Usps... Priority mail my ...

338375

338375

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Nothing new under the sun here, just had to vent....


I have always sent things USPS Priority. It doesn't cost much more, and it was nice to get things in 2-3 days, as well as having someone that bought something from me, get it quickly too.

I have lost track now of the amount of times it has taken 5-10 days for a Priority package to make delivery in the CONUS.

I have been tracking a knife I bought that was sent from Mi. on Monday.
I just checked and it shows it took 2 days just to to make it from PDX to Bend :mad:..... We are talking a grand total of 170 miles.
Now it looks like it didn't arrive here in Bend until this morning, which means it probably didn't make the cut for todays delivery, so it will be Monday.

It isn't a life or death issue, but it seems that selling Priority services is just a way to generate more revenue. There is no guaranty so they don't care how long it takes.

I know they have mail trucks that run from PDX to Bend a few times a day, because I see them and occasionally talk to the drivers ( I drive truck).
Most times, the trucks aren't even full, which is a total lack of efficiency. I know they have schedules though, so its not always possible to get the maximum amount of freight on the truck.

This isn't a complaint about the workers in general, but the system itself.

Its not a matter of a couple dollars, its just the principle.
 
338375 said:
Nothing new under the sun here, just had to vent....


I have always sent things USPS Priority. It doesn't cost much more, and it was nice to get things in 2-3 days, as well as having someone that bought something from me, get it quickly too.

I have lost track now of the amount of times it has taken 5-10 days for a Priority package to make delivery in the CONUS.

I have been tracking a knife I bought that was sent from Mi. on Monday.
I just checked and it shows it took 2 days just to to make it from PDX to Bend :mad:..... We are talking a grand total of 170 miles.
Now it looks like it didn't arrive here in Bend until this morning, which means it probably didn't make the cut for todays delivery, so it will be Monday.

It isn't a life or death issue, but it seems that selling Priority services is just a way to generate more revenue. There is no guaranty so they don't care how long it takes.

I know they have mail trucks that run from PDX to Bend a few times a day, because I see them and occasionally talk to the drivers ( I drive truck).
Most times, the trucks aren't even full, which is a total lack of efficiency. I know they have schedules though, so its not always possible to get the maximum amount of freight on the truck.

This isn't a complaint about the workers in general, but the system itself.

Its not a matter of a couple dollars, its just the principle.
Click to expand...

I've had some very similar experiences with USPS Priority "if you can fit in this box" crap...thanks for saying exactly what I was thinking!!!:barf:
 
Same problem here Mike. Have stopped using Priority since the Post Office has ordered its employees to its new policy of mandatory 'down time' where by (if you haven't heard) the employees literally sit in a room doing nothing and get paid.

I've been using First Class with Delivery Confirmation and have been providing my own boxes/containers. Less money and the same good time to destination as Priority used to be. Perhaps give it a try and see. My last knife went out to a fellow in Massachusetts from Florida in 3 days time door to door.

Hope this helps a little,

Anthony
 
Thanks Anthony. I have to say, I will no longer be using Priority unless I'm selling and someone really wants it. But heck, as you mentioned, it seems to be quicker and cheaper to send First Class. The other big convenience was using the boxes for Priority. I'll start keeping my eyes open for little boxes to have for future use. Course, I don't do much wheeling and dealing anymore:D

I hadn't heard of the "Down Time" before. What the heck is up with that?
Now I'm curious and am going to have to do a little searching
 
338375 said:
Thanks Anthony. I have to say, I will no longer be using Priority unless I'm selling and someone really wants it. But heck, as you mentioned, it seems to be quicker and cheaper to send First Class. The other big convenience was using the boxes for Priority. I'll start keeping my eyes open for little boxes to have for future use. Course, I don't do much wheeling and dealing anymore:D

I hadn't heard of the "Down Time" before. What the heck is up with that?
Now I'm curious and am going to have to do a little searching
Click to expand...

Due to the recession, USPS volumes have nose dived. USPS is not really able to adjust its work force down to meet the lower volumes due to "no layoff" clauses in some union contracts - so, when there is no work, they put the excess workers in a room to pass the time. They make training materials and manuals and things like that available, but you can only take so much of that - so sometimes the employees just play cards or take a nap or just sit around telling lies, etc.

Same thing with the half-empty trucks. You can't hold them up until the truck fills up or you will be further delaying the mail that is already on there.
 
Thanks Mycroft. I was thinking it had something to do with the Union contract.
I've been a Union member for almost 30 years, and there are usually some things in the contracts that don't always seem to make sense :D

Its good for the workers that are lower in seniority, but I can't imagine having to sit around for 8 hours a day. That would make for a very long day
 
338375 said:
Thanks Mycroft. I was thinking it had something to do with the Union contract.
I've been a Union member for almost 30 years, and there are usually some things in the contracts that don't always seem to make sense :D

Its good for the workers that are lower in seniority, but I can't imagine having to sit around for 8 hours a day. That would make for a very long day
Click to expand...

