Have we bashed Postal employees lately?

[Danny_Ocean]

So...standing in a long line at the post office today, noticing how almost everyone in the line wouldn't have to be waiting if they'd only learn how to use the automated machine in the lobby (but that would require learning where to find a clue first...but I digress), when I see a postal employee coming down the row, asking/answering questions.

He gets to the old man (with cane) in front of me (who is clutching his mortgage payment, a stack of cash, and a debit card) and asks "what are you mailing?" Old man replies "my mortgage payment..it's due today." Postal genius, walks over to the counter, picks up a brochure, and returns to the old man. "You know, you can get stamps by mail. The service is free. They will deliver the stamps right to your home." Old man seems confused...he needs a stamp NOW, not in a week or so when the postman eventually shows up with his mail-order stamps.

The postal employee continues to blather on, showing the man where to fill out the form, which boxes to check, etc. Old man remains confused...looks at the form, looks at his soon to be past-due mortgage payment, then looks up at the postal employee.

I can't take it anymore and say "He has an ATM card in his hand. Why don't you just take him to the machine in the lobby and show him how to use it? He'll be out of here in two minutes!"

Postal employee gives me the tilted puppy head look and finally the 5-watt light bulb in his head illuminates. "Follow me" he says to the old man, and escorts him to the postage machine.

Please, Santa...all I want for Christmas is the privatization of the Postal Service!

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

So...standing in a long line at the post office today, noticing how almost everyone in the line wouldn't have to be waiting if they'd only learn how to use the automated machine in the lobby (but that would require learning where to find a clue first...but I digress), when I see a postal employee coming down the row, asking/answering questions.

He gets to the old man (with cane) in front of me (who is clutching his mortgage payment, a stack of cash, and a debit card) and asks "what are you mailing?" Old man replies "my mortgage payment..it's due today." Postal genius, walks over to the counter, picks up a brochure, and returns to the old man. "You know, you can get stamps by mail. The service is free. They will deliver the stamps right to your home." Old man seems confused...he needs a stamp NOW, not in a week or so when the postman eventually shows up with his mail-order stamps.

The postal employee continues to blather on, showing the man where to fill out the form, which boxes to check, etc. Old man remains confused...looks at the form, looks at his soon to be past-due mortgage payment, then looks up at the postal employee.

I can't take it anymore and say "He has an ATM card in his hand. Why don't you just take him to the machine in the lobby and show him how to use it? He'll be out of here in two minutes!"

Postal employee gives me the tilted puppy head look and finally the 5-watt light bulb in his head illuminates. "Follow me" he says to the old man, and escorts him to the postage machine.

Please, Santa...all I want for Christmas is the privatization of the Postal Service!

Do you really think privatization will solve this problem? As someone who has to deal with the USPS, FedEx, and UPS on a daily basis, I'm not looking for any less competition between them.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Do you really think privatization will solve this problem? As someone who has to deal with the USPS, FedEx, and UPS on a daily basis, I'm not looking for any less competition between them.

Couldn't be worse, could it?

[jyl]

The US Postal Service is self-supporting. They are not funded by the taxpayer. So, if you simply shift all of your business to UPS and FedEx, then the USPS employees who bug you so much, won't get a cent of your money.

The USPS has some serious challenges. First is that physical mail is increasingly being replaced by electronic mail and online bill payment. Second is that the USPS needs Congress' permission to make major changes to it's service, like eliminating Saturday delivery. Third is that the USPS is required to be a universal service, it can't pick and choose which customers or services or regions are profitable or price accordingly. (Related to the second problem.)

I think mail delivery will inevitably go to 4 days a week.

[89-944NA]

Danny_Ocean, guess what your prayers were answered with the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970.

The PRA stripped the USPS of cabinet status, and made it an "independent establishment in the executive branch". "In 1988, the Supreme Court recognized that Congress also invested this hybrid entity with the "status of a private commercial enterprise".

