USPS - The Post Office

[Magicman]

I can echo what Nebraska just said.  I would have to rate our USPS service and carriers as caring, helpful, and pleasant to interact with.  

Maybe it is a regional or individual issue.

[Sixacresand]

Fine time for postal problems, with brick and mortar stores closing and going to order through the internet.  We are depending on the government to deliver and maybe control our orders. Futere generations need to pay attention.  For me, he local drug store is looking more dependable vs. mail order. 

To agree with MM, the local postal people are very helpful and overworked.  UPS should consider delivering their own packages instead of dumping them at the local Post Office.  

[Old Greenhorn]

I have no problems with the local carriers, well almost all of them, but yeah, they just push any complaints on down the line. None of the carriers and local PO's like this new distribution system either, they know it sucks.
 My big issue is with this new routing system they have and seemingly nobody paying attention.
 When last we heard, the small package in my tale of woe has returned to within a dozen or so miles of where it started it's trip. 2 hours later the package was back in Newburgh, NY in the exact same building it was in on FRIDAY, 35 miles SE of me again.
 I think it left there yesterday afternoon with no idea of where it is headed next. The predicted delivery has been today, but I don't have my hopes set very high. 10 days to travel 118 miles is nothing to brag about, of course this package will have traveled over 500 miles at least when it gets here.

[beenthere]

No problem with local PO, but Amazon now dumps a lot of package mail off at USPS. Then it can take a circuitous route as described in the OP. Part of an Amazon order will come via their Prime trucks/vans or a Uber-like driver, with another part of an order dropped off at USPS. Those "parts" are often late. 

USPS workers are paid good, but cannot be fired easily, and for sure cannot for being lazy. Union protects them from anything other than serious things. So they are not held to much and there at work to get a paycheck and good pension. Keeping good contact with the local post office and the carriers is important. When they make a comment at package delivery time like "I like coming here", that is a good feeling and a good sign. 

[SwampDonkey]

Postal service is great here, I like that all parcels are delivered and don't have to go out of my way or worry about the time of day to dodge open hours to get my stuff. Other carriers have also been good.

[Ianab]

Fine time for postal problems, with brick and mortar stores closing and going to order through the internet.  We are depending on the government to deliver and maybe control our orders. Futere generations need to pay attention.  For me, he local drug store is looking more dependable vs. mail order. 

Here in NZ, Post is very aware of the online shopping, coupled with steadily falling mail volumes. We are more parcel delivery than mail now. Being rural we also end up with ALL the other companies items. Amazon / Fedex / UPS / USPS and all the local delivery outfits, plus an independent mail company. But for most of the country, there is plenty of competition for the parcel, and even mail delivery. Actual delivery staff are mostly contractors now, not Govt employees. NZ Post is run as a regular Company, not a Govt department, even though the Govt is the company owner, it operates under the same rules as any other business. (You can be fired for not actually doing your job)

System isn't perfect, but misdirected parcels are the exception, usually simple human or machine reading error, and easily corrected. 

[WV Sawmiller]

  Try cleaning a rattlesnake for your USPS carrier. Ours does a very good job. I know ours is a contractor and not perfect but she tries and is very friendly. She ran over a 3' canebrake rattler several years ago and her dad called and they brought it to me and I skinned it for her and we looked through the slab pile for a nice cherry board to stretch it on. Oh yeah - I take her and her folks a big mess of catfish fillets a couple of times every year too but I have not heard complaints from anyone on the route even without such special treatment.

    Our UPS lady is the same way and is super friendly and always has a kind word and a treat for Sampson.

    I have had my issues with stuff I sent that had to go out of state and such bit our local delivery folks are super.

[Old Greenhorn]

Just to close this out, the 'thing' arrived today. Of course at the time of delivery the tracking still showed it 40 miles away. Let's move on.

[Ianab]

Just to close this out, the 'thing' arrived today. Of course at the time of delivery the tracking still showed it 40 miles away. Let's move on.

Not sure about your systems, but here it only updates when we actually scan. 

So driver scans "out for delivery" as he loads up at the depot.  I was doing a delivery to one of our regulars, runs a business from home, and family are online shoppers. I was scanning out the various parcels from the van, and the guy's phone pings. He picks it up, and "Parcel delivered". I then hand him the parcel.  

One thing we have is "Authority To Leave" (ATL). Sign the form, and we will leave your package as instructed. Now if the gate is shut, and the dog is lose, well you get a card. Most farm dogs I'm cool with, and know the regular ones, but some just get parcels slung over the gate. Basically, if a gate is shut, we don't go in. Big plus is that we have a regular route, and know most of the residents. When you get to know their dogs by name, then you are sweet. Dogs aren't dumb, and know the mail van sometimes delivers dog chow. 

[Cedarman]

USPS has lost 3 checks from NJ to me just this year alone.  They are terrible.
But all the junk mail shows up.
I will join the chorus of ranters about the USPS.

[YellowHammer]

It never ends.  Two days ago, we had the front gate open expecting a parcel.  The mail person shows up, not the regular, a substitute driver.  We were in our neighbor's yard talking and saw the whole thing.  The driver pulls up to the 16 foot wide, open gate, with the address in big letters on it, stops, does a U turn around and drives off.  Martha gets in the Polaris and chases the lady down as she is delivering to other mailboxes, and successfully gets the package.  When asked why she didn't deliver ours and instead turned around, the mail lady just said "I don't do gates."  The gate was wide open and she didn't even try to go down the driveway to the house.  We know she was a substitute because Martha asked her.  Totally ridiculous. 


