Saturday mail deliveries are on the budget-cut table...

[TromboneAl]

Rather than giving them Saturday and Sunday off, how about, say Wednesday? To me that makes more sense so there aren't 2 full days with no mail delivery.

Yes. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't see this as a no brainer.

If the PO does eliminate another delivery day, it will hasten the switch to UPS or Fedex for online orders. Who will want to take the chance that their package will be delayed a day?

 

[ziggy29]

Other than picking up packages, everything else can be done at any private mailbox outfit and for shipping you then have a choice of who to ship with. If you get a private mailbox you can even pick up packages there.

This isn't really always an option. For one thing, sometimes you pay more for the privilege of using these "mailbox outfits". For another thing, this doesn't work for some folks, such as people who sell on eBay and take Paypal. For these sellers to be protected from buyer fraud, they need to ship USPS and get signature confirmation. FedEx and UPS won't work here.

 

[Midpack]

Eliminating a day is a no brainer to me, among other things. I don't care which day, but I'd think Sat would be much preferred over Wed to postal workers so they could have a 2 day weekend vs split days off. I'd think it would be more cost effective. Public postal service is one of many services that I expect to all but disappear in the decades ahead along with newspapers, books, CD's, DVD's and anything else than can no be delivered electronically cheaper and faster.

 

[FinanceDude]

If they got rid of 75% of my junk mail, they could deliver the REAL mail I get 25% of the time, or about 1-2 days a week!

 

[steelyman]

I vote with those who would be fine with one less day for delivery (don't care which one it is). It doesn't seem a good idea to me to scale it back too far, as I don't think it would be good to see substantial layoffs for postal workers, who are after all consumers like the rest of us.

 

[Texas Proud]

If they got rid of 75% of my junk mail, they could deliver the REAL mail I get 25% of the time, or about 1-2 days a week!

If it wasn't for that junk mail the post office would be losing a lot more money....

What I hate is the mailman putting in my real mail with the junk so I actually have to look to see if there is a letter that I want tucked inside of all those ads...

 

[powerplay]

I'd be fine with no mail on Saturday or even on Wednesday. A local grocery store has a post office that I choose to use over the regular po. They are more friendly and open on Saturday and the line is usually shorter.

USPS employees pay a lower amount toward their health benefits than other fed employees so maybe that is being looked at for change. For example using BCBS, a self only bi-weekly premium paid by the USPS employee is $63.81 and $86.39 for other federal employees.

It will be interesting to see what changes actually happen with the USPS and how it plays out over the next few years.

Over the past several months I have learned that both UPS and FedX partner with the USPS to deliver packages. Several items I have ordered were initially shipped by the private carrier and transferred to the USPS who then delivered the item to me.

 

[ziggy29]

Over the past several months I have learned that both UPS and FedX partner with the USPS to deliver packages. Several items I have ordered were initially shipped by the private carrier and transferred to the USPS who then delivered the item to me.

Yep. We've had Amazon orders which we expected to be delivered by the little brown truck, only to be delivered to us by USPS.

 

[Brat]

Powerplay is correct about the PO health benefits.

My husband has an issue with the postal clerks who seem to move in slow motion at the counter. They just don't have any hustle but I do admit that some of their customers are air heads. IMHO if the customer isn't ready to ship tell them to come back when they are.

 

[Redbugdave]

Postal workers are Federal Employees. But the various Federal agencies have different benefit packages. I also am a Federal Employee. Postal Service employees pay less for their health insurance than regular Feds, (the other Feds are helping to fund their low rates thanks to their union). The FAA also has some really sweet benefits, too. All is not equal in the Federal world as you would think. Take a look at your elected Congress people and the benefits they get...

However...No private company will deliver mail at a profit to remote places like the Post Office does. The rates would go way up if they did.

Opps Powerplay...we both posted about the health benefits about the same time...

 

[chinaco]

I don't have a problem with it... I'll just get my Saturday junk mail on Monday with the Monday Junk mail or they will mail it early and I will get it on Friday.

 

[REWahoo]

Powerplay is correct about the PO health benefits.

My husband has an issue with the postal clerks who seem to move in slow motion at the counter.

1982 Federal Express Overnight Commercial - YouTube

 

[Midpack]

However...No private company will deliver mail at a profit to remote places like the Post Office does. The rates would go way up if they did.

Makes sense...

 

[TromboneAl]

I'd think Sat would be much preferred over Wed to postal workers so they could have a 2 day weekend vs split days off.

Who cares what the postal workers want. So they get a little disgruntled. Oh, wait a second...

 

[Nords]

They had something on a show this weekend and the biggest cost for the post office is their workers... the pay and benefits are not in line with 'the market'... they showed some small post office is somewhere North Dakota that probably should be shut down as it is a money loser...
Anybody know the benefit structure Since it is still 'gvmt', it is probably good... just wondering how good and has it changed over the years...

