Maybe This is Why????

[Edwina's Secretary]

I am not getting my mailed forwarded by the Post Office in Chicago. I know this because....I'm not getting any and because the realtor in Chicago has been keeping an eye on the house there until the buyers move in. She has been forwarded my mail via. UPS. (I tried to get all the changes of address done but sometimes you miss a couple!) There have been financial matters, a check, etc. not forwarded.

So I decided to call the Post Office. I wanted to call the local Post Office in Chicago so I went to the Post office Directory online. No matter what address you enter it gives you the same toll-free number. So I call it....wade through the automated system to a person. Allegedly Customer Service.

I explained my situation (he seemed to have a cold...sniffling throughout this). He told me I could file a change of address. I reminded him that I had ALREADY done that and had in fact spoken with my mail carrier who acknowledged it had been received. And I had email acknowledgement AND I had paid to have it done ($1.00 per name!) Would I have to pay again? Yes, if I wanted to do it on line.

Could he give me the phone number of the post office servicing my former address? He said he was the Customer Service for the post office. I asked WHAT customer service he is able to provide? Can he fix my problem then? He acknowledged he could probably get me the phone number.

He took a few whacks at it...during which I had to repeat the zip code repeatedly.

Then he reported his system was down. I asked if he has a phone book perhaps? No...every thing is online and the system is down. He suggested I look for the number on line (ha! I fell for that once!) or call back later.

[Randi]

Sara, I think American mailmen need some faster bicycles!!

Danish mail isn't what it was either, but still we get mail once a day - when I was a child, we got our mail 8 in the morning and then again around 11. What is this world coming to!!

If we move, we just send them a postcard (which we get in the postoffice) and send to whomever we want to know - and we get our mail as usual! ..... OK, it may not be until 1PM.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Post Office "Customer Service"??

Don't get me started!!

The LOCAL Office Staff are GREAT!!
Friendly, KNOW what they're doing, and
MORE that willing to Talk on the Phone with Customers.

PROBLEM is the "upstairs beauracrats" who think they're saving
tons of money with that 1-800 Customer "Service"?? Line
AND removing all the Local PO phone numbers from the phone books.

And they WON'T ever "find" the number for the Local PO you want to talk to.

When my Shop was ACROSS the STREET from the PO - I needed to ask a
simple but "Local Issue" question of Max(ine) -
our *CUTE* PostMistress...

Grabed the Ding-Dong Book... Post Office...
DOZENS of Locations (including mine) listed...
ALL with that "dang" 1-800 #!

Called the 1-800 # - TWENTY MINUTES of *whimpering*, *whining*, and
THREATENING to NEVER buy another stamp in my LIFE was to no avail...
"We no longer give out Local numbers -
WE'RE 'your' Customer Service contact point."


I was LIVID!
STOMPED across the street, Phone Book IN HAND...
Max thought I'd gone off the Deep End.
(I thought she was gonna pass out from *Laffin* so hard!)

She had to wipe the tears away to write down the "Local" number.
She then Told me:
"Don't loose it! We may get orders not to give it out!"

Serious Suggestion:

You may not even get the "old" local number from Telephone Information!

Try calling a Chicago Friend to see if they have an OLD phone book.

If that fails;
Then ask them to *Drive Over* to the PO you want to talk to
and *ASK* for the phone number.

And **MAYBE** your NEW Local PO has a "Secret Stash" -
an "Internal Use" listing of PO phone numbers.

GOOD LUCK!! (You'll NEED some "luck"!)
.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I looked in one of our phone books here at work and they have one number listed for all branches 800-ask-usps which is 800-275-8777 but I'm sure that's the number you've already called.

I'll see if I can find an OLD phone book around somewhere. Otherwise, you might want to try calling back, maybe you'll get someone who knows the meaning of customer service.

[Logan]

Sara, see if your realtor, who is obvious very helpful, and probably going to or already has made a lot of money on the sale of your home, would go by your local post office, and either get their number, or handle the problem on your behalf. My guess is that your realtor would be happy to do that for you.

I can't believe the run around you're getting!!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Sorry, no old phonebooks around. Sometimes my frugal recycling gets the better of me. I think Logan has a WONDERFUL idea though!

[Cinder & Smoke]

Sara ~

I just called "Max" (I DID "save" her number!)

After she *laffed* a minute;
she said for you to take a Deep Breath and "play the game THEIR way"...

Call your Gud Buddies at the 1-800-Bad Service number and tell
the person you wish to "File a Complaint"
with the "Zip Code xyz PostMaster".

They are REQUIRED to fill out a Detailed Complaint Form and immediately
E-mail it to your old PostMaster.
All PostMasters are also required to CHECK & READ their "Complaint E-mails"
TWICE a day; then have a certain number of hours to REPLY to them -
with a copy of the reply going to their Supervisor.

You can request a reply via E-mail and/or by Telephone.

She also said there is NO COST to complain that the previously requested
Forwarding isn't being handled.
And THEY fill out the Complaint Form as you speak to them.

Max said they DO take Forwarding Problems *seriously* and that
you should get a reply from Chicago within a day or two.

Max also offered to look on the "Internal PO web site" for
a phone number - but said she doubted that even she could find
one without sending an "Offishul" E-mail!

/s/ Phred

[Logan]

Isn't Phred a wonder at solving all these issues?? I hope so in this case, Sara!!!

Phred, you are our in house, "Heloise"! (That is meant to be a compliment )

[Edwina's Secretary]

You the man...Phred....I'm going to try that.

Good idea Logan but my realtor has been so good and already sent two FedEx or UPS packages to me at her own expense...I feel guilty...okay she did make money off of the sale but at the end the buyers were SO horrible...and we were here so she took care of everything. All else fails I'll ask her or someone to actually visit the post office (where they are very, very nice.)

[Lillycat]

sara......what a mess for you to have to clean up. hope it all gets straightened out soon!

[AmberLee]

{{{Sara}}} and {{{Phred}}}

Hugs to you for suffering through this headache AND for educating us on how to solve it.

[BCBlondie]

Yikes!
UPS sucks!!! I had my books for school shipped by UPS, and EVERY single one of the packages I got were ripped open! I'm surprised my books didn't fall out! :-\
Anyway, good luck getting this mail business straightened out! Sorry I'm not much help!

[Barbara]

Oh no!!!!!!!
I won't start to tell you my way through the 800 numbers of German Telekom when we got an ISDN phone 4 years ago. I only add that the reason I pay month for month about 30 Euro more than I need is that for a DSL I would have to deal with them AGAIN and I'm afraid of that

[Samantha Puppy]

Before I even got married (June 5, 2004), I did the whole "change of address" thing... so did my husband. To this day, we BOTH still get mail delivered to our old homes. AND my in-laws have started getting mail with my maiden name on it at THEIR address!!