My post office experience

LoopHole · #1 07-14-2013

I've read posts in the past and the recent past with the post office being nosy and giving you guys trouble and all sorts of issues you guys have dealt with. No one seems to have a good experience. But i did couple days ago.

A week or so ago i made a thread about shoe shipping in the cheapest way. It showed a guy modifying a medium flat rate box to make a shoe box fit. He also mentioned if you do this, you will have to pay by weight and won't be able to get the flat rate deal.

Well i decided to do that with 5 pairs of shoes i wanted to ship out. Went to the post office and shipped 5 pairs for a flat rate fee even though the box was cut up to made the shoes fit. First she told me, i cannot do that and pay flat rate fee. Then changed her mind and said "uhhhhh actually your ok". But there might be a small chance the packages might get returned to you b/c of this. I told her, well id rather just pay extra and have them not returned. She told me wait a second, clicked some things on her computer, and told me to ship it flat rate and ill be ok.

No packages were returned, i shipped all 5 packages flat rate when i should have paid by weight/location which would have been a lot more. So lets not give all post offices a bad name. I love my post office

jeffweico · #2 07-14-2013

I've had a good experience also. Out little post office is a 1 person operation and the lady who runs it is VERY NICE! She has never refused a package, even when a few were dated for the previous day (postal rules prohibit that). She just told me to try to avoid it, but that she was not going to turn business away.

When I walk in with 6 mail bins, if there are people in line, she will just wave me through to put them behind the counter. When I've needed supplies, she always gives me what I need, or at least as much as she can. When problems have occurred, or I need to trace a package, SHE will call and get to the bottom of it on whatever phone line she uses, which means the answer comes back faster.

Everyone likes to make jokes about the USPS, but they really ARE an efficient operation. And not all of their employees are lazy or nasty. Many are nice and try to do their best. All while under the constant threat of losing their jobs.

Yes, problems can be annoying. And I'm not saying that every employee is perfect. But they have, so far at least, paid their own way and not cost the taxpayers a dime. Maybe if the politicians would let them run it the way they want to, that could continue.

LoopHole · #3 07-14-2013

Yup, i've noticed at my post office they went from 5 workers to 3. Instead of employing the 5 workers they added 2 machines to replace the 2 of them. I am there literally everyday and no one uses the machines. Maybe 1 out of 10 people uses them. They got a guy there next to them trying to encourage people to use the machines but people refuse to do it. The machines are only for credit/debit card. Take no cash, how many ppl pay for 5-$10 packages with ccs or debit cards.... Such a stupid idea in my opinion. Now b/c of that the lines are even longer than they were before.

Also, they aren't supposed to take previous dated packages???? I literally do this all the time. Did not even know they weren't supposed to accept them. I print my labels for today and ship packages 1-3 days later with almost all of my packages. Oops.

mercurial333 · #4 07-14-2013

One man USPS. Sounds like the middle of nowhere.

Elsewhere things work a bit different.

mercurial333 · #5 07-14-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by LoopHole

Yup, i've noticed at my post office they went from 5 workers to 3. Instead of employing the 5 workers they added 2 machines to replace the 2 of them. I am there literally everyday and no one uses the machines. Maybe 1 out of 10 people uses them. They got a guy there next to them trying to encourage people to use the machines but people refuse to do it. The machines are only for credit/debit card. Take no cash, how many ppl pay for 5-$10 packages with ccs or debit cards.... Such a stupid idea in my opinion. Now b/c of that the lines are even longer than they were before.

Also, they aren't supposed to take previous dated packages???? I literally do this all the time. Did not even know they weren't supposed to accept them. I print my labels for today and ship packages 1-3 days later with almost all of my packages. Oops.

Normally bulk mail is brought through the back. It won't matter what date is on the package as nobody scans them there. They are quickly put on the truck and brought to the Sort Facility.

rsot · #6 07-14-2013

I had delays with my bulk mail...sometimes comes way too late sigh

GreenBean · #7 07-14-2013

This is a praise thread. Not a moaning one

GreenBean · #8 07-14-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurial333

One man USPS. Sounds like the middle of nowhere.

Elsewhere things work a bit different.

Offsider uses one in WA that is like this.

Always has great service

And gives the Post Master presents at Christmas

Nice for a change to hear of good service

AuctionsDenied · #9 07-15-2013

Great post office where I am at, except for the downsizing. Use to have 6 windows. Now only has three windows and replaced the other 3 windows with automated machines.
Everyone at the post office knows me so when I drop off packages, I just hand them to them over the counter without standing in line.
When I have to mail out special parcels. They completely take care of me. In fact, on a couple of occasions when I needed something postmarked a few days earlier, they took care of me.
Smile gets you along way.

rsot · #10 07-15-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by AuctionsDenied

Great post office where I am at, except for the downsizing. Use to have 6 windows. Now only has three windows and replaced the other 3 windows with automated machines.
Everyone at the post office knows me so when I drop off packages, I just hand them to them over the counter without standing in line.
When I have to mail out special parcels. They completely take care of me. In fact, on a couple of occasions when I needed something postmarked a few days earlier, they took care of me.
Smile gets you along way.

