USPS -- Plummeting Volume and Revenue?

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When I was a kid, I remember our postal carrier parking her Jeep at the corner of our street and walking the mail to each house. When she ran out, she'd go refill and keep walking.

G*d forbid one of these fat @ss current-day carriers step outside their truck for any reason. My mail carrier weighs at least 400lbs and I cringe when he actually has to get out and bring something to the front door. He looks like a 5-foot tall Weeble. But to avoid that, he's been known to cram boxes in my mailbox so tighly that I have to use forceps to extract them. I've grown very tired of the inefficiencies, slow and discourteous service and the 'couldn't care less' attitude of every postal employee I encounter. The ones behind the counter at the post office are THE WORST. I've stopped using them altogether and rather take a beating than set foot in a post office. I pay my bills online and ship everything possible via Fedex. Most of the time, the only thing in my mailbox is grocery store ads and other junk. The less they deliver to me, and the less business I give them, the happier I am.
 
Originally Posted By: peterdaniel
Stick to regular first class mail and if its books or anything literature in nature, send it parcel post.


You know there is a thing called "media mail" right? it is even cheaper than parcel post and that's what I used for most of my book sales.
 
Without statistics and trending over the past few years, I can't have a full picture of what's going on. Anecdotal evidence like mori's local post office having a 30 minute wait doesn't say much. It could be that the office has fewer, or less trained employees, to cover lower volume which causes a steady wait time.

Locally, our post offices have been switching to automated machines for parcels. Once you get a hang of it, it is quite easy to ship stuff. Unless it's a large package, you can do all by yourself in a minute or two.
 
Mon-Wed-Fri are nightmares at my local post office. All windows are open ..so I can't see there being any cutback in personnel. Tuesday and Thursday.. it's a tomb.

I'd say that the USPS got its share of the ebay-esque (Amazon, etc.) high. They've sure expanded services a good bit from "the good old days".
 
IMO the problem with the USPS is the responsibility it is set up as a government entity. You need to send mail to every address and operate a store front, and all the government regulations that cannot be changed so easily due to politics, and having first class mail sent by air instead of trucks.

UPS and FedEx don't charge you 42c for a simple mail that you get at every address every day. If you eliminate the low cost first class mail then USPS will be profitable. It used to not be a problem as everyone has to get every bill by mail and send payment by checks. Now we have online payment and email, the only thing left in the USPS is a bunch of advertisement that is heavy and low profit.

It is not a bad thing, since electronic payment is so much more environmental friendly and efficient. What it means is that USPS have to reorganize and put fewer people in the office, close some post office down, and reduce delivery schedule.

I think not having Saturday delivery is a good first step. Maybe every other day deliver is sufficient.
 
Maybe they should put vending machines to generate revenues off of the people waiting in line.
 
Originally Posted By: CivicFan
Anecdotal evidence like mori's local post office having a 30 minute wait doesn't say much. It could be that the office has fewer, or less trained employees, to cover lower volume which causes a steady wait time.

Locally, our post offices have been switching to automated machines for parcels. Once you get a hang of it, it is quite easy to ship stuff. Unless it's a large package, you can do all by yourself in a minute or two.



There's nothing anecdotal about it, it's empirical. And of course I'm talking only about my local experience. There are three more post offices within a ca three mile range and they are just as bad (with meter parking only).

The automated machines don't work for me, because I have irregular shaped packages (thick, padded envelopes mostly), which are mostly international mail, and you mustn't use the automated postal center for those.
 
Panda Bear, where are you getting your data? I have heard that regular 1st class mail pays it's own way and has a higher profit margin than junk mail.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
They should go to 4 days per week and lay off some of the lazy bums (postal empoyess) that just show up for a check and do very little work.

Can't due to the union. Very difficult to be fired from the Post Office if you are full time/union. If you are a temp then you are on the chopping block at any time.
 
The USPS is moving a lot of positions to temporary, or transitional. They'll hire you as a transitional carrier where you're scheduled to work for a year. Then, if they still need you, you'll get another year as a transitional employee, all in an effort to bypass the National Letter Carriers Association.
 
Originally Posted By: moribundman

There's nothing anecdotal about it, it's empirical. And of course I'm talking only about my local experience. There are three more post offices within a ca three mile range and they are just as bad (with meter parking only).



And its no different on the opposite side of the country. Even if you go at an off time, like 2pm on a Tuesday, youll find two to three windows open and a line of 10-20 people. Go at lunch or after work and you're done.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: moribundman

There's nothing anecdotal about it, it's empirical. And of course I'm talking only about my local experience. There are three more post offices within a ca three mile range and they are just as bad (with meter parking only).



And its no different on the opposite side of the country. Even if you go at an off time, like 2pm on a Tuesday, youll find two to three windows open and a line of 10-20 people. Go at lunch or after work and you're done.


Looks like they take cost savings seriously. It's called 'right sizing' nowadays.
 
If these people weren't working for the USPS, they would probably be working fast food.
 
I don't know if I'd be that critical. The Hilderbeast domineering Alpha female at my post office is really well versed on all the postal regulations ..especially with oil samples.
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
I don't know if I'd be that critical. The Hilderbeast domineering Alpha female at my post office is really well versed on all the postal regulations ..especially with oil samples.
grin2.gif



Now that there is funny. I don't care who you are!

Here's a scary one. The same Alpha female at our PO somehow loves me. One time my wife took my boxes in. Hilda had no idea, until the wife announced "these are P.... boxes for the day..." Wife said Hilda's face went slack then taut....wife beat a path out.....next day Hilda was not good....now I mostly go to the downtown Redmond PO, which is apparently staffed by the Chinese embassy. Not that there is a thing wrong with that.
 
Originally Posted By: XS650
Panda Bear, where are you getting your data? I have heard that regular 1st class mail pays it's own way and has a higher profit margin than junk mail.


I read that the volume has dropped 4.5-5.5% this year and they have a $1B+ loss, and a notice from my local post office that this year they have to readjust their delivery schedule due to the lower volume.

Still, does it matter if your mail is late by a day? If you are that urgent to get something maybe you should use Fedex or UPS.
 
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: XS650
Panda Bear, where are you getting your data? I have heard that regular 1st class mail pays it's own way and has a higher profit margin than junk mail.


I read that the volume has dropped 4.5-5.5% this year and they have a $1B+ loss, and a notice from my local post office that this year they have to readjust their delivery schedule due to the lower volume.



Not that the USPS doesn't have problems, but that loss is primarily from a change in pension funding requirements.

Back to my original question, what data do you have that backs up your comment that they lose money on 1st class mail?
 
Originally Posted By: XS650
Back to my original question, what data do you have that backs up your comment that they lose money on 1st class mail?


None, I pull it out of my behind.
 
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