The Supreme Court further stated that Congress "by launching the Postal Service into the commercial world, and including the sue-and-be-sued clause into it's charter, Congress as cast off the Service's "cloak of sovereignty", and given it the "status of a private commercial enterprise."

So unfortunately, the Postal Service has been a "private commercial enterprise" since 1970, with the exception that it cannot make a profit.

So where does that leave us now?

[A930Rocket]

Sounds like the old man needed it over nighted... Yesterday. That said, can you over night something from the vending machines in the lobby? Also, it would appear the postal worker was trying to tell the old guy he could buy stamps from home and mail his stuff "on time" without having to come down to the post office. But first he should have gotten his immediate need of getting it mailed out addressed.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by jyl

The US Postal Service is self-supporting. They are not funded by the taxpayer. So, if you simply shift all of your business to UPS and FedEx, then the USPS employees who bug you so much, won't get a cent of your money.

The USPS has some serious challenges. First is that physical mail is increasingly being replaced by electronic mail and online bill payment. Second is that the USPS needs Congress' permission to make major changes to it's service, like eliminating Saturday delivery. Third is that the USPS is required to be a universal service, it can't pick and choose which customers or services or regions are profitable or price accordingly. (Related to the second problem.)

I think mail delivery will inevitably go to 4 days a week.

They do get regular infusions from the Federal Government.

The Stupid thing is...they are PRIVATE. This is one thing the government is allowed to do, and they privatized it.

I've met quite a few postal workers, and NONE are happy. They all think they are getting screwed, by the man...

[jyl]

The USPS gets some small annual sum for a disabled
access program, <$100MM/yr. Otherwise, it has been self-supporting.

Until this recession. Starting about 2-3 years ago, the postal service started falling into it's current crisis, what with mail volumes falling. It has been borrowing from the Treasury, appx $10BN to date, but it's borrowing limit is $15BN which it will hit within a year. At that point the postal service will be out of money, and the crisis will be at Congress' door.

I don't see the real problem with 5 (or even 4) day a week service. That seems like the natural solution.

[BGCarrera32]

Originally Posted by jyl

Second is that the USPS needs Congress' permission to make major changes to it's service, like eliminating Saturday delivery. .

That's really problem #1. They can't make the maneuvers they need to stay competitive because they are regulated by 535 boneheads that are doing such a genius job running the rest of the country.

And I agree, I would be fine stopping Saturday delivery and cutting down the crap mail.

[sammyg2]

I talked to a guy I know yesterday, he works for the post office. Well, "work" probably isn't the correct word for it.

He "works" at most 4 hours a day, usually less. But he's on light duty and has been for over 20 years, since he hurt his back.
In other words he doesn't do anything. Nothing. But the union says they have to keep paying him as long as he shows up every day for at least 1/2 day. So he does.
The PO gives him absolutely nothing do do, hoping he'll get bored and quit. After 20 years that strategy still hasn't worked.


LOL I wonder if we could actually pick him out from the rest of the postal workers?

I also wonder why they are trying to raise postage to 46 cents for a letter and cut delivery on Saturdays to keep from losing another $14 billion by the end of next year.

[Neilk]

Crap mail is unfortunately paying the bills esp since so mny people are paying bills online and doing things via e-mail. Suspend Saturday deliveries but keep post offices on Saturday so we can mail things on non-work days.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by jyl

The USPS gets some small annual sum for a disabled
access program, <$100MM/yr. Otherwise, it has been self-supporting.

Until this recession. Starting about 2-3 years ago, the postal service started falling into it's current crisis, what with mail volumes falling. It has been borrowing from the Treasury, appx $10BN to date, but it's borrowing limit is $15BN which it will hit within a year. At that point the postal service will be out of money, and the crisis will be at Congress' door.

I don't see the real problem with 5 (or even 4) day a week service. That seems like the natural solution.

It is illegal for any company to compete with the postal service in regard to first class mail. No one else can deliver letters and such.
The answer is to deregulate the postal service, allow companies like fed-ex or UPS to compete with the postal service openly and fairly and then completely eliminate the postal service if it becomes obsolete and useless.

