posted on January 22, 2001 09:06:06 PM
Has anybody filed a complaint against the post office? There is a form for it, the Consumer Service Card.
Most of us who sell on eBay go to the post office a minimum of twice a week, unless we use another carrier. We encounter problems, lack of parking spaces, service at the window, weird new regulations being forced down our throat. For example, the fellow on another topic who posted about taking packages to a post office that wasn't in his zip code and he was told to mail the packages elsewhere. Or taking the packages to the post office and being told you can only bring ten to the window at a time, then you have to move back to the end of the line.
My local post office has a new postmaster. This man has instituted new regulations and policies that are so horrible the local paper devoted the front page to discussing these new changes that have resulted in a dramatic decrease of customer service, particularly to the disabled.
My mail carrier gave me a stack of these complaint forms to fill out so I can air my grievances. This is what I want to know, will it do me any good or will it just be a big waste of my time?
BTW, when I mail packages I drive 15 miles to another town where there is a nice big parking lot and the postmaster emphasizes customer service. The clerks at the window are friendly and personable. When a line starts to form, they make sure someone from the back comes and opens up another window. Now the post office in my zip code is 180 degrees opposite. No parking lot, street parking only, maybe down a block and across the street, surly clerks and long lines. Oh yes, and this post office has the ten package at a time rule.
I have to go to the post office every day to ship items. Atleast twice a week, I have over 10 items. This always happens to me on Mondays. Anyone else busy on Mondays?
Anyway, the secret to the post office is to get to know your postal employees well. If you have a good relationship with the workers at the post office, many times they will not even enforce the 10 package limit.
I live in Atlanta and go to a 24 hour post office about 11 miles from where I live. There are only two in the southeast - one in Atlanta and one in Jacksonville. It is very busy, a constant flow of traffic (even at 10 pm at night). It is wonderful know that I don't have to rush to the post office before 5 pm. Many of the ebay sellers also have regular jobs that will not allow them to go to the post office before 5 pm.
Did you know that the U.S.P.S. has signed a contract with FedEx to deliver some of their packages by plane to the large cities. Until now, many packages were delivered by Delta that had to go across the country. I think that the reason for the large increase for postage on priority mail and express mail is partly because of this new deal with FedEx.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:27:32 AM
10 package limit?? Oh boy, that would not go over well with me. Sheesshh I fired off an E-mail to the USPS website after a POSTAL SUBSTATION refused to take my out of town check & then told me they didn't take credit cards because they were only a SUBSTATION, excuse me but the sign out front said USPS not MBE.
I do know most of my postal workers by name now at both post offices here in town.. Though they do sigh a bit when I show up w/ 30 packages or more all w/ Delivery Confirmation, they are all very friendly & helpful to me.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:40:19 AM
I asked at my local PO about the 10 package limit. The clerk said it is for identical packages, same weight, same item exactly.
They do ask that if you are coming in with a truckload of packages that you not arrive right before closing, and at heavy times such as lunch.
I guess I'm lucky, my PO is very helpful, and most of the clerks are cheerful and polite.
posted on January 23, 2001 04:51:54 AM
Actually I did complain once many years ago (pre-eBay)about a clerk at my local post office who was constantly rude and reeked of booze. Since eBay didn't exist then, I didn't need to go to the PO often but he made it so miserable that I hated going at all and went to the PO in the next town. I never heard anything but I guess others complained as well because they moved him to the back room.
Now the clerks are super friendly and I get along with them great. I went yesterday about 10:00am to mail several packages and it was very crowded (I try to avoid Mondays as it is always the busiest day there) with the line going out the door. A man behind me was drunk and complaining loudly as only one clerk was working and going as fast as she could. When another clerk opened, this guy pushed past me and my sister to get there first. I am sure there are many times they have to put up with a lot of unpleasant, rude folks as well.
posted on January 23, 2001 05:14:30 AM
I never heard of the 10 item rule, boy glad I haven't too. The people here are great, and some of the nicest I have ever encountered. I just cant say enough about how accommodating they are to commercial customers here.
If you have a question they'll go out of their way to get the correct answer for you. If there are lines, they told me to just pile'em up on any available counter space and they would take care of them soon as time allows.
I never have to stand in the lines. I though they were all like that, since it does make sense not to hold up the lines even more. During the busy Christmas season they allowed me to take my packages straight to loading dock out back so I wouldn't have such a time getting them inside. Maybe its just the relationship you have formed with them in the past or I have an extra special PO!!
I LOVE MY POST OFFICE STAFF !!
I'd File, and hope it helps your situation, the PO is trying to make the transition to private and PO like the one you speak of will hurt the rest !!
[ edited by jfpnatl on Jan 23, 2001 05:18 AM ]
posted on January 23, 2001 05:20:23 AM
The post office staff in mine town is (are?) great. I'm sure they don't fight over who gets to wait on me but they always have questions about "how's ebay" or they say "here comes the internet lady!". I'm in there at least 3 times a week and they always have a treat for my daughter and they joke around a lot with her. Their locale is less than preferable, there is no parking (just street parking) and the meter maid there camps out on that street just to be able to ticket you. That is my only gripe with my PO workers.
