Post Office

[alpha]

I have a friend who is a 62 year-old widow. She pays her bills the old fashioned way with an envelope and stamp. She put about 6 in her mailbox and put the flag up. At the end of the day she noticed the flag was still up and her bills were still in the mailbox. When she called the post office to complain, she was told that picking up mail is just a "customer courtesy" and not a "requirement." Has anyone else ever heard of this?

[cabinetman]

I have a friend who is a 62 year-old widow. She pays her bills the old fashioned way with an envelope and stamp. She put about 6 in her mailbox and put the flag up. At the end of the day she noticed the flag was still up and her bills were still in the mailbox. When she called the post office to complain, she was told that picking up mail is just a "customer courtesy" and not a "requirement." Has anyone else ever heard of this?

No I haven't. We've had the mail picked up with the flag up even when there was no delivery.

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[All Thumbs]

I don't know if it is a requirement, or a courtesy. I do know mailmen are like everyone else: They aren't perfect, may not have noticed that flag. They may have had a family emergency and were rushing. Might of hurt themselves and could barely get the mail delivered. I'd had given it a day and seen if the mail went out the next day. If not, I'd drive it to the mailbox/post office myself, and quietly inquire whether my mailman was okay.

[jackellis]

My wife is a 66 year-old married woman with degrees in chemistry, business and computer science. She also pays our bills the old-fashioned way. Since we don't have home mail delivery here, she often walks mail to and from the post office 2 miles away.

Calling her a Luddite has had no visible effect. and yes, she does know what it means.

[Pappy]

I am basing my answer on the assumtion that htis a curbside, mounted delivery situation.

I have been delivering the mail for 17 years and, no, mail pick up is not a 'customer courtesy'. It is part of our job. She should call, or go to the PO and speak to the Station Manager or the Postmaster if there is only one PO in the town if it happens again. As Thumbs said, we aren't perfect and do screw up sometimes.

It could also have been a Part Time Flex or Temporary Employee working the route in the absence of the regular carrier. They are less exprerienced and make more mistakes. Not an excuse for them, but their jobs are not as well protected and they generally get more pressure from management to make time.

There are exceptions, both official and unofficial, the management will back a carrier on. I have a some customers that put their flags up every day so they know when I have been there. With the exception of one older lady who has trouble getting out to her box, I ignore those flags and stop only if I have mail for them. (I also leave the flag up!)

Blocked boxes are another situation. We aren't supposed to stop in the street and get out to reach a box. Driving past the house to a point where we can curb and shut down the truck, then walking back to deliver the mail takes enough time to make several normal deliveries. Understanding that this is going to happen occasionally, we are expected to make every effort to deliver the mail. Exceptions are boxes that are constantly blocked by the residents (I have 3 houses that I know will be blocked 4-5 days a week) or if dismounting presents a hazard to the carrier from things like a loose dog or a trip hazard such as trash and debris in front of the box.

We also encounter what I call 'hard blocked' boxes where, in order to place the mail in the box, I have to come it contact with the vehicle. I would much rather a customer complain about missing a delivery that file a claim to have a POS rust bucket repainted because I scratched the paint. (And I have seen that happen.)

[LCHIEN]

Post office just announced that it lost 5.2 billion this year. Either the government is going to have to subsidize the USPO or the USPO is going to have to make more cuts in operation.

I really feel like they could drop Saturday service and or go to 3-day deliveries for residences MWF for some homes and TTS for other homes. It would have a negative impact for me on Netflix DVD deliveries but I think its the same thing that's driving streaming.

Maybe trying to maintain the same level of service (daily delivery and 1-day delivery of first class mail in most cases) in a day and age when operating costs are going sky high because of fuel costs is just a pipe dream, would hate to see it disappear, though. Not only has the USPO been an institution in the US but the US has had postal service that puts the rest of the world to shame, one of the elements that made the US a major world power is an efficient postal system.

Anybody got other suggestions?

[LinuxRandal]

When I first moved into my house, the mailboxes were on the porches or houses, which meant steps at almost every house. I moved my mailbox in front of the porch on a post, next to the steps, when I rebuilt the porch. Several neighbors followed, and the letter carriers seemed happier. For the most part (I didn't know about the flag for a couple of years, no idea where your supposed to learn about that) I never put outgoing mail in the box, as some neighborhood kids have been problems over the years (they took out the blue box up the street, when one dumped two dozen eggs into it, another house, 3 and 5 year old kids were stealing mail as kindling).
If this is a porch side, not curb side delivery, they do sometimes skip whole houses, when there is no mail for them. JMHE This doesn't count the time, animal, etc. posts listed above.
I still pay and receive my bills via them. Otherwise with two magazine exceptions, I need to find a way to mount a trash can next to the mailbox. I also have at least two mailboxes (including one at the station) I pass on the way to work, so I just drop stuff off on the way.