If the postal service rises to the occasion and cuts costs and streamlines the business and becomes competitive, they get to survive and we get reasonable service for a reasonable price again.

[Craig 930 RS]

USPS is on full auto-maton mode.

[nynor]

Originally Posted by jyl

The US Postal Service is self-supporting. They are not funded by the taxpayer. So, if you simply shift all of your business to UPS and FedEx, then the USPS employees who bug you so much, won't get a cent of your money.

The USPS has some serious challenges. First is that physical mail is increasingly being replaced by electronic mail and online bill payment. Second is that the USPS needs Congress' permission to make major changes to it's service, like eliminating Saturday delivery. Third is that the USPS is required to be a universal service, it can't pick and choose which customers or services or regions are profitable or price accordingly. (Related to the second problem.)

I think mail delivery will inevitably go to 4 days a week.

self supporting?! they are something like $10B in the hole for the year!

[jyl]

The postal service does not have a monopoly on so-called expedited mail. The USPS has first class mail, UPS and FedEx have 2nd day and 3rd day (''Express Saver'') for envelopes as well as packages, these are equivalent to First Class mail.

Check out UPS and FedEx's rates for that. Just a little bit more than a first class stamp!

UPS and FedEx have zero interest in the Postal Service's residential delivery service or in much of the Postal Service's business. It is not profitable enough.

If mail delivery were left solely to private companies, without any universal service mandate, there wouldn't be affordable mail service to many residential addresses.

[vash]

i know plenty of postal guys. my FIL is a carrier.

my friend's wife is a manager. her branch/area is brilliant. my local branch is manned by idiots. the main guy looks like that actor that used to manage the BUY MORE in that TV show.."CHUCK". what danny described happens all the time.

imho, that old man comes from an era where he feels better dropping off important mail right at the office. he needed a stamp ASAP, and to comfort of seeing it handed off to a live postal worker. i'm young, and my OCD sometimes make me trek to the "buy more" of postal offices.

[jyl]

Read a little further in the thread for an explanation. Maybe I should have said, they have historically been self supporting, for practically all of the last century and were so starting this one. Until the current recession/crisis. Starting a couple years ago, they have lost money. The crisis will come to a head in a year or so, when they run out of cashflow.

Quote de jyl

The US Postal Service is self-supporting. They are not funded by the taxpayer. So, if you simply shift all of your business to UPS and FedEx, then the USPS employees who bug you so much, won't get a cent of your money.



The USPS has some serious challenges. First is that physical mail is increasingly being replaced by electronic mail and online bill payment. Second is that the USPS needs Congress' permission to make major changes to it's service, like eliminating Saturday delivery. Third is that the USPS is required to be a universal service, it can't pick and choose which customers or services or regions are profitable or price accordingly. (Related to the second problem.)



I think mail delivery will inevitably go to 4 days a week.

self supporting?! they are something like $10B in the hole for the year!

[patssle]

noticing how almost everyone in the line wouldn't have to be waiting if they'd only learn how to use the automated machine in the lobby

Why do you want people to use the automated machine? Then that will be backed up with lines out the door and the government would refuse to install more than 1 machine because that would be logical thing to do.

[cgarr]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

It is illegal for any company to compete with the postal service in regard to first class mail. No one else can deliver letters and such.

Git outta here! You mean they have a monopoly and still cant make any money!! Say it aint so!

[jyl]

Because the postal commission limits what they can charge, and congress says they have to provide service to all the rural areas and podunk post offices that aren't profitable. Even if they had a monopoly on first class mail - which they don't, since UPS and FedEx have equivalent products - they're not allowed to exploit any monopoly.

If a first class letter cost $1.00 then obviously the postal service would be very profitable.

Quote de sammyg2

It is illegal for any company to compete with the postal service in regard to first class mail. No one else can deliver letters and such.

Git outta here! You mean they have a monopoly and still cant make any money!! Say it aint so!