I think some of the contracts are coming up for renegotiation pretty soon. If the situation doesn't improve, job security is likely to be the number 1 issue - even ahead of pay and benefits!
 
mycroftt said:
Due to the recession, USPS volumes have nose dived. USPS is not really able to adjust its work force down to meet the lower volumes due to "no layoff" clauses in some union contracts - so, when there is no work, they put the excess workers in a room to pass the time. They make training materials and manuals and things like that available, but you can only take so much of that - so sometimes the employees just play cards or take a nap or just sit around telling lies, etc.

Same thing with the half-empty trucks. You can't hold them up until the truck fills up or you will be further delaying the mail that is already on there.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is true and thank you for the details of the issue.

I guess I wonder why, if customer service is being impacted because of this policy's obvious flaws, USPS doesn't abolish the policy and get the operation up to speed. I realize this is a little oversimplified but I fail to see the benefits of this policy long term financially.
 
Anthony, usually the only way to change it is when the next contract comes up, they can renegotiate because of the reduced work load.
Unless they can get the employees to agree that the amount of workers needs to be reduced, which is very unlikely to happen.


If the workload has dropped so much that there is a lot of inefficiency, and wasted labor, it becomes critical to change the workload.
No one wants to see it happen, but thats what is required for long term survival.

After being involved in Unions for so many years, there are some negatives.
There are unfortunately a lot of workers that feel entitled once they become members. It becomes more of an "Its all about me " thing...

It is just as hard for a company to terminate a worker, which a fair number of workers take advantage of. They know exactly what they can get away with.

Sorry for the rambling, must be the coffee :D
 
We had a similar situation some years ago in the New York Post Office. The Postmaster came up with a simple policy to address the relative overstaffing: NO hiring. This led to shortstaffing in some offices, and it took some creativity to move people around, but we dropped the rolls without impacting the contract/no layoff protection.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
We had a similar situation some years ago in the New York Post Office. The Postmaster came up with a simple policy to address the relative overstaffing: NO hiring. This led to shortstaffing in some offices, and it took some creativity to move people around, but we dropped the rolls without impacting the contract/no layoff protection.
Click to expand...

There ya go. A lot of times a little restructuring can make it so nobody has to be layed off.
I worked for the largest freight company in the world for 14 years, and the amount of redundant and wasteful staffing was incredible. I've never worked for a Gov't agency, but I'm sure they are the same way.

They went through and eliminated a lot of the excess, and nobody even noticed a difference (except the accountants:D).
They also did a hiring freeze like you mentioned. Which worked out great when things were busy, because everyone got overtime :thumbup:
 
I feel your pain, 5 days is the norm for me to get a Priority package here in North Dakota, even if coming from MN next door. My local PO is equally frustrating. I've had packages IN the post office in time for that days delivery but the carrier decided he already had enough mail to deliver that day and left it behind. This has happened more than once. Priority is dissapointing sometimes...
 
MattWRog said:
I've had packages IN the post office in time for that days delivery but the carrier decided he already had enough mail to deliver that day and left it behind. This has happened more than once. Priority is dissapointing sometimes...
Click to expand...

I had the exact opposite experience one day. I was walking down the street past the post office just as my letter carrier was leaving to go home. He saw me and told me to wait a minute -- a package had come in during the day and he ran inside and got it for me. :)
 
Well thats a promising sign! I can't say they are all bad. Infact the rural carriers go out of there way to make sure folks get there mail here. Its like any other govt. agency, mix of good with the bad.
 
I've got some advantages here. I do have a particularly good carrier, and he does know I'm a retired Postal Service manager, and we are friends.
 
Always good to be friends with your carrier. We have a rural carrier too, and she is very good about making sure we get our stuff as quickly as she can on her end....
Most times we will tell her we are expecting an important package(usually a knife:D) and when we think it should arrive. She will go out of her way to bring it up to our house instead of leaving it at the box..
Like most folks, they are good people just tryin to do their job.
 
Good feedback regarding the USPS and its problems and logical solutions.. I see this policy as a terrible blow to moral to an already troubled Postal Service.

I wonder: If there was a trigger in the labor contract that sent this policy in motion when the work load slowed due to the recession, is there also not a trigger that would reverse it and keep everyone back out on the floor to work when business picks up--or more work is created like system improvements and such?.. Because this policy is surely going to adversely effect the impending Holiday season.
 
Esav would probably have a better answer being that he was"connected".

I'm not sure what they would use as a trigger point to pull workers off the floor in to downtime.
I would think it would be a given that as the holidays get closer, they know the work load will increase as most businesses do seasonally. And I would think at that point all the down workers that are still in house would be put back into production.

But then again, its a different Union than the I.B.O.T that I was in.
 
If I were in that position, in my post office, NONE of my people would be sitting around bored. Ideal training time. We never had enough upgrade training time, and I still managed to top the other stations in getting clerks and carriers promoted to supervisor.
 
Man!

Here's my story. A recent purchase supposedly arrived the 298th of last month as my PO. But I have not received it, and the PO can not find it.

We filed for the insurance, you'd think they would be even better at doing this if they have less of it to do.
 
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