|
Post by compwalla on Jul 5, 2016 13:43:33 GMT
I am a USPS defender as well, but something seriously has to change, and they unfortunately can't due to congress stupidity. My thoughts may not be popular but, they need to charge what it takes to at the minimum break even. This latest stupidity of lowering postage rates was foolish. US postage is CHEAP compared to most other countries, and sadly we are paying for the "CHEAP" in poor service and appalling working condition for the USPS postal staff. I also think they need to cease Saturday and Sunday deliveries, as they cannot afford it right now. But between Congress and pressure from places like Amazon, they are between a rock and hard place with no way out. Cutting out Saturday deliveries only means a huge amount of mail on Mondays. My husband is a letter carrier; he hates Mondays. He REALLY hates Tuesdays after a holiday. *cough*July5th*cough* By the time you factor in the overtime paid to carriers to deliver three days of mail in one day you are not likely to save any money by cutting out Saturday delivery.
|
|
|
Post by Crack-a-lackin on Jul 5, 2016 14:15:35 GMT
I love the flat rate priority boxes and the self-serve kiosks! But my complaint with the USPS is all the crap I get that I didn't request that fills up my box and now I have to be the one to take it to the recycling bin. I've tried opting out and stating I want stamped addressed mail only but it never seems to work! With getting my statements online I only ever receive legitimate mail maybe 2x week but I have to check more often because of the junk that fills it up and the mail carrier gets mad at me.
I wanna quit the mail!!!
|
|
luckyexwife
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,067
Jun 25, 2014 21:21:08 GMT
|
Post by luckyexwife on Jul 5, 2016 14:23:08 GMT
Oh were do I begin... For the last month there has been one day (varies) a week that we did not get mail - we get mail everyday. The first week I guessed vacation schedules. The second week no one on the street received mail and when I 'nicely' asked why at the PO I was told not everyone gets mail everyday...but it was 8 people??? The other day I was going out after dinner, 6:00ish and the mailgirl was delivering our mail...she waved like it was 2 in the afternoon. I deal with 3 PO. One is the local PO, I don't go there unless it is an emergency. Mr Crabby, Ms Clueless, and Mrs Rule Maker Upper are to much to deal with. Two is a small little hole in the wall, friendly staff no hassles except...they refuse to believe a 6x9 envelope is still considered a letter. I took a screen shot from the USPS site and showed her, she looked very scared. They also have no idea what the template for measuring the thickness of an envelope is...they guess and twice I had something arrive postage due on the other end. Three is a large, efficient, wonderful, friendly PO that unfortunately can add 1/2 hour to my commute if I hit it at the wrong time of day. Some days I just spin the wheel and take my chances. Tomorrow should be interesting...I purchased some stamps from the automated postal center (kiosk). Put them on my mail and realized I didn't address one of the envelopes - I threw it in the car and forgot about it today I picked it up to take inside and the stamp disintegrated in my hands. Now if the stamp couldn't last 4 days in my car how was it supposed to last on it's two week journey across the US? Thank you for your time What do you mean by "she waved like it was 2 in the afternoon? "
|
|
|
Post by bianca42 on Jul 5, 2016 14:54:01 GMT
If I place a piece of mail in my town, addressed to someone in my town, it goes to Syracuse (70 miles away) and then back again despite the fact that we have a large main post office in my town. Like everything the government is involved in, it's ridiculously expensive (in terms of costs of operation) and it's inefficient. I'm lucky enough to be in Syracuse...so that shaves some time off my delivery. But, it seems to be the closer you are to a major hub, the faster the delivery is.
|
|
PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
|
Post by PLurker on Jul 5, 2016 15:24:03 GMT
I love the flat rate priority boxes and the self-serve kiosks! But my complaint with the USPS is re all the crap I get that I didn't request that fills up my box and now I have to be the one to take it to the recycling bin. I've tried opting out and stating I want stamped addressed mail only but it never seems to work! With getting my statements online I only ever receive legitimate mail maybe 2x week but I have to check more often because of the junk that fills it up and the mail carrier gets mad at me.You didn't request them, but the sender/mailer/advertiser paid for them to be delivered. USPS cannot deliver it just as it could not fail to deliver a card or package you (general you) send to someone that doesn't want to receive it. You can refuse (return-or toss in your case) delivery after the fact, but delivery has to be attempted. Someone paid to mail.