I get more mailbox spam, then email spam. Resident is a bad word at my house.

[tommyt654]

I've gone paperless on all our billing as it saves fuel and the PO here only delivers junk mail to us even after calling and asking that to stop they still regularly waste gas by coming by and dropping off junk mail daily. Their on their last legs as they have no real future from what I can see with the net and all my deliverys come thru UPS and FEDEX now anyways.

[herb fellows]

If a 'responsible' person in the PO told her that, he/she is a fool.
While I would also give it another day, that response from the PO is wrong.
If she had asked for the phone number of the District Manager, that tune would have changed real quick!
District managers don't like to be called by customers, and if they hear the same customers name twice, the postmaster/manager will be in the District Office telling them why he/she can't control his operation. Excuses that will be acceptable do not exist.

The Post Office is in dire straits. A lot of things contribute to that, but the main problem they have right now is government regulations that apply only to them.
While a private company can pretty much suspend or do away with its pension scheme on short notice, the PO is required to fully fund its pensions 75 years out for the next 10 years because of a bill signed by dubbyah.
I really don't know why this happened, but there isn't another company on the planet that is required to fund its pension obligations 75 years out.
As an aside, the Post Office should never have let the parcel business go. They thought first class letter mail and Bulk business mail was their future; they bet on the wrong horse.
They still haven't figured out how to email parcels.

[LCHIEN]

maybe one of the problems with USPO is that they missed the wagon on the huge internet delivery opportunity. UPS and Fedex existed before but really only had niche markets. Seemes the PO missed their opportunity to be a deliverer of physical goods in a day when the communications have become non-physical (phone calls, text messages, e-mail, internet ordering). They already had the physical infrastructure for residential delivery. Their Priority Mail for the most part is fast, good, and competitive as I see it, but they are sharing market share with companies that are probably making large contract deals with the likes of Amazon.

As for the 60+ YO who still pay by check and mail, they are spending more, making more paperwork, and slower and less secure than internet banking/payments. You sort of don't have much sympathy for them. In 20 years when they're 80+ it'll be a whole lot worse; the PO as we know it may not even be around, couriers will charge $10 to pick up and deliver mail from homes to a reduced postal service that only serves banks, law offices and businesses, and banks will be charging $5 a check fee. Businesses may even charge a fee to accept checks or (gasp!) cash in payment of Point of sale goods or services, and invoices/account statements.

[cwsmith]

I too still do things the "old fashioned way", if that is what you care to call it. Some things are just "tradition" and I very much prefer it that way.

We generally do not burden the Postal Carrier with "pick-up", but I do know that they do it.

I'm a person who believes in people, personal contact and service, and I really do not care for electronics, in the sense that it can be used to remove a relationship of service and people's employment.

I've always like our Postal carriers, and know them on a first name basis. My wife is a homemaker, and we've shared the occasional cookies, etc. with the mailman (or woman) and there's always a little acknowledgement of their service during the holidays. Not much, but just something that you want them to know you appreciate their friendship and service.

Along the same lines, I will not use automated check-outs... that's someone's job and I'd just as soon wait twice as longe if necessary to help them keep it.

I do agree that Saturday deliveries would probably be beneficial, but much of the Post Offices financial problem today is not the lack of traffic, as it is some bill that was passed not too long ago, that requires the Postal Service to set aside massive $$ for future pensions. (At least that is what I understand... and this isn't meant to be "political" in any manner or to start a discussion that will be banned.)

The postal service in our area has been seriously curbed in many areas in the last couple of years, mostly with local offices closed. In spite of that, the carriers and handlers are still doing a great job, which is very much appreciated. I'll do my business there as long as I can.

CWS

[LinuxRandal]

As for the 60+ YO who still pay by check and mail, they are spending more, making more paperwork, and slower and less secure than internet banking/payments. You sort of don't have much sympathy for them. In 20 years when they're 80+ it'll be a whole lot worse; the PO as we know it may not even be around, couriers will charge $10 to pick up and deliver mail from homes to a reduced postal service that only serves banks, law offices and businesses, and banks will be charging $5 a check fee. Businesses may even charge a fee to accept checks or (gasp!) cash in payment of Point of sale goods or services, and invoices/account statements.