Always goes along way to be friendly and courteous with the postal worker - especially more so, if you go frequently - I have witnessed when they get verbally abused at the counter for situations clearly out of their control

WJC05 · #11 08-07-2013

Know this is an older thread but I have to brag about my mail lady as well. She does everything I ask her to do with a smile and never had one package go through that wasnt scanned, if you ever had this problem you know how big of a pain it is. Ive brought in over 100 packages in right befote closing and she still smiled, i would have killed me lol

rsot · #12 08-07-2013

Sounds like a gem WJC - should be treated as such - box of chocolates or so every now and then is good on your part - I have done this

Sandy D · #13 08-07-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by WJC05

Know this is an older thread but I have to brag about my mail lady as well. She does everything I ask her to do with a smile and never had one package go through that wasnt scanned, if you ever had this problem you know how big of a pain it is. Ive brought in over 100 packages in right befote closing and she still smiled, i would have killed me lol

LOL

My old post office had a sign up that anyone bringing more then 10 packages in past 4:45 will not be accepted.

jeffweico · #14 08-07-2013

Of course there are some horrible post office branches out there and some horrible postal employees. But not all of them are like that. There are some gems as well. Just like with anything else.

I have been in the hospital a few times in my life. Some of those times I was on pain medication. I noticed that some nurses would prioritize the patients who needed pain medicine so they would not have to wait too long and be in pain. Others could care less, they will make you wait for an hour or more. Likewise, when I needed pain medicine, I would always try to let them know 15 minutes to 30 minutes BEFORE I was going to really need it. But some patients wait until the last minute and expect the nurse to drop everything for them - like they are the only patient in the hospital.

Generally, I have found that often this is a two way street. If you are courteous to someone, they are more likely to respond in kind. If you start off with a nasty attitude, you can usually expect to get that thrown back at you.

Can't we just all get along???

newjerseymax · #15 08-10-2013

I have had GREAT employees at my post office and then there are TERRIBLE ones. I have learned just to avoid the terrible.

TonyAlmeida · #16 08-11-2013

I love my local post office, everyone is very nice.

Have lost some packages that shipped to me, file a claim on the website and get the called from them in the next morning around 7:30AM (all 3 times) and they are all locate and bring to me.

The cheapest Mail box is only $32/year and you can twist it to 2-3 different address. It also can received package from FedEx. Just got two packages from FedEx this week and it great.

Love it.

Dmshark25 · #17 08-11-2013

Postal workers are always stressed because they are under staffed and there's so many different types of mail with so many different procedures that customers are constantly bringing up their mail and not filling the appropriate papers or whatever, so on top of being short handed they are constantly corrected all mistakes that each customer makes.

What I do I bring a box of donuts once a month and in December every week and its amazing how something so small can make a huge difference, now I'm treated like vip

GreenBean · #18 08-11-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dmshark25

What I do I bring a box of donuts once a month and in December every week and its amazing how something so small can make a huge difference, now I'm treated like vip

Offsider does the same at the post offices he uses around Tacoma.

Been giving them treats for ages.

Rare to have problems.

Sensible from our pov to be nice to them.

Gives good vibes.

oompaloompa · #19 08-11-2013

Royal mail - I give pressies to them and their kids, they give ME pressies back and freebies when are shifting things like confectionery mmmm, my kid always wants to come with me to get compliments and stickers or lolly.... say hello when passing in the street.....know each others family......they have never asked the contents of packages, not that it would be anything to hide....sometimes I volunteer the info, like it is blah dont bend it or it is blah squishy so will fit through...

my postal delivery workers are nice too and deliver all sorts of weirdly addressed packages to my house.....! They get christmas present and a smile/waive when passing or driving by......

john456 · #20 08-11-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by mercurial333

One man USPS. Sounds like the middle of nowhere.

Elsewhere things work a bit different.

I sometime ship from a USPS post office in an incorporated area in Florida.
That USPS office is a double wide trailer run by a single person. The lady is really nice. Across the street, there is a dollar store.

Dream stealth location ?

rsot · #21 08-11-2013

Hah go for it then with variation of address

...if you don't care about returns. OR do they have postal boxes?

GreenBean · #22 08-11-2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by john456

I sometime ship from a USPS post office in an incorporated area in Florida.
That USPS office is a double wide trailer run by a single person. The lady is really nice. Across the street, there is a dollar store.

Dream stealth location ?

Be careful the address is not already burned.

High % of ebay users in Florida.

Check carefully.