dies. Not sure why it is that much different with Saturday. If you can't get your meds in the first five days of the delivery, then maybe you need to change something.

[Lady's Human]

Many other places survive on non-Saturday delivery, and the US will also.

When a holiday Monday follows a Sunday, no one dies. Not sure why it is that much different with Saturday. If you can't get your meds in the first five days of the delivery, then maybe you need to change something.


When a Monday holiday occurs, with no Saturday delivery, and no service standards, when are the meds going to get delivered?

BTW, before someone pipes up with med pouches are packages, not mail, that is incorrect. They are labeled and handled as first class mail, not packages. That was done to ensure prompt delivery.

All this aside, the sole reason for the fiscal crisis in the USPS is not loss of revenue, it's mismanagement from both Congress and USPS management.

Answer one question:

Is there any other entity, public or private, which is required to pre-fund retirement benefits for employees who aren't even born yet?

Minus that requirement, the USPS has actually turned a profit in most years since the legislation was enacted.

[Lady's Human]

And to pose another question:

What other Constitutionally mandated government entity is expected to turn a profit?

[Cataholic]

I have worked for many companies in my lifespan. We never had Saturday delivery. We didn't mail things out, and things didn't come in. We survived, we made a profit.

If my meds run out during a snowstorm, or I lose them on vacation, or they get disposed of by accident- somehow I manage. I can't call a doctor's office on a Saturday afternoon, and expect to get seen and medicated by Sunday morning. The system will re-work to make it work out. Meds will be mailed out earlier, to accommodate the schedules.

No mail on Saturdays is such a non-issue. People will deal. All this talk about who mismanaged what, when and for what reason has nothing to do with non-Saturday delivery. The post office needs to be like every other place, and cut costs- no matter what the reason for the cost cutting measures.

[Lady's Human]

No mail on Saturdays is such a non-issue. People will deal. All this talk about who mismanaged what, when and for what reason has nothing to do with non-Saturday delivery. The post office needs to be like every other place, and cut costs- no matter what the reason for the cost cutting measures.


It has EVERYTHING to do with it.

No mismanagement and there are no fiscal issues. Income isn't the issue, waste, negligence and abuse are the issues. I've worked for private companies. When times were tough, management didn't get 6 figure bonuses.

Congress has punted on the issue and left it in the hands of an absolutely incompetent management team. They spent billions of dollars to automate a dying mail class (magazines). The USPS OIG states clearly that it now costs more to deliver a magazine than ever because of their shiny new toy purchases.

We pay 6 times the going rate for some supplies, and double industry cost for others.

Fire management, get rid of the inept and corrupt, and 5 day delivery wouldn't be required.

Furthermore, several studies done for the OIG and others have concluded that 5- day delivery will cost the postal service far more in revenue lost to other delivery means than it will save in man hours.
The ultimate solution would be to get Congress to do their job pass a reform bill that makes sense, but I don't see that happening with the absolute infantile fools running the show.

[Lady's Human]

Now for another question that will go unanswered:

Just for a moment imagine that you're a regional manager for the Postal Service. You have 5 plants reporting to you. You are on the books officially as working at plant A.

Of those 5 plants, plants C,D,and E are the best performing plants, despite senior management being domiciled at plants A and B.

You need to cut, and district performance is starting to lag on the radar screen.

What do you do?

[smokey the elder]

I only ever get junk mail on Saturday anyway.

[pomtzu]

I really don't see any problem with no Saturday delivery - it's usually all junk anyway. And as far as meds - then those that get them by mail simply need to reorder a few days earlier than they normally do. I currently get one of my meds from Canada (my choice), and they specifically say to place orders for refills 4 weeks before the current supply runs out so that they will be received in plenty of time. What's so difficult about that???

[Lady's Human]

I really don't see any problem with no Saturday delivery - it's usually all junk anyway. And as far as meds - then those that get them by mail simply need to reorder a few days earlier than they normally do. I currently get one of my meds from Canada (my choice), and they specifically say to place orders for refills 4 weeks before the current supply runs out so that they will be received in plenty of time. What's so difficult about that???

You do it by choice. Vets do it by order.

