US Postal Service

[ovrszd]

When we have a delivery in town, at my wife's business, we get the brown truck, usually. At home, in a rural area, we get the postal folks. Seems like the ups guys take the high volume areas, leaving the low volume areas to the post office, they are going there anyway?

Yeah, my UPS guy says his very rural route isn't profitable at all. His route is in a County with 8500 population and he doesn't go into a town larger than 500.

 

[PILOON]

Shucks my mail delivery lady even sends me a Xmas card.
She's a real sweetheart, knows all her clients by name, delivers day fresh eggs (her sideline) is into horses---shucks she's almost family, considers her clients as her friends, and attends our annual corn roasts.

UPS was so bad that they fired the driver after my last package showed 'out for delivery' for some 6-7 days in a row.
The supervisor actually delivered to my door with apologies after I made a complaint.

 

[nybirdman]

I live on the Canadian border;our Post Office,UPS store ect.are always busy with Canadians;they have to pay a bridge toll to come over;their Canadian Post must really be something.

 

[Looking4new]

I live on the Canadian border;our Post Office,UPS store ect.are always busy with Canadians;they have to pay a bridge toll to come over;their Canadian Post must really be something.

I will just bet that the Canadians that go to the 'States to pick up parcels are only doing that to (a) avoid duty and (b) to avoid Canada Customs holding onto their goods for a few days and (c) there is usually free shipping to a U.S. address, whereas to a Canadian address the shipping is really high.

 

[jack707]

And they wonder why they are going broke.

 

[MossRoad]

I've had equally poor experiences with USPS, UPS and FED-X. However, I will say our latest USPS postal carrier is great! He leaves anything that won't fit in our mailbox on our back porch out of the weather. :thumbsup: UPS either leaves it on the front steps in the rain, or takes it back to their office and I have to go and get it. FED-X won't leave anything, ever. I have to pick it up all the time.

And once, (can't remember which service it was) we were expecting a package. They said it was delivered. We couldn't find it. They couldn't find it. A week later, I go out on the enclosed front porch (which we NEVER use, and the outer door is ALWAYS locked) to put up some holiday lighting, and there's the package sitting inside the front porch door. This door is always locked.... how did it get in there??? They yanked the porch door so hard it broke the latch clean off. The pieces were laying on the floor.

 

[MossRoad]

I ordered something from England on Monday. I'm tracking it via the Royal Mail!

Sent at post office on 2/20.
Item collected on 2/20.
On its way to Heathrow on 2/20.
Arrived at Heathrow on 2/21.
On its way to KennedyNY on 2/21.
Arrived at Kennedy NY on 2/22.
Now let's see how long the U.S. side takes! :laughing:

 

[japody]

A little history here - the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006 decimated the USPS. One of the main features of the act was that the USPS pay 5 billion dollars a year to pay for future employees health benefits. This 5 billion dollars was submitted to the Treasury which in turn applied it to the Federal deficit. These payments would pay for employees that haven't even been born yet, as far out as 75 years! Congress saw the USPS as a cash cow and tapped into it. No other business or agency in the US was subject to such an onerous payment. This in turn resulted in what was once a profitable, self sustaining entity, becoming a failing business model that was bleeding red. In order to try to stem the bleeding, the USPS took to divesting itself of its' largest costs - employees. Employees account for approximately 80% of their expenditures. In doing so, they offered early outs for their senior and most experienced employees. A large number of these employees have left, only to be replaced with non-career employees who are paid far less. The non-career employees are given little training, and because of their non-career status, do not have much investment in the job. After over 5 years of wrangling, Congress has yet to do anything to overturn the PAEA. The poor service you are experiencing is the result of the PAEA. Just sayin.....

 

[Bird]

I've had equally poor experiences with USPS, UPS and FED-X. However, I will say our latest USPS postal carrier is great! He leaves anything that won't fit in our mailbox on our back porch out of the weather. :thumbsup: UPS either leaves it on the front steps in the rain, or takes it back to their office and I have to go and get it. FED-X won't leave anything, ever. I have to pick it up all the time.

And once, (can't remember which service it was) we were expecting a package. They said it was delivered. We couldn't find it. They couldn't find it. A week later, I go out on the enclosed front porch (which we NEVER use, and the outer door is ALWAYS locked) to put up some holiday lighting, and there's the package sitting inside the front porch door. This door is always locked.... how did it get in there??? They yanked the porch door so hard it broke the latch clean off. The pieces were laying on the floor.

Yep, all 3 services just drop packages by the front door, which we rarely use (we come and go through the garage most of the time). FedEx and UPS drivers drop the package, hit the doorbell, and RUN for the truck. The USPS lady doesn't ring the doorbell unless she needs a signature.

 

[Bird]

I hate to this, but I don't have those problems. My carriers have been great. They also do most of the delivery for Amazon here. I was surprised to see a usps truck here on a Sunday, they were delivering for Amazon.

I've noticed the USPS trucks in this area on Sunday, but had no idea what they were doing. I wondered if the post office still had "Special Delivery" stamps like they did in the '60s.

Of course I'm one of those who thinks they should save money by eliminating Saturday mail delivery.