USPS Deserves to go down

Status
Not open for further replies.
I haven't noticed any less friendliness and professionalism with the post office vs UPS/FedEX. The post office has always been friendly and helpful to me. With UPS/FedEX I get the sense I'm dealing with an underpayed overburden temporary/transient worker.

Another thing I dislike about UPS/FedEx is they usually deliver late and after 5 pm. And if the package doesn't arrive on Friday it has to wait till Monday. Whereas the post office delivers by noon and usually before 2 pm. UPS/Fedex seem to have less drivers deliver more packages and they take care of their more profitable customers first.

The post office locations are more convenient and I can go into the lobby 24 hours/day and buy postage and ship packages. And if i go to the main post office I have till like 7 pm to get a package out, and sometimes till midnight on tax day lol.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I haven't noticed any less friendliness and professionalism with the post office vs UPS/FedEX. The post office has always been friendly and helpful to me. With UPS/FedEX I get the sense I'm dealing with an underpayed overburden temporary/transient worker.

Another thing I dislike about UPS/FedEx is they usually deliver late and after 5 pm. And if the package doesn't arrive on Friday it has to wait till Monday. Whereas the post office delivers by noon and usually before 2 pm. UPS/Fedex seem to have less drivers deliver more packages and they take care of their more profitable customers first.

The post office locations are more convenient and I can go into the lobby 24 hours/day and buy postage and ship packages. And if i go to the main post office I have till like 7 pm to get a package out, and sometimes till midnight on tax day lol.

Opposite here. My regular mail carrier WILL NOT get out of her vehicle to deliver a package that won't fit into my mailbox. Then, when I find a message slip in my box that says I can pick up my package at a completely inconvenient time for me at the post office...I'm frustrated. UPS/Fedex will always come to my front door and if I'm not home they will leave my package in a hidden spot near my door. Never had anything stolen either (lucky I suppose).
 
Well I don't know why your experience there is so bad. I've lived in at least three different states for a spell and never had a problem with the post office, or personally known anyone else that has and some of them have lived all over the country. I don't really have a problem with any of the other carriers Fedex and UPS either, but I prefer to do business with and would prefer to work for the post office.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Well I don't know why your experience there is so bad. I've lived in at least three different states for a spell and never had a problem with the post office, or personally known anyone else that has and some of them have lived all over the country. I don't really have a problem with any of the other carriers Fedex and UPS either, but I prefer to do business with and would prefer to work for the post office.

Funny thing is......I work in a receiving department at a huge company and deal with at least over 30 freight carriers and package delivery companies. FedEx, UPS, and DHL are the major ones. They make mistakes for sure. I guess my point is that I don't expect the USPS to be perfect. But from my experience, with two lost pieces of mail in a six month time, it's just too much for me to give them a thumbs up. It's not like I mail loads of stuff either. Just regular letters and bills. Somebody on here made it sound like I have some wild 'claims' and that I am somehow mistaken. Hardly. One missing bill has not had the check inside cashed...and it's never shown up at the place I sent it to. The other parcel never showed up either....and nobody can tell me it was lost on the receiving end. The common denominator was the carrier...the USPS.
 
I'm with you, man. Nobody but the USPS can lose something and not even have a clue what happened.

We sure don't need to hire any more Postal Inspectors!

Around here we have some of the most incompetently staffed and poorly run post offices you could imagine. Rude and surly is only the beginning, they flat out treat you like dirt.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
I'm with you, man. Nobody but the USPS can lose something and not even have a clue what happened.



I've personally seen UPS do just this more times than I can remember.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8


Around here


Youre in FL. 'Nuff said.

smile.gif
 
Hahaha, yep, that's us. Poor ole Backwoods Floridians.

Tell me that again when it's below zero and snowing and I'm on the beach sipping a margarita!
 
Got news - if your mail goes through the Kent WA processing center, there is a very high probability of theft. You should report it. I have been. You may find out something.....
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Got news - if your mail goes through the Kent WA processing center, there is a very high probability of theft. You should report it. I have been. You may find out something.....

Great......I live very close to the facility and I'm sure my mail goes through there. You must know something I wasn't aware of.
 
