Had the local Postmaster hang up the phone on me after reporting a botched delivery.

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So, I had a very important package mailed to me. I didn't get a choice on the 'mailed' part, meaning it was sent via USPS, as that was the sender's choice (and the senders $$$).

It was sent Priority Mail, Insured, with a signature required on delivery. And of course, it was two days late... which is obligatory at this time of year.

And what happened? The mail carrier stuffed it into my mailbox (forcibly, as it didn't really fit to begin with), and then drove off. No effort to even collect a signature, as no one ever left the truck, or even approached my front door.

After putting this all together, I called the Post Office seeking an explanation. I reached the Postmaster, and explained the situation. It was very clear by the tone of his voice and by the content of what he was responding to me with, that he really didn't care and felt that I was wasting his time. When I pointed this out to him, he hung up the phone on me.

Of course, the Postmaster didn't realize that I live just three blocks from the Post Office, and that he's really easy to find. So, I put on a jacket and took a short walk to the Post Office so we could finish the conversation that he rather rudely ended. I walked in, waited in line with the package in hand, and when it was my turn I politely explained to the clerk that I needed to talk to the Postmaster, as we had been speaking on the phone and I had been rudely hung up on. I was now there to finish the conversation, as I was not through.

After a few minutes, the Postmaster met me at a side door, well away from other customers... of course. The first thing that he did was to threaten to call the police on me, and have me removed from the building. That sounds impressive until one realizes that it would take them at least 15 minutes to respond to a call like that. I know, as I've lived here for 25 years. When it was obvious that he was over-reacting and that I was not any sort of threat, we were eventually able to have a conversation like two adults.... or as 'adult' as someone who works for the Post Office and hangs up on people can be.

We discussed the issues, and he agreed that it none of it had been handled well at all. Of course, it was every excuse in the book... COVID, Christmas, midget porn, you name it. I bluntly told him that he really needs to re-think the hanging up the phone on people strategy, as he's actually really easy to find. It took me 10 minutes, and 5 of those minutes I was standing in line. I reminded him that he had hung up on me without me raising my voice, and without cursing or using any derogatory terms towards him OR his staff. His excuse for that was that "usually people call back". I also suggested that when he is going to hang up on someone, to at least announce that's what he's doing... before he does it. I told him that just slamming down the phone is a really a cheap move.

In typical USPS style, I really didn't get an apology for the typical poor service, other than he'd have a conversation with the carrier who delivered the package, and mention it to all of the carriers as a reminder. I wish I had a union that would do such a good job in protecting me, when I intentionally don't do my job. I did get an apology for getting hung up on, however. Unlike the earlier conversation where I was hung up on, we were able to end this conversation with an elbow bump.

So for everyone that might not understand why I must disguise my used oil samples, by sealing them in an Amazon bag before mailing them... this is exactly why. This is the level of thinking, and the lack of service that the USPS provides in my town.
 
I hear you. I had problems with my local USPS but at least they were nice. Incompetent but nice. Does working at the post office make people a certain way or do they hire people are already are a certain way.

One time I had a mail hold because I was going on vacation. Set the hold up online via their webpage. Got home from vacation and two days later still no mail. I called them up and they tell me...."yeah, we had you on hold but forgot when you're coming back so we figured you'd call us once you realized you weren't getting mail." But they were nice and said if I could get there inside 10 minutes they'd give me my mail and packages at the back door loading dock.

Another time the line is really long and I needed to mail a package. I'm the next one in line. The line is longer behind me than when I arrived. Guy in front of me finishes his business that all could have been taken care of without a visit to the post office but he wanted to hand his Xmas cards to the clerk personally. He asked for some stamps. The clerk asked what kind. He said he wasn't sure. Out came about a dozen different stamp sheets and booklets to choose from. Birds, flower, flags... And the clerk was so excited.
 
You are not alone. Some of my packages wind up 3 miles away. I sometimes get her packages. I will get her phone number the next time around. I’ve gotten the Covid excuse for not getting a signature. Heck, our mail carrier even signed for one of my packages. FedEx isn’t much better. I will do my best to use UPS when I can.
 
Around here USPS is slightly better than fedex, which isn't saying much. I avoid FedEx if humanly possible.
UPS is pretty good here. If we have USPS mail and are at the UPS store, they will take it and drop it off at USPS for us when they make their run there.
 
I had a Christmas package delivered to a wrong address a year ago that was supposed to be for me from my mother.

For this reason I'll never have anything nice to say about the USPS.
 
In typical USPS style, I really didn't get an apology for the typical poor service, other than he'd have a conversation with the carrier who delivered the package, and mention it to all of the carriers as a reminder. I wish I had a union that would do such a good job in protecting me, when I intentionally don't do my job. I did get an apology for getting hung up on, however. Unlike the earlier conversation where I was hung up on, we were able to end this conversation with an elbow bump.
Now the mail carriers will magically "lose" all your future mail as retribution ... :LOL: That's what they do in my neighborhood when someone complains about their delivery mistakes.
 
I had a Christmas package delivered to a wrong address a year ago that was supposed to be for me from my mother.
I get mis-delivered mail doing on at least once a week. It's just too complicated for them to understand that there are 5 streets adjacent to each other with the same house numbers. They also mix mail between the houses even on the same street. I never knew delivering mail was so complicated, lol.
 