As to how difficult it is, easy as pie.....unless something makes you use more than the usual dose of a med and you have to get more quickly (i.e. asthma meds). you order a 90 day supply, and aren't allowed to order more than the allocated dose. You know you're going to run out on day 85, can't order it until you're "supposed " to run out, and then you have to wait to order, then wait longer for delivery. And no, the VA doesn't do emergency refills short of an act of god.

[Lady's Human]

This, however, is all dancing around the real issue, which is incompetent management and an incompetent, partisan, infantile Congress which would rather see things go over the so-called fiscal cliff than actually work out a compromise and fix something.

[Karen]

It is sad that the news media doesn't even touch on the pension issues etc. at the heart of the matter that are most of the reason for all the Post Office debt, but just focus on the things everyday people can see and know about.

Pay no attention to the elephant behind the curtain, folks ....

[phesina]

I get the idea some of these people want to do away with the Postal Service altogether, and we can all just use FedEx and UPS and the rest.

[Lady's Human]

Take a peek and look how much Pitney Bowes has donated to certain Congressional campaigns.

Privatize profit, publicize losses.

Their aim is to run the plants and collection centers, while leaving last mile deliveries to the USPS. You can make money in the processing centers, but there's no way in hades to make money if you have to deliver to every address in the United States.

[phesina]

I'm not surprised in the slightest.

[Lady's Human]

Okay, in an update to the initial press conference, Postal (mis)Management has stated that medicine pouches will be delivered, as will packages. Only letter mail will be held until Monday for delivery, which begs the question how much they actually think they're going to save?

Carriers will still have to go out to deliver the parcels, small bundles, and the packages that UPS and FEDEX drop at the door to the post office for delivery.

That's not going to be much of a savings. (unless, of course, you're an accounting firm hired by the post office to PROVE that it's going to save money!)

[Lady's Human]

It is sad that the news media doesn't even touch on the pension issues etc. at the heart of the matter that are most of the reason for all the Post Office debt, but just focus on the things everyday people can see and know about.

Pay no attention to the elephant behind the curtain, folks ....

Short attention spans.

The pension and benefit issues would take more than 30 seconds to explain.

[cassiesmom]

Now for another question that will go unanswered:

Just for a moment imagine that you're a regional manager for the Postal Service. You have 5 plants reporting to you. You are on the books officially as working at plant A.

Of those 5 plants, plants C,D,and E are the best performing plants, despite senior management being domiciled at plants A and B.

You need to cut, and district performance is starting to lag on the radar screen.

What do you do?

Move the best senior managers from A and B to C, D, and E. Leave the weakest managers at A and B. Establish a plan to eliminate A and B.

I worked in a high-performing regional office for over a year. Rumors of lay-offs and downsizing the whole time I worked there. The corporation wanted all the regional offices eliminated and all the business handled in the two home office sites only. It was our pleasure to make it very difficult for them to shut us down. We were the last to be laid off and the most difficult decision of all the regional offices. Take that, home office.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think Medco, Express Scripts and all the other robo-pharms could establish a plan to mail meds in such a way that they would be delivered Monday through Friday. They certainly make enough to do more express shipping. And robo-pharm users would need to think before they refill -- if you're going to run out on a Friday and you know your refill won't arrive until Monday, order earlier.

[lizbud]

It took 10 days for a first class mailing to reach Florida from Indianapolis & I thing that stinks. I am converting most
of my bill paying to payment from my bank acct electronically. They have next day or same day payment service & that
works just fine for me. I suppose this post office problem all comes down to who's ox is being gored. It ain't me.

[pomtzu]

I'm with you, Liz - I pay everything electronically, and might rarely mail a check for some miscellaneous reason.. I have also gone green (paperless) on all statements, be it bank, credit card, utility bill, insurance - anything that would have info that could be used by someone if it got in the wrong hands. Since I have received other people's mail from time to time, then I'm sure others have received mine too. So not am I only protecting myself, but I'm doing my part to lighten the load of the USPS. :p

[Lady's Human]

Move the best senior managers from A and B to C, D, and E. Leave the weakest managers at A and B. Establish a plan to eliminate A and B.