|
|
|
Post by stampinfraulein on Jul 5, 2016 15:33:49 GMT
Right now I've been having continuous problems with my mail so don't count me in with the defenders. I'm sitting here staring at the bin of mail that was scheduled to be picked up on Saturday but hey, here it still sits! But of course I still got the email that the pickup had been completed, which is a LIE and makes them look like they're doing their job even though they're not. This is a fairly regular occurrence for me, and a problem because I sell online so I frequently send out packages to customers. I have called and complained, gone in and complained, and none of it does any good. I think I'm going to start lodging formal emailed complaints to the postmaster, not that I think it will do any good either but it's worth a shot. On Memorial Day I had an Amazon package delivered and yet I never got it, so that means that the carrier put the key in the wrong box (we have large central mailboxes with parcel lockers) and someone took my box and I never got it. People in my neighborhood are having all kinds of problems with missing packages and it's obvious that the USPS is screwing it up, they're not being stolen off porches because of the parcel lockers. And on and on and on. I had a vacation hold a couple weeks ago and went to get my mail the day it was to be delivered and it wasn't there. Called the PO and asked where my mail was and she couldn't find it. I asked why it hadn't been delivered on the correct day and she said the carrier probably just wasn't paying any attention. Typical. We are on an 'auxiliary route' meaning we don't have a regular carrier. They use my route to train new carriers, hence the constant screw ups. I lived in my last house for 10 years and NEVER had any problems with my mail. I have lived in this house for 2 years and it has been constant problems.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 2, 2024 1:29:33 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 5, 2016 15:42:44 GMT
Oh honey. You are preaching to the choir here.
We live 1.5 hours east of Dallas in a town of 100,000. One hour further east of us is a town of 200,000.
When I mail an envelope to Dallas, it must first go to the small town one hour further east from Dallas, before it then turns back around and goes to Dallas.
Because that makes so much sense.
|
|
PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,739
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
|
Post by PLurker on Jul 5, 2016 15:50:48 GMT
@sdeven I know it doesn't sound like it makes sense. But the size of the town matters not. It goes to a central sorting center and out from there. Think of it as spokes of a wheel from the hub. Into center and then out to everywhere around center. Otherwise there would be a zillion trucks going everywhere to everywhere else...from A to B, from A to C, from C to A, from B to C and so on. This way it all goes to A (center) and distributes out to everywhere that center serves and to other centers. (who in turn distribute to POs they serve)
Clear as mud? (may be bad at explaining)
|
|
|
Post by compwalla on Jul 5, 2016 16:09:17 GMT
Oh honey. You are preaching to the choir here. We live 1.5 hours east of Dallas in a town of 100,000. One hour further east of us is a town of 200,000. When I mail an envelope to Dallas, it must first go to the small town one hour further east from Dallas, before it then turns back around and goes to Dallas. Because that makes so much sense. That is the exact same thing UPS and FedEx do with your packages. They go to a hub, get sorted, and then go on to their destination. If the hub is farther away than the final destination then your package logs extra miles. *shrug* The big problem with USPS is that the pre-funding mandate forced them to make cuts where they didn't want to. They were forced to close many hubs which delays processing, they were forced to get creative about carriers and now use part-time assistant carriers who are paid much less than career carriers, they closed or consolidated local post offices, cut counter hours, and they push push push the carriers to go faster which can cause mistakes. The end goal is to strangle the post office so that people who stand to profit can make a case for privatizing the US Mail. Make it impossible to keep going at the level of service the people expect through ridiculous mandates that no other company or agency is subject to in order to squeeze the PO into oblivion. If you want to place blame fairly, place it directly on your congress critters.