Yeah.  I wonder why the USPS is going bankrupt. 

[Don P]

Louis Dejoy.
If you want to privatize for profit a public service like education or a postal service, first put in place an appointee who will slight the service. This creates complaints and the outcry we are seeing. Next is the call to defund the agency and replace it with private for profit service. And the privateers take the guilty fishing.

[chet]

We may have a new record here. A part I ordered originated in Upland CA., in the 6 days the USPS has had that part it made its way to the City of Industry, Ca.  This is the trip it ONLY took 6 days to complete.    28 min (24.1 mi) via CA-60 E and I-10 E
and it's only 2206 more miles ta git ta me 

[rusticretreater]

I went on a trip recently and went to the post office to put a hold on my mail.  The woman behind the counter didn't know where the form was for me to fill out.  I asked "don't you put that in your computer?".   I ended up writing my name, address and the dates on a sheet of paper.

[Larry]

This takes some of the pain out.

Informed Delivery

My local carrier is worthless but "Informed Delivery" is pretty good and lets me know what should be in my mailbox at the end of the day. It also works to stop mail when out of town. Not hard to sign up and navigate the site.

[Ianab]

I went on a trip recently and went to the post office to put a hold on my mail.  The woman behind the counter didn't know where the form was for me to fill out.  I asked "don't you put that in your computer?".  I ended up writing my name, address and the dates on a sheet of paper.

We can do it online, and we get an official "hold" notice sent to the depot, usually 2 days after they wanted it held . But most folks leave a note in their box, "hey can you please hold our mail to X day". That's not infallible either. You put a note in their slot, but you have to remember to check when they want it resumed.... 

I can say that I had a good run today, but missed ONE parcel on the "out for delivery" scan. So not 100% on the scanning.   Probably some tiny Ali-Express trinket in the bottom of the tray. It got delivered, but I'm only 98% accurate on the scanning. Never mind.

[Al_Smith]

Louis Dejoy.
If you want to privatize for profit a public service like education or a postal service, first put in place an appointee who will slight the service. This creates complaints and the outcry we are seeing. Next is the call to defund the agency and replace it with private for profit service. And the privateers take the guilty fishing.

Exactly,hit the nail on the head .Every thing ran fine and dandy before he was appointed which if you cut through all the nonsense was fostered for political reasons .It was in effect like hiring the fox to watch  the hen house .If you think back it all took place prior to a national election with mail in voting .Which I might add did not stop the mail ins but did cause much consternation and frustration and pointing of fingers  .Ponder that and with that I'll just stop .

[Magicman]

"Informed Delivery" is pretty good and lets me know what should be in my mailbox at the end of the day

I enrolled and will see how this works.  ??

[WV Sawmiller]

   I ordered a 4" idler pulley from WM on Friday. They took the order and when I got e-mail confirmation I was it was $24 shipping so I called Saturday to see if they did not have cheaper alternatives. I asked about mail and they said was $10 as priority mil so I changed to that. It shipped Monday and got here Wednesday noon.

[sprucebunny]

I moved about 3 years ago and can no longer get Informed Delivery. Probably wouldn't help, anyway..

All I want is my bank statements in a timely manner. There is no reason for them to take 3 weeks ( That's WEEKS ) to get from upstate NY or Ohio or anywhere !!!

The same bank manages to deliver my mortgage account statement in about 5 days. Where the heck is my checking and savings account statements ??? !! 

[chet]

This morning the tracking info on my part extended the delivery date by 2 weeks, This afternoon I got notice that my part was now on track to be delivered on time. SURE, delivered on time, 2 weeks late. 

[Ianab]

Sign of things to come?

Denmark is basically dropping standard mail delivery, due to lack of demand. They will of course still do courier / parcel delivery, and you can put a small parcel sticker on a regular envelope, it get gets tracked and delivered same as any other item. 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360607170/european-countrys-postal-service-will-no-longer-deliver-letters

We aren't at that stage here in NZ (Yet), but it's certainly heading in that direction.

[firefighter ontheside]

Of course mail delivery has been bad here too.  That being said, our actual Mail carrier is good.  She can't be blamed for what happens in Indianapolis or wherever else the system fails.  I have to be honest and share what happened to us.  We mailed a large envelope to DC along with a return shipping envelope inside that.  We thought it had disappeared, so we shipped again this time using UPS.  Well, miraculously our return service envelope showed up at our house and we were amazed.  Turned out we were originally tracking the return envelope instead of the original.  Believe it or not USPS did their job and we messed up.

[Ianab]

This weeks chuckle was doing a delivery to one of our regulars, who has a couple of large / loud dogs. But they are usually behind a tall gate, and the guy has a large box beside his mailbox to put oversize items in, and a signed Authority to Leave, so it's all cool.  

But I pull up to his mailbox with an oversize parcel, and his bull terrier comes running up to the van barking. Hmmm, might have to skip this delivery today. But I put the window and say "Hi there" to the dog. It stops barking, looks at me, looks around, and seems to realise it's "outside the wire", with no backup. It turns around, climbs back through a small gap in the fence, and resumes barking, through the gate, beside the German Shepard. 

I did keep a close eye on it, but it stayed on it's side of the gate while I dropped off the parcel. 

But it was the expression that it made when I actually talked to it that cracked me up. 

[Magicman]

He realized his guilt but it is easier to be brave when you have backup.