USPS rant

[bright eyed]

Yep, apparently several of us already have and it's likely several more will do so.

tee hee, must have missed that part in the mini-saga

 

[Brat]

Ah yes, the Postmaster,"I don't care what you think the regulations say, the only thing that matters is what I say!" attitude. Seen that before.

The TV problem solver would be an absolute gas... and the station would be delighted to have an issue that everyone can understand that fills time. They could even interview your local Representative in a follow-up. Try to find a station with the biggest audience in the area. Then link us to the broadcast...

 

[TromboneAl]

It's been a few weeks now, have you gotten any mail?

 

[REWahoo]

It's been a few weeks now, have you gotten any mail?

We are getting mail daily now, although very late in the day. No one in the are is confident we're getting everything delivered daily as it should be.

Mail at the Wahoo house was nonexistent for a three day period (thus the USPS scorecard entry below), followed by 2 days where we received only 1-3 First Class letters. Delivery on those two days occurred at approximately 8PM.

After those 5 days it was catch-up time on magazines, etc. and our box was crammed completely full of everything but advertising. According to the USPS Director of Mismanagement who spoke to us Monday night, the PO has postponed the deliver any "junk" mail (my term, not his) until the route returns to normal, whatever that means. You would think people wouldn't have a problem with that, but one meeting participant was a local businessman who paid to have ads sent to all area residents. He seemed a little upset that he wasn't getting what he paid for.

BTW Al, nice copy. Do you ghost write for anyone?

 

[HFWR]

BTW Al, nice copy. Do you ghost write for anyone?

Ghost writer in ... the sky...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Vida Guerra for President

I'm glad this is catching on. Imagine looking forward to the state of the union address. Hell, I'd make popcorn!

 

[Nords]

Imagine looking forward to the state of the union address.

To say nothing of the state of the union... dress.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Well for what its worth, they zinged me this week.

Had a 60lb package coming from Amazon, to be delivered by that "dhl@home" service where DHL uses their planes for the long haul part, but the USPS picks up and delivers the package at each end.

Package doesnt show up, no notice. In looking up the tracking info, it says the post office attempted to deliver the package the requisite two times...one minute apart from each other. And I wasnt home. Although the "deliveries" were at 10:59 and 11:00am, and I was not only home I was sitting in a chair next to the front door at the time.

So basically the USPS guy saw the long steep driveway and entry steps, logged two 'attempts' and then drove away so I'd get to go to the PO and pick it up myself.

Nice.

So REW...does that count as 1 for the post office, 2 because they said they tried twice and didnt try at all, or 3 because they also got me to go get it myself?

 

[REWahoo]

So REW...does that count as 1 for the post office, 2 because they said they tried twice and didnt try at all, or 3 because they also got me to go get it myself?

I gave up trying to keep score, so I'm not sure. I think they should change their official motto to "There is nothing more consistent than consistent inconsistency."

Do you think it's just a coincidence USPS service went to Hell about the same time Cliff Claven left Cheers?

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

They no longer had the high standard to measure up to...

 

[OAG]

Service gets crappy, usage goes down. Response, raise prices. Great system!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I also thoroughly enjoyed the voice operator system. After offering me no options even remotely close to what I wanted and punching zero, saying all the good "magic words" I know to get a person and coming up with nothing, I issued a fine series of different "magic words".

To which it replies "oh...you want to buy stamps?"

A fine money saver, those computer based front ends. Eventually the person either slams the phone down and swears to never use your products or services again, or finally gets through to a real person...except now their head is on fire.

No business should ever turn down an opportunity to talk to and service their customer as promptly as possible.

But I guess customer continuity and repeat business isnt much of a concern in this century...

 

[ladelfina]

Those voice recognition things are The Worst. Makes me long for "press 1"/"press 2", etc.

Service gets crappy, usage goes down. Response, raise prices. Great system!

Same thing with public transportation. Make it less reliable and go fewer places, so fewer people take it; then say "declining ridership" and cut routes/raise fees even more. In Boston in the '80s I remember taking the #1 bus to work. My commute ranged from 30 min. to 1 hour and 20. Privatization by stealth. After the hour-plus experience I started driving (given an hour and 20 min. I could have walked it, even).

Here it's a given that for regular postal packages you have to pick them up. If it's sent expedited from the US via USPS, though, we get a private Italian courier that comes to the door. If no one's home the regular courier driver will even leave them at DH's office down the street, which is nice.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

In this case they didnt even leave me a notice advising me that I should come and pick it up.

Of course, this was my fault: the notice simply MUST have been left. Because it should have been left right at the door by the guy who never came to the door. Therefore, I lost or overlooked it.

Because without exception, when something goes wrong, its the customers fault or the customer is mistaken. Isnt that how its always been?