I worked in a high-performing regional office for over a year. Rumors of lay-offs and downsizing the whole time I worked there. The corporation wanted all the regional offices eliminated and all the business handled in the two home office sites only. It was our pleasure to make it very difficult for them to shut us down. We were the last to be laid off and the most difficult decision of all the regional offices. Take that, home office.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I would think Medco, Express Scripts and all the other robo-pharms could establish a plan to mail meds in such a way that they would be delivered Monday through Friday. They certainly make enough to do more express shipping. And robo-pharm users would need to think before they refill -- if you're going to run out on a Friday and you know your refill won't arrive until Monday, order earlier.


Postal logic? Shutter plants C,D, and E, and move management positions at A and B (on paper) into phantom jobs (Postmasters of towns that don't have offices open more than a couple hours a day) so the top heavy management structure doesn't show up on the books. Just for one example, I know of one office that is no longer a plant, however, still has a position for the postmaster's secretary. She's not on the books as the postmaster's secretary, she's officially the postmaster of a small town out in east overshoe, however, she has never set foot in the office. That situation is common throughout the postal service, and is a major driver of "cost savings" when they BS people and tell them they're cutting management positions. They have positions nationwide that are on the books as existing but have never been filled. Need to say you reduced your headcount? Easily done.

[Lady's Human]

It took 10 days for a first class mailing to reach Florida from Indianapolis & I thing that stinks.

In which case raise hell with your local congressional staffers and get something done about it.
It shouldn't take more than 2-3 days. ANy longer and someone needs to hear about it, and Postal (mis) management isn't listening.

It used to be a firing offense to delay the mail.

Now it's another check block on a promotion packet.

[Lady's Human]

if you're going to run out on a Friday and you know your refill won't arrive until Monday, order earlier.

Not always an option, depending on how strict the plan(s) are about order frequency.

[cassiesmom]

Not always an option, depending on how strict the plan(s) are about order frequency.

I'm not a fan of mail-order pharmacy at all (too many bad experiences), but that's a topic for another thread. I'm thinking that the robo-pharms are going to have to work with the USPS and with their clients to accommodate the loss of Saturday deliveries.

[Lady's Human]

Now the wunderkinde in charge of the Postal Service have decided that universal service is no longer the standard, despite that little piece of law still being on the books.

We can't deliver letter mail on Saturday, but in large urban areas we're going to reinstate SUNDAY delivery of packages.

You guys out in the sticks can go screw, we're just going to take care of the urban centers.

This, boys and girls, is what happens when you start running a Constitutional entity as a for profit enterprise.

[pomtzu]

I remember when I was a real young kid, that we got 2 mail deliveries each day during the Christmas holiday season. Those days are looooong gone.

[Lady's Human]

I remember when I was a real young kid, that we got 2 mail deliveries each day during the Christmas holiday season. Those days are looooong gone.

The way we sort mail now there's no need for 2 deliveries per day.

However, universal service is still the standard, the Postal Service, unlike UPS and FEDEX is not allowed to pick and choose who gets what level of service.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Well, as slow as the mail delivery already is, I might have to resort in paying on line. My gas and telephone bills both went out on the first. That means they really didn't get into the mail system until the 4th. Here it is the 11th and neither of them have shown up. My telephone bill is usually the first one I get every month.
The electricity and water bills have both come so what has the post office done with my gas and telephone bills? :confused:

Gee, I can hardly wait for the service to get sloooooowwwwweeeeerrrrrr!!!!! And to think we are getting to pay more for this!!!!!!! :D:love:

[Cataholic]

The AD at my son's school works for the USPS, and has for years. To him, it is just not a big deal, at all. He also doesn't really think it will go into effect.

I still insist we will all survive. Heck, I don't mail much personal mail anymore, and even business mail is about 45% email generated. Saves trees. :)

[Karen]

Well, as slow as the mail delivery already is, I might have to resort in paying on line. My gas and telephone bills both went out on the first. That means they really didn't get into the mail system until the 4th. Here it is the 11th and neither of them have shown up. My telephone bill is usually the first one I get every month.
The electricity and water bills have both come so what has the post office done with my gas and telephone bills? :confused:

Gee, I can hardly wait for the service to get sloooooowwwwweeeeerrrrrr!!!!! And to think we are getting to pay more for this!!!!!!! :D:love:

It could be that the Post Office has delivered your check, but the gas and phone companies have not yet processed them. Usually the payments are sent in to a separate division - or sometimes even a whole separate company - that processes and logs them in in their own time, so you cannot blame the USPS for that!

