The USPS... really lifting off of the throttle.

[Kuato]

USPS used to be bulletproof, but for me their service has gotten worse in the last couple of years, have had 2-3 letters never show up where they were sent.

To be fair, budget cuts have made them close several of their distribution centers which has resulted in slower service. I'm fine with slower, but when reliability issues begin then it's time to start looking for other options.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I'm always a little skeptical of USPS critism when I see the anti-gov agency stance, just like I'm skepticle about critism of a car make when there's an anti-UAW stance

. I've had all good experiences with the USPS.


Why don't you just call me a liar, and get it over with?

And by the way, I work for the State of Illinois. Don't try to play that "anti-government agency" game with me.

It won't work.

 

[mrsilv04]

Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I'm always a little skeptical of USPS critism when I see the anti-gov agency stance


There are definitely some questions to be asked about the anecdotal instances of bad service claimed in this thread. As I noted, I've had two problems with the USPS, but I've had more problems with UPS and Fedex, and I've shipped/received far fewer packages with them.

#1 - when where the packages actually shipped? When does the tracking show they were actually accepted by the USPS? Sometimes shippers claim a USPS delay when they're actually late to ship a package.

#2 - Was the item shipped to the correct address? I believe some mail will be returned to sender rather than forwarded if the incorrect address is used. I do freelance work for an organization and they have a terrible payment department. They frequently send my checks to an outdated address, despite my complaints, and the checks are returned to them, rather than forwarded to me.

I'm not saying the USPS is always perfect, but they've been very good for me. Sometimes there are outside forces that cause shipping problems and aren't the fault of the USPS.


1. All dates are taken from USPS scans.

2. As far as the inbound items, I've lived at the same address for 17 years now. I think I have it memorized at this point.

 

[mechanicx]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I'm always a little skeptical of USPS critism when I see the anti-gov agency stance, just like I'm skepticle about critism of a car make when there's an anti-UAW stance

. I've had all good experiences with the USPS.


Why don't you just call me a liar, and get it over with?

And by the way, I work for the State of Illinois. Don't try to play that "anti-government agency" game with me. It won't work.


If I was talking to you I would have. I was replying to another poster. Ever heard of a general comment about a general topic? There are people who are antagonistic to the post office and exaggerate poor service because it's not private. I know a lot of people who work for the government one way or the other and are that way still. Btw your original post does drip of anti-USPS sentiment but I'll let it go.


Anyway I wasn't saying I doubted your story, or anyone's in particular, but I question how common and typical it is. Some posters have in the past suggested it was common and I doubt that.

 

[stephen9666]

Originally Posted By: mrsilv04
Originally Posted By: stephen9666
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I'm always a little skeptical of USPS critism when I see the anti-gov agency stance


There are definitely some questions to be asked about the anecdotal instances of bad service claimed in this thread. As I noted, I've had two problems with the USPS, but I've had more problems with UPS and Fedex, and I've shipped/received far fewer packages with them.

#1 - when where the packages actually shipped? When does the tracking show they were actually accepted by the USPS? Sometimes shippers claim a USPS delay when they're actually late to ship a package.

#2 - Was the item shipped to the correct address? I believe some mail will be returned to sender rather than forwarded if the incorrect address is used. I do freelance work for an organization and they have a terrible payment department. They frequently send my checks to an outdated address, despite my complaints, and the checks are returned to them, rather than forwarded to me.

I'm not saying the USPS is always perfect, but they've been very good for me. Sometimes there are outside forces that cause shipping problems and aren't the fault of the USPS.


1. All dates are taken from USPS scans.

2. As far as the inbound items, I've lived at the same address for 17 years now. I think I have it memorized at this point.


Sometimes people seem more likely to share bad experiences and not the good experiences. Have you had any good USPS experiences in between your bad USPS experiences? Is your mail delivery generally good?

As someone who has has many, many more good USPS transactions than bad, I would hope (and suspect) that you haven't only had bad experiences.

 

[mechanicx]

I agree there too, people have had good and bad experiences with USPS and FedEx and UPS for that matter. It's partly perception and doesn't represent everyone's experience.

That said, I haven't really experienced it yet but I don't entirely doubt that the postal service could be getting worse or that the service could suddenly be going down in quality because of cutbacks. There are people actively trying or at least hoping to make the post office fail. That's what my comment was really about rather than insinuating anyone was lying.

 

[3311]

Is anyone really suprised by this? USPS customer service blows!! In the last couple of months I have seen a worker literally lock the door in front of 3 people on a Saturday at exactley 12:00pm. And I just waited in line for about 15 minutes because there was only one counter person was working. When it got to be a few minutes before 4pm, 3 additonal counter people came up to help move out the dozen or so people in line. Something tells me if it wasn't so close to closing time I would have waited another 30 minutes for that human rain delay to mail my package.