I think the biggest issue is the change to the accounting rules requiring them to fully fund their projected pension liabilities. The same accounting change that's caused so much heartburn over the last decade for so many state & municipal govts.

Yes. I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't see this as a no brainer.
If the PO does eliminate another delivery day, it will hasten the switch to UPS or Fedex for online orders. Who will want to take the chance that their package will be delayed a day?

We may both get our wishes-- no deliveries on Wednesdays AND no deliveries on Saturdays...

 

[beowulf]

Yeah - and postal worker with an attitude . We may miss the days when they were nonchalant.

 

[Brat]

My grandfather and uncle were both postal workers with a hustle. They had jobs during the depression and appreciated that. Were either still alive they would be absolutely embarrassed at the work ethic of some today.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Hard to put the postal service in prospective. I guess I would have to consider UPS and FedEx in the same breath. Went to the USPS today to mail something DW sold on ebay. Light weight item. Hardly ever go to the local post office and the place was packed. Three office stations open and there must have been 20 people in the waiting line. Why today I don't know. They had a manager in the lobby trying to get everything moving by asking people if they were just there to pick up a package or something simply other than shipping a package. I picked up a small "if it fits it ships" box for $2.49, had it all addressed and was standing in line. I ask the manager if I can ship it through the automated system in the lobby. He says good idea. I ask how about the $2.49 for the box. He says sorry, I'll have to stay in the line. I get out $3.00, hand it to him and tell him to keep the change. He says no way, can't do that. He takes my name and address and tells me the post office will send me my $.50. I go to the lobby and make my shipment while those people are still in the line. How's that for customer service.

 

[Pajaro]

I bet if they converted everybody to the new block at the curb it would cut down on the number of carriers they would need... as long as they could get rid of them...

+1 I agree completely, but we can go further. We can mandate that everyone who lives within X miles of a post office has to have a PO Box. Maybe we would have to make PO Boxes free in that case, and we would have to expand the number of PO Boxes. But this would result in significant savings in fuel, vehicles, and personnel. It would prevent a lot of dog bites too!

 

[Sue J]

I'd be fine with delivery 2 or 3 days a week.

I'd also like them to put the real mail in the mail box and then the junk mail in a slot underneath that would empty right into our recycle bin

As for first class packages, how about an email telling me that it's arrived at my post office. If it's one of my delivery days then I can wait for it to be brought to the house. On a non-delivery day I have the option of going to the PO to pick it up, or I can opt to wait until my delivery day.

Just like books, newspapers and music, the world of mail has changed. We just don't need such a labor intensive way of getting information. But, I know a few mailmen/women and I know they need their jobs, health care plans and retirement just like everyone else.

 

[Pajaro]

I have been to post offices in 46 countries and can say without exception that the USPS is the world's model of efficiency, customer service, cost effectiveness, and dependability. Sure, compared to the private sector they are none of the above. Compared to the Italian post office they are business geniuses.
44 cents to (reasonably) reliably send a real piece of paper anywhere in the US is pretty cheap. Wait in line for 40 minutes in Argentina (no machines) to spend 2x the amount and see if your letter shows up.

 

[JakeBrake]

Just what not why. I was at at USPO the other day. Apparently, this was a day when some sort of transfer checks were delivered. The place was crowded with people waiting to get their checks out of their PO boxes. A sign on the wall said mail would be placed in the boxes by 10:00AM, which was about the time I was there.

Most of these people immediately bought USPS money orders with their checks. I don't know if or how much change in cash they received. There was a counter position with a sign that said "money orders only". there was a long line at that counter station. Since I was only buying stamps, I was able to step up to a counter position and get my stamps with no waiting.

 

[meierlde]

This isn't really always an option. For one thing, sometimes you pay more for the privilege of using these "mailbox outfits". For another thing, this doesn't work for some folks, such as people who sell on eBay and take Paypal. For these sellers to be protected from buyer fraud, they need to ship USPS and get signature confirmation. FedEx and UPS won't work here.

Note that the UPS store will ship via the USPS as well. They do everything but registered mail. (Check their web site)
http://www.theupsstore.com/products/pages/shi.aspx
So for the Ebay shipper they can get the same services as at a post office. (If one is time constrained the UPS store beats the post office in general)

 

[meierlde]

Just what not why. I was at at USPO the other day. Apparently, this was a day when some sort of transfer checks were delivered. The place was crowded with people waiting to get their checks out of their PO boxes. A sign on the wall said mail would be placed in the boxes by 10:00AM, which was about the time I was there.

Most of these people immediately bought USPS money orders with their checks. I don't know if or how much change in cash they received. There was a counter position with a sign that said "money orders only". there was a long line at that counter station. Since I was only buying stamps, I was able to step up to a counter position and get my stamps with no waiting.

That business is going to go away as more and more transfer payments move to prepaid cards.

 

[Gone4Good]

My last mail delivery was August 16. I figure I'll have it sent again this Friday, Sept 9.