|
|
|
Post by Crack-a-lackin on Jul 5, 2016 17:11:58 GMT
I love the flat rate priority boxes and the self-serve kiosks! But my complaint with the USPS is re all the crap I get that I didn't request that fills up my box and now I have to be the one to take it to the recycling bin. I've tried opting out and stating I want stamped addressed mail only but it never seems to work! With getting my statements online I only ever receive legitimate mail maybe 2x week but I have to check more often because of the junk that fills it up and the mail carrier gets mad at me.You didn't request them, but the sender/mailer/advertiser paid for them to be delivered. USPS cannot deliver it just as it could not fail to deliver a card or package you (general you) send to someone that doesn't want to receive it. You can refuse (return-or toss in your case) delivery after the fact, but delivery has to be attempted. Someone paid to mail. Right, but what I was referring to mostly was the weekly grocery ads, etc. I should be able to choose to not receive those if I don't want them.
|
|
|
Post by ilikepink on Jul 5, 2016 17:33:57 GMT
Well, I made a change happen at my post office - Ordered and received a dressy dress that I had to return. Was anxiously awaiting the replacement as the event was coming up soon, and if there were any more returns/alterations, time was short. Was living in an apartment complex with small boxes. Received the card that says you a have a too-large package, pick it up after 830 at local post office on the following day. I had to call boss that I'd be late to work (started at 830) and go to post office, waiting for it to open. Hand them the card, to be told the package isn't there....wait, the card I got yesterday says you have the package...how do you give a card for package not received? I was then told the truck hadn't gotten there yet....wait, I got the card yesterday, how can it not be here? Well, come to find out that All of the Mail, and All of the Packages are at a different facility and then brought "first thing in the morning" to my closer PO. At 830, the truck hadn't arrived yet. I get all kinds of pissed off, saying so, and then drove to work. One the way, I pass the post office truck (presumably with my package on it) heading toward the post office. When I got to work, I was still royally pissed off and wrote a letter to the postmaster about the stupidity of their stupid way of doing things. About 3 weeks later, I got a response!!!! Was so excited!! He understood my frustration, acknowledged the system was lacking, and implemented a change: The card will no longer say pick up after 830; it will say come after 10. gotta love it!!!
|
|
|
Post by whopea on Jul 5, 2016 17:45:57 GMT
If I place a piece of mail in my town, addressed to someone in my town, it goes to Syracuse (70 miles away) and then back again despite the fact that we have a large main post office in my town. Like everything the government is involved in, it's ridiculously expensive (in terms of costs of operation) and it's inefficient. But let's give them health care too! What you stated is what happened when they closed down local mail gathering and sorting facilities in favor of regional operations in the hopes it would save them money. Their work rules are archaic and inefficient. It's no wonder their operations are so poor.
|
|
|
Post by nepean on Jul 5, 2016 23:02:29 GMT
I am a USPS defender as well, but something seriously has to change, and they unfortunately can't due to congress stupidity. My thoughts may not be popular but, they need to charge what it takes to at the minimum break even. This latest stupidity of lowering postage rates was foolish. US postage is CHEAP compared to most other countries, and sadly we are paying for the "CHEAP" in poor service and appalling working condition for the USPS postal staff. I also think they need to cease Saturday and Sunday deliveries, as they cannot afford it right now. But between Congress and pressure from places like Amazon, they are between a rock and hard place with no way out. Cutting out Saturday deliveries only means a huge amount of mail on Mondays. My husband is a letter carrier; he hates Mondays. He REALLY hates Tuesdays after a holiday. *cough*July5th*cough* By the time you factor in the overtime paid to carriers to deliver three days of mail in one day you are not likely to save any money by cutting out Saturday delivery. Well, that actually makes sense. I'm sorry your DH has a FULL day today
|
|
|
Post by Basket1lady on Jul 6, 2016 0:15:57 GMT
Well, here's my horror story. I ordered a box of 100 pants hangers for a consignment sale that I'm doing. They arrived today--3 days ahead of schedule. Go USPS! But wait--the box was soaking wet and in a very large, very flimsy ripped plastic bag. When I brought it inside, the box was literally leaking water all over me. I easily tore the box open rather than cutting the tape. Thankfully, they were just plastic hangers. I have them scattered all over the foyer right now to dry, but I just had to laugh. The PO put a stamp on the box that it was received in the damaged condition. Surrrrrre. I'm sure that a postal employee took possession of a dripping wet box literally disintegrating in my hands, put a postal label on it, and put it through the postal system.
|
|