USPS Shipping issues (USPS customer support is terrible)

[markstall96]

Hey guys!

I have been running an e-commerce company for the past year and have had a huge issue with USPS. Everything in my company runs smoothly, but for some reason we are also losing packages or have packages severely delayed. Two weeks ago USPS completely lost one of our entire shipments for a day which was over 150 packages. Dealing with USPS customer support is a nightmare. Wait times for a phone call are 1-3 hours long, and it seems like no one in the support staff knows what to do.

I really want to know if I am doing something wrong when it comes to fulfillment. I want to say we are having issues with about 1% off all packages shipped.

I have created a survey below to try and see if this happens with most e-commerce sites or if we are doing something completely wrong.

I have created a survey just to try and gauge how big of a problem this really is. I’d love it if you could fill it out so I can see how we compare to some other e-commerce sites in terms of USPS issues.

Survey:*https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...tqpoQ/viewform

[dallis]

Got to be honest, I'm not that interested in filling out somebody's survey. That sounds like a 'management' idea, not the actions of a guy who's truly interested in resolving what sounds like a serious problem.

I don't mind discussing your issues, but there's a paucity of data in your post, and without that nobody is going to be able to actually help you fix the problem.

If your goal is just to take a survey to the USPS and show them people hate their service and why, let me put it to you simply: USPS knows people hate them. They don't give a rat's patootie what the heck you or I think.

What I can say is that a 1% loss rate is extremely high, and it's almost certainly something your people are doing. My loss rate MAY be as high as 1 unexplained loss per thousand, and when the packages come back, as they sometimes do, it's almost always something I did wrong. This excludes customer error such as outdated address, etc.

I assume that the 150 packages were tied to a single scan form?

Are they picking the packages up or are you dropping them at the PO?

Are they palletized and shrink wrapped or loose in bins?

What mailing software do you use?

Are they a conventional size and shape? Are they flats or boxes? Are different sizes and shapes being treated differently in terms of loss/tracking/etc? What's your turnover in the shipping department?

Are they insured? What class mail? First Class Package? Large Flat Envelope? Media Mail? Priority? A mixture?

Finally, have you tried a different transhipment point, ie, if it goes to a local post office have you tried switching to another station? Can they be dropped at a Regional Bulk Mail Center/Facility instead of a local station? Can they go to the station in the business district, often mail in those locations gets treated differently than in the stations?

Chances are you know what's going wrong, you just don't realize it yet. Have you worked in shipping open to close every day for a week or two alongside the people who package and ship your items? That'll give you a LOT of insight.

Why do YOU think this is happening?

The goal should be to correct this issue, not to complain about it. Let's find out why things aren't working and fix them.

[phaz0rz]

I did your survey yesterday. It's not long but I don't see what you're trying to accomplish. Consider using a new post office.

Are you dropping your mail at the PO or does USPS pick it up from you?

[Kajunrook]

well I hate to disagree with someone but SOMETHING happened after rate change. I ship packages to United Kingdom with ZERO losses UNTIL the last rate change and -procedure change (no more regular delivery of packages, must use upgraded shipping at 4 times the cost). So 5 packages go missing since then. All packages were over $100 in value (I did not insure because I only pay $10 for the item - my bad). So the packages sit in customs in Miami for 12 days, then have shown in transit since Jan 5th? I turned in inquiries and was told once the package leaves US no more tracking, so long story short I refunded the money and am not shipping to UK right now.

Coincidence? 5 is beyond the pale.

[phaz0rz]

Packages will now show "in transit to destination" every day at the same time in tracking results if they stall in transit and don't get any actual scans for over a day. I think it's something they started doing in an effort to cut back on postal insurance claims.

I've always had an issue with Int'l shipments sitting in US customs FOREVER. For me it didn't just start with the new rates. Solution is to use another courier for int'l shipments.

BTW I'm still waiting on the invoice, KR

[dallis]

Why is Kajunrook worried about this?

He's clearing 180K a year without even trying, and can afford to lose 5K at a time in limited PP's every time he turns around, and that doesn't bother him.

But a couple of packages lost in international transit are somehow a problem...

Go figure.

As far as the OP, this is a common 'management' strategy, one we see at EB all the time.

Write a survey to support your desire to change to a different shipper solution, rather than solve your shipping problem.

If this guy ever comes back and answers any of the real questions we can help him out, but he's not really interested in solving the issue - he wants do a 'survey'.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by dallis

Why is Kajunrook worried about this?

He's clearing 180K a year without even trying, and can afford to lose 5K at a time in limited PP's every time he turns around, and that doesn't bother him.

But a couple of packages lost in international transit are somehow a problem...

Go figure.

As far as the OP, this is a common 'management' strategy, one we see at EB all the time.

Write a survey to support your desire to change to a different shipper solution, rather than solve your shipping problem.

If this guy ever comes back and answers any of the real questions we can help him out, but he's not really interested in solving the issue - he wants do a 'survey'.

Lol, how much do you clear yearly

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

2016 : ~$960k with $145k profit. 1/3 of profits went to the IRS.
2017 : similar but I can't yet give exact numbers. I've been putting off doing my taxes.

Not that it's relevant to anything, but what do your actual numbers look like?

My profit is 75% of sales, some 95%

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

My profit is 75% of sales, some 95%

I just do it for fun, work full time in restaurant business

[MikeChi85]

USPS is horrible. I've had packages gone missing on numerous occasions, packages not being scanned, horrible customer service. I even went and bought a thermal printer because I thought maybe it might've been the labels possibly fading out during the shipping process.. I was wrong though, they are just incompetent.