[Lady's Human]

The AD at my son's school works for the USPS, and has for years. To him, it is just not a big deal, at all. He also doesn't really think it will go into effect.

I still insist we will all survive. Heck, I don't mail much personal mail anymore, and even business mail is about 45% email generated. Saves trees. :)

Okay, so let's run an equivalent experiment, after all, the Constitution is old and outdated.....


Let's give people in some cities (second tier cities, like Worcester,MA, Akron, Ohio, etc..) Different freedom of speech rights than those in LA and New York.

That's fair, right? No big deal? After all, it probably wouldn't affect YOU.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

the offices themselves will still be open on Saturdays so at least I'll still be able to drop packages off and buy stamps and stuff:cool:.

[Cataholic]

LOL. Comparing First Amendment rights to the stoppage of mail delivery? O.M.Goodness. You have come totally unhinged.

[Lady's Human]

LOL. Comparing First Amendment rights to the stoppage of mail delivery? O.M.Goodness. You have come totally unhinged.

Totally unhinged?

How so?

Both are Constitutional mandates.

If you don't think mail delivery is a necessity any longer, amend the document and delete the offending passage. The process exists, it has been done before, but you don't just ignore a part of the Constitution because it is a personal inconvenience.

[lizbud]

LOL. Comparing First Amendment rights to the stoppage of mail delivery? O.M.Goodness. You have come totally unhinged.



If you think that's bad, don't you ever use the words ASSAULT and WEAPON in the same sentence. Total meltdown.:eek: LOL. :)

[Lady's Human]

If you think that's bad, don't you ever use the words ASSAULT and WEAPON in the same sentence. Total meltdown.:eek: LOL. :)


Liz, unless you have something constructive to add to the discussion at hand? GTHO.

I really gave you more credit than to stoop to Sara's BS. Evidently I was wrong.

[RICHARD]

Totally unhinged?

How so?

Both are Constitutional mandates.

If you don't think mail delivery is a necessity any longer, amend the document and delete the offending passage. The process exists, it has been done before, but you don't just ignore a part of the Constitution because it is a personal inconvenience.

What do we need to do to get rid of the SOTU address??

I just change the channel, but I want something more permanent....;):D:confused:

[Lady's Human]

What do we need to do to get rid of the SOTU address??

I just change the channel, but I want something more permanent....;):D:confused:

File a change of address card.

[RICHARD]

File a change of address card.

Those cost one dollar, I ain't falling for that....:(;)

[momoffuzzyfaces]

It could be that the Post Office has delivered your check, but the gas and phone companies have not yet processed them. Usually the payments are sent in to a separate division - or sometimes even a whole separate company - that processes and logs them in in their own time, so you cannot blame the USPS for that!

It wasn't the payments I sent. I've never received the bills so I can pay them. OOPS!!! Correction, the telephone bill just came!!! Took it 13 days to get here. If it takes that long for my payment to get back to them, I'll owe a late fee. Still no sign of the gas bill. :eek:

[Lady's Human]

MoFf, call your congressman and the utility companies and let them know.

They are paying for 1st class mail, which is supposed to be 2-3 day delivery. If that isn't happening, they need to hear about it.

The utility companies are going to understand, as they are going to be getting more and more late payments due to Postal Management's outright fraud.

Congress needs to hear about it as well, as they have oversight of the Postal Service.

[sparks19]

I get the idea some of these people want to do away with the Postal Service altogether, and we can all just use FedEx and UPS and the rest.

It's going to be about the same price soon.

USPS just upped their prices. Now to ship a 2 oz package to Canada... $6 :o not kidding. just regular first class mail that used to cost me about $2.50 is now SIX DOLLARS. that's insane

[Lady's Human]

It's going to be about the same price soon.

USPS just upped their prices. Now to ship a 2 oz package to Canada... $6 :o not kidding. just regular first class mail that used to cost me about $2.50 is now SIX DOLLARS. that's insane

International shipping rates through UPS and FEDEX are much higher, just ran a quick shipping quote from here to toronto for a .1 Kg package and it's just shy of $20.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

MoFf, call your congressman and the utility companies and let them know.

They are paying for 1st class mail, which is supposed to be 2-3 day delivery. If that isn't happening, they need to hear about it.

