I hate the Post Office

[buddahj]

I was at work today and had to send a torque wrench in for repair. I went to the Post Office and filled out the shipping label. I stood in line for about 10-15 minutes (there were 6 people ahead of me) while only one person was working the windows. I guess the other two people I saw were on a break. When I finally got to the front of the line, I asked if they had a box I could ship it back in, since they had none out front. He said yes & got me a box. I then said, "I need delivery confimation & insurance on this package. He said, "I can't help you until you put the box together. You'll need to do this & then go to the back of the line." Are you kidding me??? It took me all of about 30 seconds to put the box together. The Post Office's customer service sux. Every time I go there it's like this.

[Footballjoe]

The few Post Office I go to have always been real helpful and mostly speedy. One thing AI have noticed is that they are removing the stamp machines. I don't get it. You have to stand in line just to get stamps.

[TimC]

I've always wondered how much more money the USPS would have saved if they didn't build their offices with the assumption that they'd ever really hire 6 people to man all the customer service windows instead of the one dodo you always end up with.

[Big John]

The few Post Office I go to have always been real helpful and mostly speedy. One thing AI have noticed is that they are removing the stamp machines. I don't get it. You have to stand in line just to get stamps.

They did that a couple years back around here.

[Shaman]

The few Post Office I go to have always been real helpful and mostly speedy. One thing AI have noticed is that they are removing the stamp machines. I don't get it. You have to stand in line just to get stamps.

We get the forever stamps at costco. Pack of 100 at guaranteed rate and no Postal Office!!

[wiegie]

He said, "I can't help you until you put the box together. You'll need to do this & then go to the back of the line." Are you kidding me???

At the post offices around here, they just tell you to come back to them when you are finished--no need at all to go to the back of the line.

 

Perhaps they just hate you specifically.

[Chargerz]

We get the forever stamps at costco. Pack of 100 at guaranteed rate and no Postal Office!!

+1

 

I avoid going into the post office at all cost.

[Ursa Majoris]

At the post offices around here, they just tell you to come back to them when you are finished--no need at all to go to the back of the line.

 

Perhaps they just hate you specifically.

+1 for here too. If you've got to do a form or whatever, they tell you to step aside then when you're done, it's your turn again. Very fair, I think.

[Gopher]

If it's not a letter or a postcard, there is absolutely no good reason to mess with USPS. FedEx is cheaper, more reliable, and less time-consuming. Just take what you want to ship to the nearest FedEx Office (Kinko's) next time. If it has to go in a box (won't fit in an envelope), even UPS would have been a better option than the post office.

 

Think about it... How can a business that charges less than 50 cents to pick up AND deliver an envelope, from one side of the country to the other, stay in business? It's because they make all of their profits off of their over-priced rates for larger packages (anything that's not a letter/envelope). On the other hand, if every consumer was cost-conscious, and only used the post office for letters, they probably would have gone out of business 20 years ago (and then we wouldn't be able to send a letter for less than a couple bucks, minimum).

[Ursa Majoris]

If it's not a letter or a postcard, there is absolutely no good reason to mess with USPS. FedEx is cheaper, more reliable, and less time-consuming. Just take what you want to ship to the nearest FedEx Office (Kinko's) next time. If it has to go in a box (won't fit in an envelope), even UPS would have been a better option than the post office.

 

Think about it... How can a business that charges less than 50 cents to pick up AND deliver an envelope, from one side of the country to the other, stay in business? It's because they make all of their profits off of their over-priced rates for larger packages (anything that's not a letter/envelope). On the other hand, if every consumer was cost-conscious, and only used the post office for letters, they probably would have gone out of business 20 years ago (and then we wouldn't be able to send a letter for less than a couple bucks, minimum).

Do FedEx and UPS do flat rate packages for our troops overseas? Just asking. And I totally disagree about the efficiency of the counter staff and the pricing too. My local FedEx always seems to be running day release work sessions for the terminally dimwitted.

[Gopher]

Do FedEx and UPS do flat rate packages for our troops overseas? Just asking. And I totally disagree about the efficiency of the counter staff and the pricing too. My local FedEx always seems to be running day release work sessions for the terminally dimwitted.

Wasn't really referring to any sort of "promotional" things that the post office might do. Strictly speaking in terms of standard rates, it is common knowledge for anybody in the industry that UPS and FedEx rates blow the post office away... whether it's a 5 lb. package or 150 lbs. In other words, people who ship boxes through the post office simply must not be concerned with the cost (unless they're shipping to a soldier overseas, apparently). There may be certain other situations where the postal rates aren't that bad, but for the most part, they are. That's what I find so funny about going to the post office... people stand in line for 30-40 minutes sometimes, apparently not even realizing that there's another option that is most likely less costly, and will probably get their package delivered more quickly as well. If that doesn't matter to them, I guess that's their choice I... I was simply pointing out that there is a cheaper (and in my opinion, quicker) way to ship a package than standing and waiting at the local post office. Once again, shipments to troops was not what I was referring to, specifically... If that's what they offer for those shipments, that's great.

 

As for efficiency of counter staff, I've had good experiences and bad, when using the post office, but they're lines are typically much longer than any FedEx Office location or UPS store. I generally avoid the post office, at all costs, unless I'm there to get stamps... and even that I won't do unless I have absolutely no other choice (no Costco nearby, no stamp machines, something I need to mail that day, etc.).