[newjerseymax]

Packages have been horribly slow lately.

We only ship priority mail on Walmart and its talking 4-5 Business days.

On ebay A few books via media mail is taking +14 days via Media Mail. Its horrible. Our metrics have gone down.

Last year we didn't get any negative feedback. This year I got 13 for late delivery. Even though we did everything possible. its terrible!!!

Amazon is just fine.

Its solely a USPS issue.

[dallis]

I've been pushing to mail same day, next morning at the latest, and things have been moving pretty quickly.

USPS First Class is running 3-4 working days, Priority 1-3 days. But I've tested all the local post offices, and some are better than others. I drop in a particular blue box that gets taken directly to the Regional Bulk Mail Facility daily, so they're scanned and processed and on a truck out of town the same day I drop them.

960/145 is 15%, that's a very good margin. 33% effective tax rate, not so much, though. You must not be a pass through corp.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by dallis

I've been pushing to mail same day, next morning at the latest, and things have been moving pretty quickly.

USPS First Class is running 3-4 working days, Priority 1-3 days. But I've tested all the local post offices, and some are better than others. I drop in a particular blue box that gets taken directly to the Regional Bulk Mail Facility daily, so they're scanned and processed and on a truck out of town the same day I drop them.

960/145 is 15%, that's a very good margin. 33% effective tax rate, not so much, though. You must not be a pass through corp.

So I guess my 75% flow is great

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by dallis

33% effective tax rate, not so much, though. You must not be a pass through corp.

Nope.

I want to work on getting setup that way though. Somehow turning this into passive income would save me a ton.

@Kajun - your margins don't make sense unless you're selling homecooked drugs on eBay or something. I don't think you're factoring in your true cost of doing business. There's no way you're averaging a 75-95% margin when you just lost $500 in lost international packages. You work full time, get social security money, and average $15k/month in profit from eBay. Yeahhh....

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

Nope.

I want to work on getting setup that way though. Somehow turning this into passive income would save me a ton.

@Kajun - your margins don't make sense unless you're selling homecooked drugs on eBay or something. I don't think you're factoring in your true cost of doing business. There's no way you're averaging a 75-95% margin when you just lost $500 in lost international packages. You work full time, get social security money, and average $15k/month in profit from eBay. Yeahhh....

No $7000, I keep telling you 2 Years not one. I sell 85 cent item for $11, $3.50 item for $60, $18 for $100, 10 diff $3 for $40-60, run the numbers, I have a spreadsheet that takes sales minus eBay minus PayPal Minus cost minus shipping, that equals profit.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

No $7000, I keep telling you 2 Years not one. I sell 85 cent item for $11, $3.50 item for $60, $18 for $100, 10 diff $3 for $40-60, run the numbers, I have a spreadsheet that takes sales minus eBay minus PayPal Minus cost minus shipping, that equals profit.

I had 3 ebay accts and average $2500 profit oer acct per month UNTIL the acct I bought on here was busted by paypal for using a real persons name, so now am having to re-build. I spent 7-10 hours a week in ebay.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

I hear you. I'm not calling you a liar - it just sounds to me like you're exaggerating a bit. You're factoring in the basic selling costs (fees + postage) but then there's things like subscriptions, shipping supplies, unsellable returns, lost shipments, giving stuff away for feedback revision, etc.. If you're doing this as a hobby you probably aren't keeping up with your actual margin, because that's usually only determined when you're preparing your taxes and trying to deduct every little expense you can find.

I am a 68 year old long term business exec that accidently found a niche on ebay and etsy and am well aware of all cost of doing business. I have goods manufactured overseas and add cost, shipping and customs to my raw cost. My shipping cost are packaging+label+postage. My spreadsheet takes all that into consideration in determing NET profit, I deduct any returns at end of month. The only cost not factored in is my 10 hours a week labor. I just thank God for the ebay customer that saw an item I was selling and asked me if I could find a companion item to it and those items exploded my sales by 100 times the volume I was doing. He is still a customer and I always send him extra items when he purchases.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

I am a 68 year old long term business exec that accidently found a niche on ebay and etsy and am well aware of all cost of doing business. I have goods manufactured overseas and add cost, shipping and customs to my raw cost. My shipping cost are packaging+label+postage. My spreadsheet takes all that into consideration in determing NET profit, I deduct any returns at end of month. The only cost not factored in is my 10 hours a week labor. I just thank God for the ebay customer that saw an item I was selling and asked me if I could find a companion item to it and those items exploded my sales by 100 times the volume I was doing. He is still a customer and I always send him extra items when he purchases.

Meant to say 10 times not 100 lol

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

Meant to say 10 times not 100 lol

So can I sell whatever you sell, or what? Invoice me for 100. PM me if you'll do it.

[Kajunrook]

Originally Posted by phaz0rz

So can I sell whatever you sell, or what? Invoice me for 100. PM me if you'll do it.

Well I just got $150 offer for an item I'm selling for 199 and it cost me 22 you think I should accept it

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

Well I just got $150 offer for an item I'm selling for 199 and it cost me 22 you think I should accept it

Sure man sounds good. I take best offers on almost all of my listings.


You didn't answer the question though. I can help build your buying power.

[phaz0rz]

Originally Posted by Kajunrook

Well I just got $150 offer for an item I'm selling for 199 and it cost me 22 you think I should accept it

What's your return rate like?

I have experience with super high margin stuff like that - and it's always a really rocky ride..