The utility companies are going to understand, as they are going to be getting more and more late payments due to Postal Management's outright fraud.

Congress needs to hear about it as well, as they have oversight of the Postal Service.

I called the gas co last week. They told me to go on line and see my bill. Big help, eh? I'm giving them until the end of this week, then calling the post office to see if they can find it. It drives me crazy that it was probably delivered to the wrong address. I don't want any one else getting my personal info more than they already do.

I'm getting the idea that the gas co would like me to start paying on line. Don't know what I would do if the power or my computer were out in that case. :love:

[pomtzu]

I called the gas co last week. They told me to go on line and see my bill. Big help, eh? I'm giving them until the end of this week, then calling the post office to see if they can find it. It drives me crazy that it was probably delivered to the wrong address. I don't want any one else getting my personal info more than they already do.

I'm getting the idea that the gas co would like me to start paying on line. Don't know what I would do if the power or my computer were out in that case. :love:

I was reluctant at first to pay bills on line, but now I wish I had done it a whole lot sooner. And you should also go paperless with your bills and statements, just so that they don't wind up in the wrong hands when they get delivered to the wrong address!! :mad:

As far as what you would do in the event of a power loss??? Simple - just pick up the phone and call who you want to pay, and pay with your checking account #. I don't know of any company that has ever refused that payment method. However, in the several years that I have been doing the on line bill pay, I've never had a situation arise where the power or my computer was down long enough to affect any payments. Of course, I always pay most of my bills for the month as soon as my S.S. check hits the bank, with the exception of 2 which I pay on the 15th. That way, they're all out of the way at once and I know I'm not forgetting any.

Obviously I trust myself 100% - but I sure don't have that same level of trust for the USPS. :eek:

[Lady's Human]

I can't stress this enough:

If you are having delivery issues, late mail, missorted mail, etc....

DO NOT stop at the postmaster for your town.

Talk to the postmaster, but ask them for the POOM's number. (Post Office Operations Manager).

For an extra bonus, write to your Congressman's office and let them know about your issues.

The USPS is being very badly run at the moment, and Congress has the authority and the responsibility to fix the issue. Ask them to enforce the 2-3 day delivery standard, and ask them to exercise their powers of oversight and remove the incompetent fools who are ruining the USPS so they can get a nice pension from a major mailer after their career at the postal service is finished. The USPS is YOUR service, not Pitney Bowes' service.

[lizbud]

As far as what you would do in the event of a power loss??? Simple - just pick up the phone and call who you want to pay, and pay with your checking account #. I don't know of any company that has ever refused that payment method. However, in the several years that I have been doing the on line bill pay, I've never had a situation arise where the power or my computer was down long enough to affect any payments. Of course, I always pay most of my bills for the month as soon as my S.S. check hits the bank, with the exception of 2 which I pay on the 15th. That way, they're all out of the way at once and I know I'm not forgetting any.

Obviously I trust myself 100% - but I sure don't have that same level of trust for the USPS. :eek:


I agree with you on paying bills online. Even better for me is to pay recurring fixed payments, like morgage or car payments, is to have
them auto deducted from checking acct & once set up, they're never late & I can count on it 100%. Not so with the USPS.

[pomtzu]

I agree with you on paying bills online. Even better for me is to pay recurring fixed payments, like morgage or car payments, is to have
them auto deducted from checking acct & once set up, they're never late & I can count on it 100%. Not so with the USPS.
I do the recurring fixed payments with my car insurance and supplemental health insurance, so I don't have those to worry about. I don't have a mortgage or car payment!!!! :p:D:D:D:D

[RICHARD]

What makes me laugh is that I never have and real problems with the USPS and everytime I walk into a PO I make it a point to tell whoever is helping me that they do do a good job.

What EFFING IRRITATES ME is that I sometimes get the impolite AH in front of me that has to harrass some clerk that is there to help them.

I thank god my mom was in retail for a zillion years and would come home and tell us about the ONE PERSON who was a total schmuck - and that ruined her day. (She cried more than a few times).

The post office has no control over the fact that some people mail their payments out the day before they are due (guilty, more than once)

The PO has no control over the weather or a cancelled flight, I don't think they even have control over the semis that have to deliver trailers of mail, via the interstate system.

