Post Office

[Brute 23]

I know there have been several discussions on here about the post office. For the most part I am pretty easy going. I feel for peoeple who have to deal with the general public on a daily basis. I appreciate and reward good service even if its at a higher cost. I tip waiters and waitresses some thing even if the service is bad. Try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they are just having a bad day.

Today I was walking up with a good size box. Just big enough for me to get my arms around. Pulled up at a quater till 4. Get the box... get my son out of the truck... make are way toward the door. Guy sees me coming, opens the doors, he has a smaller package. We walk up to the office door and he reaches out.... ITS LOCKED! Both of us standing there and the lady is at the counter. She looks at us and he points to his watch and the sign on the door. She grabs her stuff and walks out of sight. The lights turn off. :x Im trying to set a good example and bite my tongue.

We get in the truck and I remember our local feed store is a UPS pick up. I called and asked if they could tag a big box and help make sure its good to go. The lady says sure, come on, we'll get it ready to go for in the morning. The ladies were top notch. Friendly, put some packing in it, taped it up, tagged it.... ready to go.... $11.xx. Even had a good great conversation which helped cool me off a little. Reminded me why I do business there.

This is typical BS from the post office. They stay open 9-4 (or 3:45 apparently) and they wonder why they go out of business. Then they suck up our tax dollars and still can't even provide a decent service. I mail quite a few envelopes with my business but I may go out of my way to find other means now.... (Im open for suggestions). Its very hard for me to feel sorry for them crying about their cuts and stuff.

Pretty sure I will be calling a higher up if I can get a hold of any one.... Probably will stop by the post office tomorrow and ask them what was going on.

 

[M5farm]

I only use the USPS when absolutey necessary. It's a waste of realestate and money. They should shut it down and let private industry like FedEx or ups handle mail delivery.

 

[slick4591]

In the back of my mind I'm wondering if the PO did shut down, would UPS and Fedex rates take a big jump? I know they are competitors, but I think it's a good possibility.

 

[Anonymous]

Whatever you do, don't make a stand. Seems its the American way to just keep your mouth shut and take it these days.
Or, you could do what's right....

 

[highgrit]

Their protected by their union. But you can file a written complaint, that got a few responses back. Go by and fill the paper work out for a complaint. They just might remember you next time your in there Brute.

 

[Brute 23]

Its not the first run in I've had. She probably saw me coming. Last time when another one of the ladies was treating me like I was stupid... rolling her eyes and stuff... Just real calm in a low voice I asked...
Is this new way of customer service yalls plan to save the Post Office?

 

[houstoncutter]

Having a wife that retired from the Post Office gives me a interesting take on the Postal Service. You see they have to take a civil service exam, but they are given extra points if the fall into certain classifications. Such as female,minority/ that served in the military, was wounded,has a disability and that is gay can score zero on the test but they are hired. So with that type of workforce what do you expect! Im not making this up either

 

[TexasBred]

This is typical BS from the post office. They stay open 9-4 (or 3:45 apparently) and they wonder why they go out of business. Then they suck up our tax dollars and still can't even provide a decent service. I mail quite a few envelopes with my business but I may go out of my way to find other means now.... (Im open for suggestions). Its very hard for me to feel sorry for them crying about their cuts and stuff.

Pretty sure I will be calling a higher up if I can get a hold of any one.... Probably will stop by the post office tomorrow and ask them what was going on.

Maybe like the waiter/waitress, the postal worker has bad days too. They have to deal with some real a$$es from time to time like everyone else.

The USPS has not directly received taxpayer-dollars since the early 1980s with the minor exception of subsidies for costs associated with the disabled and overseas voters. Since the 2006 all-time peak mail volume, after which Congress passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act", (which mandated $5.5 billion per year to be paid into an account to pre-fund retiree health-care, 75 years into the future, a requirement unique among organizations and businesses in the U.S.), revenue dropped sharply due to recession-influenced declining mail volume, prompting the postal service to look to other sources of revenue while cutting costs to reduce its budget deficit.

 

[melking]

There really is no defense for the Post Office. I find that the issue is not the mail but the actual "CIVIL" service. It seems to be that once you are in, you can't hardly be fired.

 

[TexasBred]

There really is no defense for the Post Office. I find that the issue is not the mail but the actual "CIVIL" service. It seems to be that once you are in, you can't hardly be fired.

Typical Union Job.

 

[Bigfoot]

I almost dropped out of college after my sophamore year to work for usps. I'm glad I didn't. not because its usps, just because I ended up with a much more rewarding job. The job wasn't to be a rural carrier either. That job may not have been as mind numbing as the one I was getting. This job was actually in the Post Office itself. I will never forget how bad my mother wanted me to take the job.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

You're right TB.

It's the "entitlement" thing, I see it in the local gov't. shipyard workers.

75% of them couldn't run a business, and succeed.

 

[CottageFarm]

They drive me nuts. Our local office is very nice and helpful, but that's the extent of my positive thoughts about USPS. I ship alot of stuff, all around the world. I know how to package fragile items, but there's nothing I can do to defend against the USPS. Marking anything as fragile seems to be the best invitation you can give them to stomp the boxes into the ground, or drive over them, or something...Some of the more interesting stories in the past few months, aside from the sheer number of items that arrive damaged/broken.