Even with all the problems it still is kind of amazing to me that for 44 cents I can put something in a box in front of my house and my BIL in Denver will have it in a few days!
 
Mr BankruptPostal Service...meet Mr. Bankrupt Federal Flood Insurance Program.

"A House subcommittee on Wednesday approved a long-awaited reauthorization of the troubled National Flood Insurance Program, paving the way for a five-year plan that overhauls the bankrupt federal program, due to expire Sept. 30. "

Hmm...sounds familiar "Biggert said the bill would phase in actuarially sound rates for policyholders, '

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/06/111650/house-panel-oks-revamp-of-federal.html

What is so difficult about charging the user the cost of the insurance or a letter???
 
Last edited:
Excellent point. What's to say that the actual cost of a letter wasnt correctly adjusted each time the rate was bumped though? Its not like the USPS has always lost money.

Now I still stand that USPS gets subsidized healthcare compared to feds, and that needs to stop and be integrated into the cost of mail-carrying or just let them pay the fed rate that is established for everyone else.

But the problem with the USPS is probably one of some approval system to increase rates versus increases in real healthcare and pension payments. Given that healthcare has risen at what? 8-10% on average the last few years, if USPS has only raised rates 5% per annum, then what happens? If fuel doubles in price in a few years, what happens?

The inefficiency of the bureaucracy may slow the ability to surcharge to the point where they fall behind. Cyclic with a longer period so stuff is out of phase right now.
 
Originally Posted By: bradepb
Even with all the problems it still is kind of amazing to me that for 44 cents I can put something in a box in front of my house and my BIL in Denver will have it in a few days!

Where else in the world you can mail a half ounce letter more than 5k miles, from Main to Hawaii, for 44 pennies ?
 
I think a lot of the USPS financial problems is really a healthcare cost problem and that the postal service is being required to fully funded it's future healthcare liabilities unlike most everyone else. Healthcare is overpriced and basically to a large extent tax payer funded.
 
Originally Posted By: mechanicx
I think a lot of the USPS financial problems is really a healthcare cost problem and that the postal service is being required to fully funded it's future healthcare liabilities unlike most everyone else. Healthcare is overpriced and basically to a large extent tax payer funded.


Yes, and the mandate to provide more service than most customers really need (i.e. Sat delivery, station density in rural area, too fast of a speed of delivery, etc)

If they can bring slower mail back and charge 1st class higher, then they can recoup some cost by using ground for long distance mail and encourage more localized processing than huge amount of unnecessary mailing eating up jet fuel.

If they can do what a private sector business would do, they'd raise rate and gave up non profitable route or charge these non profitable route higher rate. They will mandate fuel surcharge like UPS/FedEx, hire only young people with minimum wages, etc.

Unfortunately politics from both sides (rural and unprofitable vs urban and safety net supporting) would rather not open this can of worm.
 
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR

Where else in the world you can mail a half ounce letter more than 5k miles, from Main to Hawaii, for 44 pennies ?

Which is one of the many reasons they are going broke.
 
That's precisely why they can be better!

Sell off that fleet of cargo planes! Geez, they have distribution facilities that are bigger than a large Wal Mart. Probably a third of their assets would be easily divested, and then we could work on the efficiency side.

I really think 3 or 4 days a week would be plenty. And it is unreasonable for us to expect them to charge the same for a letter whether it's intercontinental or local.

They make most of their money off of bulk mail anyway. My poor letter carrier has a huge box behind him with junk mail and a smaller box with the letters and such.

I don't think any biz should be let off the hook for their retirement obligations. That should be criminal. Those former employees were promised those bennies and deserve them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

M
  • Locked
USPS -- Plummeting Volume and Revenue?
2 3 4
Replies
74
Views
31K
simple_gifts
A
  • Locked
Usps dropped the ball?
Replies
18
Views
4K
Jarlaxle
J
  • Locked
How long can the USPS stay in business?
Replies
5
Views
2K
JHZR2
J
  • Locked
Our deteriorating postal service.
2
Replies
26
Views
5K
jsharp
mrsilv04
  • Locked
The USPS... really lifting off of the throttle.
2 3
Replies
53
Views
23K
K.Aoi
Back
Top Bottom