The PO clerk has no control over you putting three old stamps, in order to make up the new postal rates, because people are too busy to get to the PO or didn't think enough to buy forever stamps (Guilty)

The PO isn't responsible for a misaddressed envelope, putting the payment slip in backwards or having it slide into a postion where it cannot be read.

The PO isn't responsible for the folded envelopes that you put into the post, that are fed into the machine and cause the effer to jam. (Guilty, guilty, guilty....)

There are a few other things that I want to rant about but people will say that I am an apologist for the PO.

I have no vested interest in the PO, nor do I have any connections to the PO other than watching to poor guy running down the street in some screwed up weather, trying to get me my packages in the middle of a snow storm.

---------

One thing about living in CA is that the west coast had many 'payment processing centers' in NorCal, so sending a payment from El Lay to San Fran was an overnight -at best - trip and the checks were cashed so fast that I had to rely on change or Top Ramen to finish out a week....

------------

Sometimes is way too easy to point the finger at the "Big Generator".....

How's about having the people that fund the PO take a little time to look at the problems associated with the system and reform it?

Naw, that would be too easy and what would we then complain about?

[pomtzu]

Naw, that would be too easy and what would we then complain about?

Hmmmm - let's see..............:rolleyes:

I can complain about one of the rude and lazy clerks at my local branch - the one who is too lazy to look for the package because you don't have the notification slip handy - or if she does decide to do you a big favor and look for it, then makes you produce an i.d., even tho she knows right well who you are. Yes - I had to walk back out to my car in the pouring rain to get my driver's license - sure didn't know I would need it to pick up a package!!!! And I can complain about a rural driver who had a package (prescriptions) for my ex, that was too big to fit in the box, so instead of leaving a tag for him to go pick it up, she opened the door to the mailbox and set it on there. Smart move - huh??? Not only did it fall off and land in the ditch by the road, but any smart ass could have come by and swiped it with no problem at all. I just happened to look down when I got the mail and see it laying there. Did I go ballistic and report it - you bet your sweet bippie I did!!!!

[lizbud]

I do the recurring fixed payments with my car insurance and supplemental health insurance, so I don't have those to worry about. I don't have a mortgage or car payment!!!! :p:D:D:D:D


LOL me either. They were just examples.:D

[Lady's Human]

Hmmmm - let's see..............:rolleyes:

I can complain about one of the rude and lazy clerks at my local branch - the one who is too lazy to look for the package because you don't have the notification slip handy - or if she does decide to do you a big favor and look for it, then makes you produce an i.d., even tho she knows right well who you are.

And if she doesn't ask for ID, and the stupidvisor happens to be looking when she's talking to you, she gets disciplinary action for not following procedure. Not lazy, they have checklists and procedures to follow, and whether she knows you or not, she has no idea if you're the "mystery shopper" of the day.

The same goes for mailing a package. They have a list of questions they have to ask.....even if the clerk is your spouse and knows what you're mailing. If the questions in their training aren't asked, they can get written up, which is why it can take time for a line to move.

[pomtzu]

And if she doesn't ask for ID, and the stupidvisor happens to be looking when she's talking to you, she gets disciplinary action for not following procedure. Not lazy,



Well this stupidvisor needs to write herself up, because she'll give me the package with no problem or attitude. And she has been standing within earshot when Miss Rude and Nasty gives me the 3rd degree, and has gone and gotten the package for me herself, after shooting her subordinate a dirty look. Yes - that one is LAZY!!!!

I'm talking about a small rural p.o. - not a branch in a big city, too!!!

[Lady's Human]

Well this stupidvisor needs to write herself up, because she'll give me the package with no problem or attitude. And she has been standing within earshot when Miss Rude and Nasty gives me the 3rd degree, and has gone and gotten the package for me herself, after shooting her subordinate a dirty look. Yes - that one is LAZY!!!!

I'm talking about a small rural p.o. - not a branch in a big city, too!!!

Postal stupidvision 101:

The rules are for thee, not me.

In addition, you have no idea what their working relationship is.

[Karen]

Sheesh! Definite drop a note to her higher-ups!

The standard list of questions for a package got to be a standing joke at the Post Office in Newtonville, where we used to live. I usually ended up with the same clerk, "Tee", and after she recited the "Anything fragile, perishable, liquid or hazardous," and I dutifully answered, "No," with an eye roll, she'd say "Kitty toys or puppy toys?" She was a cat person herself....