The 10 package thing would not fly with me. That is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard!
posted on January 23, 2001 05:52:32 AM
I had to file 3 complaints in the past year over nondelivery (for 2 months, and again for 2 weeks), and very damaged packages.
posted on January 23, 2001 06:27:44 AM
Depending on how you handle it, the Consumer Service Card can help. *DON'T* hand it in to your local post office after you complete it, though. You might or might not get a response at all.
There is an address on the front of the card. Sending them there will generate a response; or you can send the cards to your next higher level office; that brings pressure down on your local p.o.
Either way you go, make sure that you keep the back copy that says "customer". Then if you don't hear anything within a reasonable period, follow up on it.
If you're really, really ticked off at your local office, you always have the option of contacting your Congressthing; believe me, nothing motivates any govt. org. like a Congressional investigation.
posted on January 23, 2001 06:31:19 AM
The USPS site has an 1-80 number for customer service complaints AND an email compaint form. USE THEM.
There is no reason for a PO to refuse to take mail just because the man doesn't LIVE in the bleeping zip code. The PO gets funding AND staffed based on mail volume, so if you drive away all your customers by bad service, you end up with less to serve them with and fewer staff.
They are REQUIRED to accomodate the disabled, not make things harder for them. And a quick call to one's congressperson wuold take care of those non-official regulations real fast.
I can see a package limit AT BUSY TIMES, but have never had one applied to me.
posted on January 23, 2001 11:33:26 AM
I have the good fortune of having a great post office staff that I deal with, as it sounds like many of you do. Don't forget, you can use a customer service card to tell how much you love the service, and even name particularly helpful workers. I did, and let my guys know. They were appreciate and said they sometimes get little bonuses if commended, like movie tickets.
posted on January 23, 2001 12:01:52 PM
DarcyW : Either this is a more common problem in small towns that I thought, or this is a case of a big coincidince.
Gee, I live in a small town whose paper quite recently featured a story about the crummy service, particularly for disabled. And it enumerated the parking problems (no off-street parking, no disabled spots, a total of 4 on-street spots). The postmaster's response when asked about the parking situation was that it was not their job to provide parking. My post office usually has lines out the door (only five people can even be in line before they don't fit anymore), and cranky employees. The building is very old and I'm sure it was adequate when it was built, but it hasn't been for decades. And we do have the ten package limit.
Hi, yes I am referring to Newberg, Oregon. I looked to see if the local newspaper has the article up on their web site yet for others to read but the newspaper is only up to the January 17 issue.
I live outside of Newberg so I drive to Sherwood to mail my packages since there is plenty of parking and the window clerks are friendly and wonderful.
I believe the differences between post offices is in how a postmaster manages his or her domain. Newberg has a new postmaster, an older person near retirement, who came from another little town. Maybe it is like the military, when the post office wants to remove a postmaster from a post office the person gets transferred, not fired.
I can't go to the local post office for shipping packages. No parking. Long lines. Unhappy clerks. Ten package rule.
I buy inventory that may be shipped to me in large heavy boxes. Yesterday I drove to the carrier annex where one usually goes to pick up big packages because that is their distribution center. The annex has lots of parking and you can back a pickup right to the loading dock and a postal employee will load the heavy boxes for you. Yesterday I was informed that the new postmaster has changed the rules, that the postal workers now have to drive boxes back over to the post office and that recipients can't pick up the packages for 24 hours, to give the workers time to get packages back to the post office. So I had to go to the post office where there is no parking. There is a small parking lot behind the post office filled with employee cars, no room to drive a pickup into the lot and be able to turn around and get out again. I had to park across the street (which is a highway through town), climb the steps, wait in line (only one clerk at the window) then carry each heavy box down the steps, one by one. My left foot is lame from an accident that destroyed the joint some years ago. I have degenerative arthritis up the spine, a genetic disorder that runs in my family. Carrying six heavy boxes down the steps like that and across a busy street was scary, I was afraid I would fall.
Not only that, my rural route carrier told me the new postmaster decreed that carriers cannot deliver mail or packages to any home with dogs if the carrier has to get out of the car. This is stupid and so far the carrier agrees. My three dogs are 12 years old, never bit, are lethargic. I live in the middle of 50 acres, the dogs don't wander so I have no reason to kennel them. The carrier has to get out of his car to go to the back, lift up his rear door, scan tracking numbers and retrieve the packages. He has been our rural route carrier for 25 years and has been delivering packages throughout the lives of these dogs so he knows that my dogs and all of the other dogs on his route are just friendly dogs with no behavior problems.
UPS and FedEx don't have these stupid rules. Other post offices don't have these stupid rules.
