Post office woes

[EweSheep]

Im sure 11 years has gone by and things have changed. Even Express mail has their days of "no tracking" list. I've gotten a few Express mail that didn't show up at all until it finds its way to my doorstep. Yes they do need to improve but with the cost cutting, employee morals, it has gotten down pretty bad. My good friend who is the IL Postal Inspector for the state, does alot of traveling, just retired a month ago and he has told us the problems that the USPS are having was outrunning what they can solve the problem. It is like a cut that just bleeds profusely, that no amount of pressure is going to stop it.

Until that time of the obsolete of USPS, I think they will be around for a while. After all we still send packages in the mail. And the Forever stamps, sounds great but it will kill the USPS every time they have to raise the prices on other stamps. Either get rid of the forever stamps or go under.

If the "higher ups" in any company would get their head out of their XXXXXX and work WITH us, be more receptive to the postmasters/carrier's concerns and ideas, USPS would go further but all it boils down to the hard and cold reality.....their way to demise.

 

[LisaCammie]

I've had the worst time with the post office this year. Overnight shippings is not "guaranteed" so when you pay for overnight shipping it may arrive in a few days. A package that was addressed correctly to the same address where I always have packages delivered was labeled as "undeliverable" on the tracking system so the company that sent it won't reimburse me for shipping or send out a new package until they get the old "undeliverable" package back. The catch is that in two weeks it hasn't shown up anywhere. Apparently "undeliverable" means "lost" and I'm out $50. Chalk it up to the Christmas rush if you like but all my FedEx and UPS packages have arrived on time (or early) and tracking information has been up to date and correct. I think I will stop ordering from companies who ship through the post office. It's just not worth the headache. My experiences at the post office sending out cards and packages has been a nightmare too - inconsistant, extra charges for weight or size one day and no extra charges the next when I'm sending out the exact same thing.

 

[cravenchx]

If the "higher ups" in any company would get their head out of their XXXXXX and work WITH us, be more receptive to the postmasters/carrier's concerns and ideas,




x's2

 

[eggdd]

Quote:
Normally, I totally ignore this type of thread but this misinformation needs to stop. You aren't "paying for" the USPS unless you are buying stamps and sending parcels. The USPS is not run with your tax dollars like many other government agencies.

Regarding tracking-If you are referring to "Delivery Confirmation", that is DELVERY Confirmation, not tracking. If you want to track something, meaning have it scanned at each facility it reaches, you have to use Express Mail. These items are handling completely separately from the millions of other pieces the USPS handles and therefore can be scanned in each facility.

Yes......I was a USPS letter carrier for 15 years.

i think what you meant to say the usps doesn't directly receive tax payer money. and hasn't since 1982. we all know about that. the only thing is: they totally receive taxpayer money. i can go in several directions here, but just go find the info for yourself.

also, i'm talking about tracking.

 

[Melissa Rose]

My husband heard on the news the other night that they might do away with the Priority mail all together

 

[LeasureChix]

Quote:
Normally, I totally ignore this type of thread but this misinformation needs to stop. You aren't "paying for" the USPS unless you are buying stamps and sending parcels. The USPS is not run with your tax dollars like many other government agencies. There is free "franked" mail for certain government agencies and non-profits get a break (eliminating this is being looked at), but the USPS is more independent than you may realize.
I want to make clear that I believe there is great room for improvement within the USPS but we should be pushing for improvement not elimination of it, but this is not the place for that.
The USPS had to PREpay retirement and health benefits, something no other goverment or private business has had to do. Another reason the USPS is in the trouble it is in is the same reason many businesses are in trouble, there is less business for them. More email and electronic payments have reduced the amount of money coming in and UPS and FedEx, while taking the money making parcel business in more highly populated areas, leaves the USPS to deliver every where else. The founding fathers realized the importance of the ability for EVERYONE to have mail delivery and created the USPS. Those that live in rural areas are still Americans deserving of the "universal service mandate" that the USPS operates under.

Regarding tracking-If you are referring to "Delivery Confirmation", that is DELVERY Confirmation, not tracking. If you want to track something, meaning have it scanned at each facility it reaches, you have to use Express Mail. These items are handling completely separately from the millions of other pieces the USPS handles and therefore can be scanned in each facility.

Yes......I was a USPS letter carrier for 15 years. I loved my job but was often frustrated with decisions made by "higher ups" that made no sense to those of us doing the actual work. No, I don't work there now, I left 11 years ago to care for a child with disabilities. Take sometime to talk directly to your mail carrier and clerk or postmaster at your own post office. You will find it's like every other workplace in America, there are dedicated employees and others that could care less about the quality of work they do.
I hope all your parcels arrive safely, regardless of what service you use to send them.

Thank you for speaking up. I'm a postal contractor and was ready to make the same points. Not sure why people think "they" are paying for the USPS. The USPS pays for itself. No other parcel carrier out there is prepared to deliver to every house in America every day. That's why they don't deliver letters.

Yes, this is the busiest time of the year for the USPS but they also have extra trucks on the road to make sure they can handle it. Actually, in the So OR area, there are people that can get next day express mail sent (rather than 2 day) during these 2 weeks because of the extra service provided between the post office and the local processing plant.

The postal employees and independent contractors work real hard to get those egg packages (and everything else) delivered to your door step.

This morning I'm going to our processing plant to pick up shipped eggs. That will be my 6th egg shipment in just over a week. So far, I've had 1 cracked egg. Things happen. Oh wow.... I guess that's a lot of eggs!

Happy hatching

 

[LeasureChix]

Quote:
Very highly doubtful. Priority mail and express mail will still be available. Some mail might be delayed by 1 day if 1/2 the processing plants are closed because it will take longer to drive the mail to the other facilities and then back to the post offices. Even that has been put on hold.

 

[halo]

Quote:
Normally, I totally ignore this type of thread but this misinformation needs to stop. You aren't "paying for" the USPS unless you are buying stamps and sending parcels. The USPS is not run with your tax dollars like many other government agencies.

Regarding tracking-If you are referring to "Delivery Confirmation", that is DELVERY Confirmation, not tracking. If you want to track something, meaning have it scanned at each facility it reaches, you have to use Express Mail. These items are handling completely separately from the millions of other pieces the USPS handles and therefore can be scanned in each facility.

Yes......I was a USPS letter carrier for 15 years.

i think what you meant to say the usps doesn't directly receive tax payer money. and hasn't since 1982. we all know about that. the only thing is: they totally receive taxpayer money. i can go in several directions here, but just go find the info for yourself.

also, i'm talking about tracking.

From above:

Regarding tracking-If you are referring to "Delivery Confirmation", that is DELVERY Confirmation, not tracking. If you want to track something, meaning have it scanned at each facility it reaches, you have to use Express Mail. These items are handling completely separately from the millions of other pieces the USPS handles and therefore can be scanned in each facility.

 

[LeasureChix]

The Postmaster General has ideas but hands are tied... by Congress. If you have problems with the USPS, go to your Postmaster with complaints or your local government.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
I dont think you can complain to the local government. They have a HARD task to do.