[pomtzu]

In addition, you have no idea what their working relationship is.

Quite true, but I'll take stupidvisor over the red-headed biach any day ~ ~~ as would everyone else I know of that's had to deal with "Her Sweetness". :rolleyes::D

[RICHARD]

When I went to a new campus to work at I had to deal with a HUGE PITA.

I talked about her before.

She..

Refused to turn in numbers on time.
Hid the ledger after hours
Hid the ledger when she went on vacation.
Refused to learn how to use a computer, let alone learn how to turn it on
go to the spreadsheet and mail me a set of numbers.

When I went to HER STUPIDvisor, she shrugged her shoulders and told me to 'try and work with her' or 'find a system that would get me the info on time'.

So, it was a failure of the system - no boss to go to and when I complained about it, I was the trouble maker.

------------

Because no one complained about this AH back when it would have made a difference, they were stuck with a
clerk who didn't GAS about how her laziness affected the system.

She ruled by fear and was one of those lazy employees that was biding her time until she retired with a nice pension.

We, as patrons of a service that we pay for, shouldn't be afraid to drop a dime or note when we feel like we are being abused, unsatisfied, unserved.

As a matter of fact?

I'd send a 'Nice Complaint' in and follow it up with a bunch of anonymous Eff You complaints, just to spice things up.

If I am getting screwed, why not return the favor?

[Lady's Human]

Don't take my comments the wrong way. If the clerk is a PITA, then someone needs to be aware of it.

If management isn't doing anything about it, then it's management's fault, NOT THE Union's! Yes, it is eminently possible to fire or discipline a postal employee, but there is a procedure to do so, and management continually screws it up.

That having been said, I can count on one hand the number of supervisors in the postal service who I would count as competent.

There are many supervisors in the system who are sweetness and light when dealing with customers, and unholy terrors when dealing with employees. There are window clerks who WERE pleasant employees at one point, then found their attitude when dealing with management and customers. (I've seen customers berate people for little to no reason too many times in the limited amount of time I spend at the window)

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I did call the post office today about my missing gas bill. They said there is nothing they can do to find it. He will talk to my carrier and see if he remembers it. Like he can remember one out of the hundreds he delivers. The poor guy is doing two routes now since my original carrier retired. It might not even have gotten to our town. sheesh :love:

[Lady's Human]

I did call the post office today about my missing gas bill. They said there is nothing they can do to find it. He will talk to my carrier and see if he remembers it. Like he can remember one out of the hundreds he delivers. The poor guy is doing two routes now since my original carrier retired. It might not even have gotten to our town. sheesh :love:

We find mail in machines in odd places that sits there for a long time without being found. There are all sorts of nooks for mail to hide in, and if it slips into one of those spots, you're not going to find it until something odd breaks and the techs have to tear into that portion of the machine.

Ask the utility company for a duplicate.

However, if you're having problems with continuously delayed mail (like my Verizon bill that I received AFTER the payment was already late, or my bank statements) then ask for the POOM.

[sparks19]

International shipping rates through UPS and FEDEX are much higher, just ran a quick shipping quote from here to toronto for a .1 Kg package and it's just shy of $20.

I know it's still higher for NOW but when the USPS price jumps from $2.50 to $6 it's not going to be long before they are on par with UPS and FedEx lol

[Bonny]

I am going to miss the Saturday mail delivery & it will most likely affect our mail mans pay check. It is to bad they can't cut back on more worthless supervisors & higher ups.

I trust the mail service more then I would ever trust doing any kind of paper work on the internet & I don't care how secure they may say it is.

[RICHARD]

I am going to miss the Saturday mail delivery & it will most likely affect our mail mans pay check. It is to bad they can't cut back on more worthless supervisors & higher ups.

I trust the mail service more then I would ever trust doing any kind of paper work on the internet & I don't care how secure they may say it is.

I trust the USPS more than I trust any Cruise Line Company,.

Look how much mail went down with the Titanic.

And they cannot even get people home on time.

go figure.

[Steve Arnold]

I'll just come in here late and say that as far as our local postal service where I am, that I couldn't be happier. The postman is pleasant and efficient, virtually error free, and the window service couldn't be more pleasant. Yeah, I do live in a small town (5,000 population) in the Midwest, so maybe things are just different here.

