[Jeff Higgins]

Reference step 7: My mail was not picked up or delivered yesterday. In addition, it has been arriving later and later, as late as 7:30 pm. So I wait that long to check; flag still up, outgoing still in the box. My son tells me he saw the mailman come through, so I call a couple neighbors. Yup; they got their mail.

So I call the post office listed in the phone book under my zip code and ask what's up. The nice lady that answers, after over five minutes on hold, tells me she really works for QFC, and this is only a drop station. She gives me the office number I need to call. Another nice lady answers, but not a Post Office employee - I've called a private residence. She wonders why so many people call looking for the Post Office. I call the QFC back, wait on hold another five minutes, and tell the nice lady that the number she is giving out is a private residence. "Oh; you know, some one else mentioned that awhile back" is her answer. She does not have another number and cannot help me.

So I go to the P.O.'s website and find an 800 number to call. An automated answering machine picks up and makes me sit through several minutes of messages about rate increases. After that, about the third or fourth option is to speak to some one for help. Selecting that option, the message I get is that the office is closed; hours are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Remember, my mail arrives as late as 7:20 pm; two and a half hours after they close. No way, even if I knew exactly who to call, to speak to anyone on the same day I determine my mail did not get delivered.

There you go - one man's brush with our incredibly efficeint gubmint. I finally used their "contact us" feature on their website. We'll see how that goes.