USPS is having more problems with delivery right now. Lack of dedicated workers, Covid, holiday rush and many delivery people who just don't care. There are good employees but the bad ones drag the whole system down. I use a feature called "Informed Delivery" that atleast gives me a heads up as to what is supposed to be delivered that day. After setting up an account, I can log in to their site or I get an email with images of what is to be delivered.
 
I use a feature called "Informed Delivery"
When I had problems with the delivery, the USPS guy suggested me this. One email daily, so if it is misdelivered, easy to figure out.

When things go south, local USPS folks are apologetic but always say, we are doing our best with the resources we have.
 
The post office here is very good, as is UPS. FedEx sucks, either the driver is lazy and can't read an address or he doesn't give a crap. On a few occasions my packages ended up across the street on the neighbor's front porch. Tuesday four tires where sitting on her porch, just waiting for porch pirates to come and give them a new home!!
 
Like any organization, there are some very good people there and some who, well, are not so good. The problem is that it is VERY hard to get rid of the bad ones or even for superiors to take disciplinary action. That's one of the biggest problems with the Federal Government. It is too big, and its bureaucrats and employees are too secure. So bad service or low productivity are epidemic. Inefficiency is a major problem, too, as you have to hire more people for a productivity level that should require fewer.

The USPS needs some major overhaul or its job needs to be privatized. Besides that, its relevance is diminishing, which compounds the problem.
 
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Like others have said I trust USPS to get my packages here on the scheduled day more than FedEx around here.. UPS usually does well though. Seeing more delays/late packages now than I ever have before, but I suppose that's expected.

No excuse for the local postmaster acting the way yours did..
 
The postmaster of my local post office is a sarcastic so & so. I hate talking to him on the phone or in person. Now the rest of his staff is really nice.
If the next encounter I have with the postmaster is anything like the others have been, I'll file a complaint against him with the Postal Service and I'll also send a copy of my complaint to my Congressman, and let the Postal Service know that I am also notifying my Congressman as well.

I did that once before in another city I lived in and it did get the attention of the local personnel, and an improvement in service for the people in my neighborhood.
 
Around me the USPS is horrid. UPS is excellent and Fed Ex is excellent as well. Two weeks ago I lodged a formal complaint online. Unlike most USPS issues, the online complaint is quite painless. The complaint gets to the correct location within 24 hours. My issue was that packagers were tracked showing out for delivery and then never delivered that day. Instead reasons such as "driveway blocked" "no access to home" were used. My driveway was never blocked and there is at least 60ft wide access available to anyone making a delivery. From a friend who is a USPS worker, delivery drivers are not supposed to return to home base at the end of the day unless all mail and packages have been delivered. You can readily identify the breakdown of this policy!

The answer, in writing from the postmaster was absurd. If it weren't the USPS I would not believe it. He stated that while the driveway blocked and no access may not have been accurate, the driver is limited in his choices to describe an issue. The wall gets it; the USPS does not.
 
In my area:
USPS- Sucks
FedEx- Sucks
UPS- Rockstars
Amazon- Rockstars

USPS will mark packages delivered then they show up days later. I have FedEx on my doorbell camera throwing a 1500$ land survey prism up 10 brick steps and onto my front stoop, bouncing off my front door. Sent FedEx an email to customer service along with a copy of the video and was told to basically go pound sand. I am waiting to catch the FedEx guy so I can confront him and ask him if he intends to throw all of my packages or just the expensive ones marked fragile.

we try to order most everything from Amazon now. At least it arrives in two days and their customer service department is first rate in our experiences.
 
As terrible as it is, USPS is the best here. We used to have a good postmaster. He retired. His replacement was decent, then she retired and they went to an itinerant arrangement. They are lazy and incompetent and anything over 10 pounds just is too heavy, not moved or purposely dropped, because.........too heavy. But at least you can talk to somebody, Even if like talking to a newborn. I use Informed Delivery and if you want to see someone get hilariously defensive, print a scan of a piece that never showed up and show that to them hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahha................idiots.

Fedex is 2nd best, packages not too badly destroyed. No contact though, but on time, polite and almost always intact.

Worst is UPS. Every truck and every center has two shredders. One coming in and one going out. Plus random delivery locations of shredded packages, bushes, lawn, driveway, street, etc....and when they say dropped off, yeah dropped off the truck and run over. And just try to get ahold of them. Not going to happen.
 
They all have pros and cons. For the sporadic user, UPS and fedex are prohibitively expensive. UPS and fedex just drop packages, occasionally damaged, without much consideration.

I have had one questionably lost package from USPS. We had a piece of electronics sent to us, and it was insured. The PO marked it as delivered, though we never got it. Because they had marked it as delivered, insurance wasn’t payable. Of course it wasn’t delivered. I have packages dropped off and sitting on my front step for a full day or days at a time.Never any lost (knocking on wood). That is the only one... which is dubious...

USPS employees knew how to play the game, what wasn’t tracked the right way (ie signature confirmation), and was able to steal it as a result. That’s the only outcome I can come up with.

Their insurance also stinks. I had something on eBay damaged, didn’t want to give up all the parts for a single portion of the item being clearly damaged, and had a terrible time with getting insurance money back.
 
The mail carrier stuffed it into my mailbox (forcibly, as it didn't really fit to begin with), and then drove off. No effort to even collect a signature, as no one ever left the truck, or even approached my front door.
Signature confirmation is to protect the sender, not you. Why are you so upset about it? If you want to be vengeful, claim you never got it and get your money back from the sender (assuming it's merchandise) and let them put a trace on it.
 
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