 

I've worked for FedEx for 15 years, so trust me, I am well aware that there are plenty of idiots within the company. Are there any more than those who work for UPS or the post office? I highly doubt it. I know dozens of people who have left both USPS and UPS to come work for FedEx (which, by the way, is the only corporation of the three that is growing year after year, in terms of both number of employees and revenue... the other two are going in the opposite direction). Conversely, in my 15 years, I have never once heard of a FedEx employee leaving to go work for UPS, and I can honestly only think of one or two instances where someone left FedEx to go work for the post office. Both of those situations, if I remember correctly, were due to the fact that the employees accepted positions with FedEx, not realizing that they were non-union (that fact alone proves how bright they were), and decided that they would rather pursue a position in a union environment that they were more familiar with.

 

Bottom line... To each their own. And, I can certainly understand why someone who has a friend/relative overseas might defend the post office, given the good deal they apparently offer. But, there's a reason one company has been taking business from the other two, year after year, for the better part of the past two decades.

 

Edit: I want to clarify one thing... The postal rates that are flat rates, in general, are pretty decent. I realize that there are more options than just the standard "envelope" that fall under this umbrella. What I'm referring to are the people who stand in line, waiting to ship a 30 lb. package at the post office, in a box too large to fall under any of their standard flat rates. Those shipments cost more through the post office, in comparison to their competitors. If those customers realized that they can ship for less at Kinko's or UPS, maybe the lines at the post office wouldn't be so damn long.

Edited May 23, 2010 by Gopher

[Gopher]

Back to my original post... In terms of efficiency, I was referring more to the ability to get package from point A to point B... not customer counter efficiency. FedEx/UPS are both well above 99% efficiency, in terms of getting packages delivered on-time. Their "slowest" service, shipping via ground as opposed to express/air, will get a package from L.A. to NYC in 3-4 days. Meanwhile, all the post office can guarantee is that they can get a package from CA to the midwest (not even the East coast, but just halfway across the country) in 7 business days or less. Sure, they might get it there faster, but that's all they will "guarantee." If you want to guarantee that it will be there in three days or less, you're going to pay roughly 2-3 times as much through the post office.

 

Again... this is assuming it is a package too large to fit in one of their standard "flat rate" boxes. So, essentially, I do understand that the post office has its place. Shipping large boxes through them, though, just doesn't make sense (but I see a lot of people do it, and I highly doubt they're all military-related shipments).

 

Edit: Fixed for accuracy (I looked up the rates).

Edited May 23, 2010 by Gopher

[Gopher]

After looking at the rates, the postal rates aren't quite as bad as I thought. Still not as good as the others, but not horrible. I think where UPS/FedEx really have an advantage is through their corporate discounts... Large shippers get huge discounts (as much as 30-40 percent, depending on what they ship, and how much). In some rare situations, the discount may even be more than that. For the average Joe off the street, they're still better than USPS (for somebody who is supplying their own box), but not by as much as I thought. I'm actually a little surprised... there used to be a larger discrepancy. Maybe the Postal Service is realizing that they have to drop some of their rates to compete.

[Gopher]

Ursa,

 

The military thing is pretty cool... Thanks for pointing that out (I was unaware). Kind of like the discount I used to get as an employee... I could ship any box (up to 150 lbs.) for $3, to anywhere in the 48 states. They changed it a few years ago... Now, I "only" get 50% off Ground, and 75% off Express shipments. Still really good, but the $3 thing definitely had its advantages.

 

FedEx does some similar things... Katrina comes to mind, where they donated trailers full of food/supplies, and delivered them to the areas of devestation.

 

Still, the flat rate for troops is a very noble thing for the USPS to offer.

[REZ]

I always use one of those mailbox et cetera places.

Never more then 1person in line there.

[tazinib1]

I always use one of those mailbox et cetera places.

Never more then 1person in line there.

 

+1

[Scorcher]

I've always wondered how much more money the USPS would have saved if they didn't build their offices with the assumption that they'd ever really hire 6 people to man all the customer service windows instead of the one dodo you always end up with.

 

 

I think they build 6 windows in case the scale in one window breaks down.

[detlef]

I've always assumed that the USPS low rates on 1st class mail were subsidized by the virtual mountain of bulk-rate stuff that goes out. Sure, it's cheaper per unit than the person to person stuff, but when you think about the volume. Actually sort of changed my mind about how annoying that stuff is. We tolerate commercials on TV because there's no way most of the shows could survive based only on whatever cut of the cable bill their stations get. So, if you want football, you contend with ads. If you want to be able to put a piece of paper in a box at your house and have it make it all the way to grandma's house across the country in less than a week, all for less than $.50, you have to tolerate a bunch of crap mail as well.

 

Oh, and I rarely have any issues with the post office. Besides, all the ones around me have kiosks in the front room that allow you to do automated shipping anyway.

[frankf]

I always package my items at home and print the label through Paypal, that way I can just go in a drop it off.

[major-tom]

I always package my items at home and print the label through Paypal, that way I can just go in a drop it off.

 

Finally the voice of reason, & paypal is just one option for priniting your own labels.

[driveby]

I was at work today and had to send a torque wrench in for repair. I went to the Post Office and filled out the shipping label. I stood in line for about 10-15 minutes (there were 6 people ahead of me) while only one person was working the windows. I guess the other two people I saw were on a break. When I finally got to the front of the line, I asked if they had a box I could ship it back in, since they had none out front. He said yes & got me a box. I then said, "I need delivery confimation & insurance on this package. He said, "I can't help you until you put the box together. You'll need to do this & then go to the back of the line." Are you kidding me??? It took me all of about 30 seconds to put the box together. The Post Office's customer service sux. Every time I go there it's like this.

Just wait until these same public servants are in charge of scheduling your MRI and determining which treatment plan is appropriate for you based on your expected quality of life score.