The end of an era

[target2019]

That'd be nice. My neighborhood Canada Post outlet (in one of the aforementioned Shoppers Drug Marts) is consistently staffed by a single employee. A friendly, elderly, Indian gentleman. Nice guy, but man is he ever slow. Going there to mail/pick up a parcel is positively maddening.

If there's a lineup of 5-6 people, I know it's going to be a good 10-15 minute wait. .

You described the local post office, but we have 3 counter persons. 15 people in line, and a 15-30 minute wait.

 

[Midpack]

That'd be nice. My neighborhood Canada Post outlet (in one of the aforementioned Shoppers Drug Marts) is consistently staffed by a single employee. A friendly, elderly, Indian gentleman. Nice guy, but man is he ever slow. Going there to mail/pick up a parcel is positively maddening.

If there's a lineup of 5-6 people, I know it's going to be a good 10-15 minute wait.

You described the local post office, but we have 3 counter persons. 15 people in line, and a 15-30 minute wait.

Here too, though in all fairness the lines I see usually move at a snails pace not because the PO employee isn't on top of things, more often it's the peeps in line who are clueless/unprepared when they get in line. They reach the PO employee with unacceptable or no packaging, no forms, much less filled out, and then have to ponder each question - especially around the holidays. My favorites are the ones who after finally finishing their business want to stand there and gab about the weather or their grandkids while putting everything back in their purse...seemingly unaware of the line behind them.

Fortunately some folks are really on top of things and they move through the line very quickly...

And Happy Holidays!

 

[Bestwifeever]

Here in the US I would just buy stamps in block, put that much postage on the envelop and drop it off. No need to wait in line for that.

I have a little scale at home so I can calculate the postage at USPS.com, slap on the stamps, and drop it in the mailbox at the post office.

 

[meierlde]

Here in the US I would just buy stamps in block, put that much postage on the envelop and drop it off. No need to wait in line for that.

Of course if your shipping you can go to a UPS store in the the US and ship by USPS, no need to visit the post office. (If your working and live in a large city, you can also get a mailbox and ship to it, no need to be home when the parcel arrives). In Houston there was always a line at the post office, but no line at the UPS store. They can also do certified mail and return reciepts. (However where I live there is a local post office with typically no lines at all. (In a semi-rural area)

 

[youbet]

I used to bad-mouth the USPS. But I have to admit that the past decade or so, things have gotten much better.

1. I have a mailbox by the street where my mail is delivered and outgoing mail is picked up. Packages are brought to my door. I keep stamps and a supply of those "if it fits, it ships" boxes at home. I hardly ever need to go to the PO. Maybe 3 - 4 times a year max.

2. On the rare occassions I do go to the PO, it gives the appearance of being efficiently run. Polite folks at the counter. Clean and tidy. It's been years since I've had something lost in the mail or a similar bad experience.

I hope the PO makes it. I use UPS and Fed-X as well, but I feel I'd be less comfortable having only UPS and Fed-X.

 

[Walt34]

(However where I live there is a local post office with typically no lines at all. (In a semi-rural area)

That's what we do unless we happen to be in front of the "big city" post office where there is always at least a 5-minute line, usually longer. But south of where we live there is a smaller P.O. that hardly ever has a line and if it does, the line is short.

 

[Midpack]

I hadn't looked in a while, but here's USPS's 5-year plan (not enacted) through 2017. By law they are supposed to be self-supporting (virtually no taxpayers funds) and they were until the internet changed everything beginning about 10 years ago. If they do nothing their already substantial operating losses just continue to grow (not surprisingly). I think we have to let them follow through with some or all their initiatives, but who knows what our legislators will support.

http://about.usps.com/strategic-planning/five-year-business-plan-2012-2017.pdf

 

[Katsmeow]

As has been pointed out newer developments in the US have had cluster mailboxes for a good while (where I live was developed in 1986).

This is true here as well. Typically, older subdivision and higher end subdivisions still have individual mailboxes although the new subdivisions that do all have the mailbox at the road.

For me, I would be fine with the cluster mailbox (I like it better not having one but it wouldn't be a dealbreaker).

But then I think my mother. She is 89. We rented a house before we bought our current house that had a cluster mailbox a couple of blocks away. Fine for me, but it would be a huge issue for mom particularly in poor weather. Even if good weather walking 2 or 3 blocks is difficult for her with her health problems.

I think that when these kinds of things are considered there also needs to be consideration given as to those people who have health reasons to find it difficult to use those types of mailboxes. There needs to something like the handicap permit she has for the car.