Thank you for the laughs.
The post office I expect will change, but then again, it has changed since it was established. What is new there?
Doesn't seem that different then our legal tender being produced for the government. Still required.
There are still pay here, type of places that you can pay your utility bills. Prices here, range from .25 cents to some obnoxious fee for those not smart enough to shop around, like $10 (don't remember exact, as I saw it and laughed). These also used to (haven't been to one in some time) charge more if you used plastic. With the current settlement against the charge card companies, I expect that to continue (you pay the transaction fees).
Business's can accept and charge what they like. I've been to a few that prefer plastic only (98% of their transactions are done online), to lots of them around here (especially small mom and pop), accept cash only.
But it costing more to pay non electronically, LOL.
I do know quite a few techno illiterate people, both with and without tech. (having it and knowing how to use it are two different things)
Cost of the device (lets say a smart phone) plus cost of internet access (smart phone contract) verses cost of checks (most I know still buy the cheapest basic checks for around $20) plus cost of a stamp?
Even if I did it on the cheap, free used computer with a Linux distro, online access is on the low end around here (dial up speed), around $35 a month.
What math are you using? Next you will tell me how to save money by having a mortgage, verses my paid off home.

[LCHIEN]

There's lots of free access, if you look.
Libraries all have free internet computers and will help you use them, if you just need to pay bills, it would not take long. At work, you can probably use your internet access to pay bills on you break time. And at my office, we now do most HR interaction over the 'network... signing up for insurance benefits, setting your tax withholding, taking required safety and legal courses, so even employees who don't regularly use a computer, we have open computers set up near the break areas for them to use.

Some municipalities are working to provide free wifi citywide. There's also hotspots in many restaurants and hotels you can use with a low cost used laptop.

You could quite possibly get by without owning a computer or paying for internet access.

My point was that taking cash sometimes requires people who give physical receipts. Businesses are doing away with people in favor of encouraging internet and electronic transactions - to this end they will charge for interactions requiring people because its cheaper for them to take electronic transfers.

[LinuxRandal]

Free access, doesn't equate with secure access. Man in the middle, keystroke loggers, wireless interception, etc. Those costs get handed down to all of us, increasing rates. Also not all businesses use or have computers on site. Shocking I know. (and personally I get VERY pissed when people are playing with their cell phones at work)

I've seen some of the free wifi attempts, and while I applaud them, I expect to see more lawsuits like I did a few years ago, when some municipalities tried to run fiber to everyone's house. (cable and phone companies sue since they are licensed monopolies)

Even the places that are trying to eliminate taking cash, through self checkouts and such, still have to have someone watching, in part because of theft. For doing their job, I ask where the discount button is (so I don't go through them). This doesn't even take into account the customer service and good will that an employee can provide (not all do I realize).

I am not even sure how taking plastic is cheaper. I realize that there is research that says people spend more with plastic, but you still have the business phone costs, the machine costs, the transaction percentage costs, etc. (hey, lets just charge the customers more, because they are too cheap to bring cash)
It certainly doesn't work in all scenario's. JMHE

[cabinetman]

Free access, doesn't equate with secure access. Man in the middle, keystroke loggers, wireless interception, etc. Those costs get handed down to all of us, increasing rates. Also not all businesses use or have computers on site. Shocking I know. (and personally I get VERY pissed when people are playing with their cell phones at work)

I've seen some of the free wifi attempts, and while I applaud them, I expect to see more lawsuits like I did a few years ago, when some municipalities tried to run fiber to everyone's house. (cable and phone companies sue since they are licensed monopolies)

Even the places that are trying to eliminate taking cash, through self checkouts and such, still have to have someone watching, in part because of theft. For doing their job, I ask where the discount button is (so I don't go through them). This doesn't even take into account the customer service and good will that an employee can provide (not all do I realize).

I am not even sure how taking plastic is cheaper. I realize that there is research that says people spend more with plastic, but you still have the business phone costs, the machine costs, the transaction percentage costs, etc. (hey, lets just charge the customers more, because they are too cheap to bring cash)
It certainly doesn't work in all scenario's. JMHE

+1. I agree. It's the sign of the times. The technology has IMO been specialized faster than the average user can keep up. We've pretty much waylaid the postal system in favor of online. While I still have friends that refuse to buy anything online with a credit card because of the fear of theft, those same people forward emails with all the correspondents to their address book. They don't grasp the concept.

As for the OP, we have very few bills that need an envelop and a stamp. It seems before the home use of computers got on its way, spread sheets for home money management were as personalized as possible. With the onset of excel, and online bookkeeping, a somewhat savvy household can keep very good records.

As for that mailbox sitting out front of our house, it still receives other peoples mail, mail seems to disappear, and with weather permitting, gets wet. Sometimes I wonder who gets our mail.

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