...A package going to Michigan took an unexpected detour to Pennsyvania. Yes, half of the items were broken upon final arrival...
...They somehow managed to break a cast iron hand plane, yes they broke the cast iron bed.....
...They lost a golf club, not the box in which it was packaged, just the putter, and apparentely managed to do it without unsealing the box....

But, the constitution mandates a gov't mail service, so it's what we've got to work with.

 

[GMN]

I do think alot of the Postal employees do not live in current reality work times. They sure do seem to have alot of days off, fill ins working for them, and complain about working a mere 8 hours a day-its called a JOB-they get a good hour for lunch (here they do) and don't seem to work that hard-with so much mailing done online anymore, with a click of a button or 2, i can see why they are cutting back hours going from 8 to 4 open with many of the rural offices-its the sign of the times
Plus the USPS can't compete rate wise to UPS-they simply can ship heavier items for less and more efficiently-they have drop off stores, or home pickup-what i can't do online, I take to the UPS store-its easy and fast-

 

[3waycross]

You're right TB.

It's the "entitlement" thing, I see it in the local gov't. shipyard workers.

75% of them couldn't run a business, and succeed.[/quote]


to be fair 75% of all Americans couldn't run a business and succeed!

 

[TexasBred]

I do think alot of the Postal employees do not live in current reality work times. They sure do seem to have alot of days off, fill ins working for them, and complain about working a mere 8 hours a day-its called a JOB-they get a good hour for lunch (here they do) and don't seem to work that hard-with so much mailing done online anymore, with a click of a button or 2, i can see why they are cutting back hours going from 8 to 4 open with many of the rural offices-its the sign of the times
Plus the USPS can't compete rate wise to UPS-they simply can ship heavier items for less and more efficiently-they have drop off stores, or home pickup-what i can't do online, I take to the UPS store-its easy and fast-

Most that work inside the PO are part time anyway. Carriers work their ever loving asses off. Wife goes in at 7 am and get's home at 6pm many days. Over 800 mail boxes to open and close everyday and don't dare make a mistake. Someone will complain. And those UPS pkgs. USPS delivers many of those even tho you paid for UPS and/or FedX. Yep..check the packages sometimes. Carriers get no lunch hour, no breaks. I'd love to see the complainers on here try to deliver mail for a week. Might change your entire attitude and you might even get a smile from the PO'd bytch in the post office.

BTW you don't have to use the USPS....remove your rural mailbox or your PO box in the PO and get you one the UPS store addresses. Oh and "time off". Take all you want as long as your willing to do it "without pay". Otherwise the vacation days and sick days are just like any other job decent job.

 

[TexasBred]

You're right TB.

It's the "entitlement" thing, I see it in the local gov't. shipyard workers.

75% of them couldn't run a business, and succeed.[/quote]


to be fair 75% of all Americans couldn't run a business and succeed!

Probably fewer than that. But they can usually blame their failures on someone else.

 

[highgrit]

TB, does the PO drug test. As of 10 years ago they did not. All good private sector jobs require drug testing. We have never had any problems with the mail carriers and out here in country the PO employees are friendly.

 

[TexasBred]

TB, does the PO drug test. As of 10 years ago they did not. All good private sector jobs require drug testing. We have never had any problems with the mail carriers and out here in country the PO employees are friendly.

It's my understanding they now test for hiring. Don't know if they do random testing after hire or not. I don't remember my wife being tested at anytime.

 

[Brute 23]

Most that work inside the PO are part time anyway. Carriers work their ever loving asses off. Wife goes in at 7 am and get's home at 6pm many days. Over 800 mail boxes to open and close everyday and don't dare make a mistake. Someone will complain. And those UPS pkgs. USPS delivers many of those even tho you paid for UPS and/or FedX. Yep..check the packages sometimes. Carriers get no lunch hour, no breaks. I'd love to see the complainers on here try to deliver mail for a week. Might change your entire attitude and you might even get a smile from the PO'd bytch in the post office.

BTW you don't have to use the USPS....remove your rural mailbox or your PO box in the PO and get you one the UPS store addresses. Oh and "time off". Take all you want as long as your willing to do it "without pay". Otherwise the vacation days and sick days are just like any other job decent job.

TB,

When I started my business I woke up at 5am traveled 150+ miles a day thru multiple counties. Had to deal with tons of contractors, multiple companies, high pressure, H2S, and all the other dangers of O&G. We work in the sun, rain and ice.... 24hr call 365 days a year... call outs at all hours of the night if equipment goes down. It was nothing... still is... to work 12, 14, 16hrs a day. I get paid per day of work. If I can't be there I better pay some one else to be. In and around that I take care of cattle. I did 9 mo straight one time and have done several months straight since.

Fortunately now I can relax and have people who help me. I got that by providing a great service, at a fair price, telling my customers how much I appreciate the opportunity, and always asking if there is any thing else I could do for them. I have never once locked the door and shut the lights off on one of my customers. That is why my business has consistently grown every year and why USPS has consistently gone down hill every year. I truly feel for the people and know how hard it is to play thru a long crappy day.... I also know it can be done.... And with a smile.