 

[Kruse]

Thanks to facilities that are closing or being consolidated, USPS is having some pains. My mom gets a local weekly newspaper from a nearby town. It used to arrive in her mailbox on Thursday, but the notice in her hometown post office says it will now arrive on Saturday, thanks to a main sorting facility shutting down. By the time she gets to read it, it will be old news.

 

[eljefino]

USPS is more convenient for me; to drop off at fedex I have to go to the airport and for UPS, staples. I don't want to hit the big box store/ parking lot just to send a $5 whozit. There's a freestanding PO in every town and they actually put them on Main Street, usually.

Yeah they could do better with their tracking, a lot better. Think of the control freaks who hit reload on their browsers 5x a day to see where their thing is.

UPS has the worst attitude... they dropped a generator I ordered so hard they sheared the aluminum casting that bolts to the motor mounts/frame. They probably did a cost/benefit analysis of paying out 1% claims vs how much time they save dropping stuff from one conveyor to another in their boiler room.

One mustn't forget USPS's duty to deliver to 100% of the country, not 99%. They can't cherry pick the profitable stuff and ignore "books for the blind" and other profit-losing duties.

 

[KawasakiGuy]

I love reading USPS/Canada Post bashing posts.

I have had way more good experiences then bad ones. They are a company and not perfect. I'm sure there are many out there that would never trust their packages with UPS, Fed Ex, DHL because of past issues.

I've taken the time to talk to my Letter Carrier and understand what it takes them to deliver my mail and parcels. My Carrier not only delivers packages, but letters, registers, express items, handles customs items, c.o.d's etc and on top of that has a route that has him walking 14 Kilometers a day. Does he deliver some of my items late? Sure, once in a while but he still gets a healthy tip at Christmas from my family.

If there were no USPS/Canada Post you'd be paying $20 to mail a letter to your neighbor 2 streets over.

 

[JHZR2]

funny, we send a lot of mail down to US territories in the Caribbean.

It will take weeks by UPS, and a LOT of money. We get consistent 2-3 day service with USPS priority for far less money. the price could double and we would still do better.

UPS stuff gets shipped to a trailer in Miami and then taken down by another private carrier. Its that much cheaper and faster than these carriers that many insist to swoon over as somehow better than usps.

 

[Hermann]

Never have any problems with the much maligned postal service. They even put my first class envelopes inside my screen door for me. I wish UPS was so considerate. Got a small first class box with eyeglasses inside from NY to Kansas City in 3 days. What more can you ask for.

 

[DuckRyder]

I generally use USPS priority, if it fits in a flat rate box there isn't a more cost effective way to get something half way across the country in 2 days.

I've only had 2 problems, both recently one took 3 days (atlanta to amarillo) and one was almost returned but calling and faxing the post office it was located in got it delivered (never did figure out what was wrong it was correctly addressed and the company said they had never had a forwarding order, but USPS tracking said it was "forwarding order expired").

USPS tracking is inferior for sure, I've had stuff get delivered before any tracking showed up on it...

 

[mechanicx]

But see that hasn't been my experience with the USPS. The post office is open the hours posted and conveniently located and been there for years. The staff has always been helpful, telling you the cheapest way to ship and package an item. then the lobby is open 24 hours to buy postage and to mail and ship items.

Contrasts this with FedEX. The location was further away and resembled a janitor's closet in some obscure shopping mall. There was some snotty and kind of rude kid working there. But I wouldn't say that's how every FedEx ship point is.

 

[OilNerd]

Mechanicx, keep in mind that USPS Customer Service can vary wildly between different post offices, even in the same area.

One post office in my area has consistent lines, understaffing at the counter, and "mixed" friendliness; at another, they bend over backwards for me and are always friendly.

As a whole, I give USPS an 8 out 10. Pretty good overall in cost and service, but some room for improvement, especially in package tracking.

 

[mrsilv04]

Since there's a question about the validity of my claims:

Here's the tracking information for the Priority Mail package that took 6 days to be delivered. Shipped March 15, arrived March 21.

 

[mrsilv04]

Here's the tracking information for the Priority Mail package that took 4 days to be delivered. Shipped March 26, arrived March 30.

And note on the far right where it notes that March 28 should have been the delivery date.

 

[mrsilv04]

Here's the tracking information for the Priority Mail package that took 7 days to be delivered.

Shipped on February 12, delivered on February 19.

 

[MBS500]

Mine was fine. Sold air filter. Dropped at usps on 28th. Used priority. Delivered to WI on 30th at 10.30 am

 

[mrsilv04]

And as a bonus, here's the tracking information for the First Class package that left Atlanta, GA on Monday, but hasn't been scanned since last Wednesday in a suburb of St. Louis (150 miles from me).

And again, please note the column at the far right, which lists an expected delivery date of..... March 28th.

Thursday the 28th = no scan
Friday the 29th = no scan
Saturday the 30th = no scan