That is why I asked if filling out these complaint forms will do any good. The front of the form, I have to fill in the town and zip code. I need to figure out who is the boss of this postmaster and mail my complaint there. I doubt it will do any good to mail my complaint to the postmaster who is decreeing all of the new rules.
posted on January 23, 2001 12:39:36 PM
I work at the post office as a rural carrier and to the best of my knowledge there is NO ten item limit. The rule is that the customer is suppose to affix the postage themselves, and that as an employee you should do it for them IF it is a reasonable amount of items. Almost universally we agree that ten is reasonable. One carrier I know would not attach any stamps.
The postage printers in the office run very slow, and it does hold up the line if you have a large number of packages. I think anyone mailing 30 packages twice a week should invest in a scale, print the rates off the postal website and buy stamps. That is what I did, and several customers on my route, who sell on eBay, whose packages I pick up every day have done also.
It may not look like it, but even in small offices where there is no line the clerks have other duties besides waiting the counter. Such as bagging the packages and getting other mail ready to be picked up and taken to the central office.
As far as the complaint form it should be sent to the regional office for your area. If you don't want to ask at your post office call a larger office nearby and ask them where they send their reports that should be it. Your carrier should be able to tell you also. If they get enough complaints that don't go off on a tangent and just state the facts they will look into it. Good Luck.
[ edited by trkirk on Jan 23, 2001 12:50 PM ]
[ edited by trkirk on Jan 23, 2001 12:51 PM ]
posted on January 23, 2001 01:22:30 PM
Darcy: Yep, it IS a small world! Too funny,
I thought there were too many similarities to be a coincidence!
The parking does not affect me too much, since I usually walk there (well, hobble - since I am also a card-carrying gimp), but I can sure understand the frustration for people that have to try to park out there! I wonder if the reason they are able to get away with having no disabled parkings spaces is because they provide no off street parking at all for anyone...either that or no one has complained enough yet.
Please do file a complaint, but I think you are right that you have to file it over this postmaster's head. Wouldn't hurt to write to the paper since it's just been covered to keep some pressure on him - his comments are not winning him many friends.
I know at our post office, the later in the day you go the worse it gets (lunch time is busy also). I find it's usually not bad until after 3PM.
Trkirk: I do weigh and stamp my packages and still hear about the ten package limit from this post office. Sometimes I just need DC or I have to send something priority, but the bulk of it is always things that are ready to go. I finally decided that it was best to mail those packages out front in the dropboxes and only take in those things that they need
to mess with.
posted on January 23, 2001 02:12:53 PM
Darcy - If it's THAT bad, I suggest
http://www.framed.usps.com/feedback/feedback.htm
and enter the complaint there. Be very specific about the changes and the adverse effect they have on you. DO NOT mention that you use the other PO, justconcentrate on what the local one has done that makes it hard for the public.
Mention that it was SO BAD the paper ran an expose on it, and include the name and publication date of the paper.
posted on January 23, 2001 02:51:05 PM
My PO is so bad.....
That I insist on UPS on anything over a pound.
That I have filled out about ten of the customer service cards.
That I have the manager to come out front and wait on people.
That I have contacted my congressman, Steve Largent regarding eBay sales by the PO - Why are they charging shipping on packages that were not delivered, but the sender paid shipping on already.(that's regarding the postal service in general, not my local PO)
A few of the employess at my local are nice enough, but plenty more sigh and carry on when I walk up to the counter. Is it easier to wait on ten different people, or one person with ten packages? Is there some other reason they work at the counter besides waiting on people? Am I keeping them from doing something?
I can't think of any business (outside of eBay) that has profited more from us eBayers. Their business is UP, and they raise the rates????
Sorry, that's my rant. I'm friendly and polite when dealing with my customers, and get rilled-up when I'm not treated the same.
posted on January 23, 2001 02:56:32 PM
If the Post Office isn't accomidating Disabled Persons, they are in direct Violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Every Goverment Office is required by law to have facilities to accomidate the Disabled. The Postal Service is no exception, as they are a Goverment Entity.
You might have to file a complaint at your local Federal Courthouse on this matter.
:\\\"Crystalline Sliver cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
posted on January 23, 2001 03:14:44 PM
Argh; I think this ten package thing must be a local thing. I know other places have it, but I think it is an idea that got passed around at postmaster meetings cause it sounded like a cheaper way to speed up the lines rather than have to pay another clerk. They are always under pressure to reduce clerk hours. That is probably way the clerks are so crabby. Also be carefull about putting packages in the outside box. All packages over 1 pound must be accepted in person because of a FAA rule. If one is found in the outside box it is supposed to be returned to sender.
to Crystalline Sliver, If the post office does not offer public parking in its own lot, it does not have to provide handicapped parking because it does not offer any parking. Someone at our office complained and that is what they were told. handicapped parking spots are not supposed to be on the street because it is too dangerous. At least that is what we were told.
but they always have questions about "how's ebay" or they say "here comes the internet lady!". I'm in there at least 3 times a week and they always have a treat for my daughter and they joke around a lot with her. Their locale is less than preferable, there is no parking (just street parking) and the meter maid there camps out on that street just to be able to ticket you. That is my only gripe with my PO workers.