The Post Office...

[jimtigers65]

Just sent a refund for a package that was delivered to West Sacramento CA. The person I sent it to lives in Illinois. Each day I call the 800 number provided by UPS and the wait time is 45 minutes to one hour. I hang up as I don’t have time to wait on hold. I then created a UPS account online which I’m waiting for a response. Told the guy that I refund the money to “if the card shows up consider it a gift.”

[jchcollins]

I have a card that was supposed to be delivered to me in NC last Thursday, USPS First Class mail. At this point it hasn't made it past the Chicago Network Distribution Center, and hasn't been scanned in 5 days. Yes, in the scheme of things it is pretty minor, but I've got to admit I'm starting to get ticked.

Maybe a dumb supply and demand question, but the post office knows things get nuts this time of year right? They don't hire temporary workers and pull extra shifts?

USPS is run by the union. Customer service is not a priority. The main concern is that the workers dont exhibit too much effort and take all scheduled breaks.

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I have a card that was supposed to be delivered to me in NC last Thursday, USPS First Class mail. At this point it hasn't made it past the Chicago Network Distribution Center, and hasn't been scanned in 5 days. Yes, in the scheme of things it is pretty minor, but I've got to admit I'm starting to get ticked.

Maybe a dumb supply and demand question, but the post office knows things get nuts this time of year right? They don't hire temporary workers and pull extra shifts?

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by sfh24

USPS is run by the union. Customer service is not a priority. The main concern is that the workers dont exhibit too much effort and take all scheduled breaks.

I think somewhere deep down I knew that, but was trying to forget it.

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

I have a card that was supposed to be delivered to me in NC last Thursday, USPS First Class mail. At this point it hasn't made it past the Chicago Network Distribution Center, and hasn't been scanned in 5 days. Yes, in the scheme of things it is pretty minor, but I've got to admit I'm starting to get ticked.

Maybe a dumb supply and demand question, but the post office knows things get nuts this time of year right? They don't hire temporary workers and pull extra shifts?

They hire a ton of extra workers just for the Christmas rush at the sorting facilities.

Originally Posted by sfh24

USPS is run by the union. Customer service is not a priority. The main concern is that the workers dont exhibit too much effort and take all scheduled breaks.

One of my best friends wife is the head of the union here and most people would not believe how screwed up the system really is.

[JollyElm]

A friend of mine on my old softball team was a postal worker and he would regale us with stories about how powerful their union was. He compared it to baseball and laughingly said, "The last thing his 'team' was interested in was scoring runs (meaning delivering the mail on time)." Oof.

[ALR-bishop]

I wonder how mail service in the U.S.stacks up on an objective basis with mail service in other countries in terms of cost and performance. Anyone aware of any studies or analysis along those lines ?

[Leon]

Unions should have been done away with with the advent of the internet and social media. The USPS needs to be privatized in a big way. And their benefits need to be more in line with the mainstream, not the way they are now. I am pretty sure it's really, really difficult to get fired and that isn't good for anyone except crappy employees who NEED to be fired.

One USPS fact is that the USPS has "lost" more money than any other single business entity in the history of the world.

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

I wonder how mail service in the U.S.stacks up on an objective basis with mail service in other countries in terms of cost and performance. Anyone aware of any studies or analysis along those lines ?

[Empty77]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

Maybe a dumb supply and demand question, but the post office knows things get nuts this time of year right? They don't hire temporary workers and pull extra shifts?

I think they do make those temp hires...trouble is, it was likely one of them that walked off with your package

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Empty77

I think they do make those temp hires...trouble is, it was likely one of them that walked off with your package

Last year they walked off with one of my daughter's canoes they were getting for Christmas from Amazon. Really? Who steals a box that is 7 foot long and weighs 30 lbs? It happened. I ordered two. One showed just fine, the other never did.

[Empty77]

Well the AMZ scenario may have an equally likely explanation: the temp holiday worker at Amazon may have presumed a box that big probably included at least two of whatever was inside and so never sent another one out??

Kidding aside, I do hope your delayed item isn't really lost or 'fell off the truck' this time.

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by Empty77

Well the AMZ scenario may have an equally likely explanation: the temp holiday worker at Amazon may have presumed a box that big probably included at least two of whatever was inside and so never sent another one out??

Kidding aside, I do hope your delayed item isn't really lost or 'fell off the truck' this time.

The item I was concerned about this time did finally show yesterday. I think the moral of the story at least for this holiday season is don't order stuff from the opposite coast past the first week of December...