No wonder the USPS is going broke

[Runscott]

As a seller, for me it's all about dependability for my customer - if I can't tell my customer when something is going to arrive, and make it easy for them to receive it, I'm screwed. As a buyer, I know for certain that UPS and Fedex are not dependable, and it creates headaches for me, so as a seller I refuse to use either. 'Dependable' means different things to each of us, but since I deal mostly with 'signature required' items, I need to know approximately when things will arrive. UPS in our area delivers any time between 8:00a.m. and 7:00p.m., and it's completely unpredictable. If I want the item delivered somewhere else where I can pick it up, it's a 20-30 minute drive, and even then they are likely to not have the item when they say they will. They have a 'UPS MyChoice' feature which is basically useless bullshit, as they will still deliver an hour early, an hour late or not at all. And if you complain or offer suggestions, they fall back on their rules and regulations, and the customer is NEVER right. They are friendly, for sure, but so what? The delivery guys are also SUPER-NICE, but their hands are tied by useless bureaucracy at higher levels. UPS could care less about changing anything to become more customer-friendly - they are tied to rules that support their own issues, with no regard to those of the customer. They are stuck in a rut. They are Dilbert in brown.

Fedex is no better, although their delivery times are more predictable;i.e-in any particular area they are 'likely' to deliver within about a 2-hour timeframe from day to day. I won't always be there when something arrives, but chances are better. But they too are stuck in beurocratic ruts - if you can figure out a loophole to convince someone to tell you where items 'might' be held, the item could still be lost in a pile somewhere and then you have to call day after day, speaking with different employees until you find the one who has the sense to know where items of that particular size are most likely to be misplaced. But that's only if they will even listen to you to get a package description. To me, I'm thinking "I'm in a large room with packages of different sizes and shapes. Tell me what shape it is and that could help me locate it." But they are simply thinking "it's not in the spot it's supposed to be, therefore it must not be in the room." No Fedex for me.

USPS on the other hand, is very predictable, and always has been in the areas I've lived. Not only that, the postman prides himself in being somewhat predictable - mine makes an early morning run for large packages, and then tries again in the late afternoon if he misses me. Why? Because it's what their customers want. Imagine that - consideration of their customers. Weird.