I have not had any bad experiences with things not being delivered in a timely manner at either end. I know things happen. With a system that large, mistakes are bound to be made. At least from my perspective, the system seems to be working very well.

I don't have a problem with dropping Saturday mail. At least two or three days a week the mailman drives right past my house without stopping. With the volume of mail going down, of course their revenues will drop and they have to find ways to cut costs. Cutting one day of service makes sense, given the reduced volume.

And I wouldn't be afraid to take a cruise, either, I've had one previously and enjoyed it thoroughly, my only problem would be getting there since I really don't care to fly again, considering the mess that's become!

[Lady's Human]

http://www.postal-reporter.com/blog/usps-purchasing-specialist-pleads-guilty-to-accepting-bribes/

Yep, it's all the Union's fault...

[Medusa]

I could be wrong but I thought it was said that packages are the exception, that they would be delivered on Saturday.

[Lady's Human]

packages will still be delivered on Saturday, box mail will still be sorted, collection mail will still be run......in other words, the only activity that isn't going to happen is SOME carriers won't be delivering.

Which begs the question, where's the true savings?
The answer is that there isn't any.

[pomtzu]

People complain about the postage rates - yes, I do too - but think nothing of putting a first class stamp (46 cents?) on an envelope for a bill (for example), that is being paid to the utility company or doctor or dentist, etc, and is a very short distance from home. I just recently paid $8.55 to send a 4.2 oz package to Canada. I'm sure the people that think nothing of sending that local letter or card or bill for 46 cents, are the same ones to complain about international rates.

Which one of these scenarios is getting the better deal???? Not too difficult to figure out - IMO anyway! Sure beats the cost of delivering in person! :rolleyes: :eek::D

[sparks19]

People complain about the postage rates - yes, I do too - but think nothing of putting a first class stamp (46 cents?) on an envelope for a bill (for example), that is being paid to the utility company or doctor or dentist, etc, and is a very short distance from home. I just recently paid $8.55 to send a 4.2 oz package to Canada. I'm sure the people that think nothing of sending that local letter or card or bill for 46 cents, are the same ones to complain about international rates.

Which one of these scenarios is getting the better deal???? Not too difficult to figure out - IMO anyway! Sure beats the cost of delivering in person! :rolleyes: :eek::D

People still mail bill payments?

Other than mailing out orders that people purchase from me and mailing birthday cards that Hannah makes to grandparents I haven't mailed anything in a looooong time. It was just my inlaws anniversary and my FIL's birthday and Hanah made them cards and I was scrambling around to see if we even had any stamps in the house. Just so happened we did have some that were probably purchased well over a year ago. I just don't mail envelopes much. I would call the bill company to arrange payment (if they didn't already have online bill payment options) before I would stick it in an envelope and put a stamp on it. At least that way I have a confirmation number and if anything goes awry with the payment I can name the person who took my payment and quote said confirmation number.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I pay all my bills except one threw the mail. I don't like the idea of my debit card info bouncing around the Internet. Oh, my gas bill that I never got last month.... I apparently got it, opened it, and completely forgot I ever saw it. I found it the other day. Now That is frightening!!! :eek:

[pomtzu]

People still mail bill payments?




Many do - but not me. Oh - I occasionally have a random oddball bill that's a one time deal, so I will write a check and mail it. This might happen a couple of times a year - at most!

[Lady's Human]

And in a moment of brilliance, the USPS paid priority mail shipping rates to buy congoleum floor tile from a vendor in MA to ship to NY. 4 boxes at $40/box, and shipping at priority mail rates (64 lbs/box), to acquire something they could have picked up at the local hardware store.

[pomtzu]

And in a moment of brilliance, the USPS paid priority mail shipping rates to buy congoleum floor tile from a vendor in MA to ship to NY. 4 boxes at $40/box, and shipping at priority mail rates (64 lbs/box), to acquire something they could have picked up at the local hardware store.

I'm just shaking my head in disbelief on that one......:rolleyes:

[RICHARD]

http://www.stampsofdistinction.com/2008/07/bank-that-was-sent-through-post-office.html

The Parcel Post building could have used congoleum floors?;):eek::o