I'm sure the post office knows that, if they answered the phone, they'd have to provide customer service, or possible address customers' expectations. Since that won't affect anyone's pay, it's down the government bureaucrat hole -- ignore the people. They're only responsive to Congress, and only when they want a rate increase.

Of course, heaven forbid anyone suggest the post office be stripped of its monopoly on delivering first class mail and there be competition in that like there is overnight and express delivery.

I remember it was a big issue in the Clinton era that they were using the post office entrance exam to achieve equity and redress past wrongs -- things like you need a 70% to pass and get a job there, and for certain favored groups, they were spotted 80%, and so they could pack potentially unqualified (And how will we ever know if they were qualified? spotted 80%!) people into those jobs because they were cushy government jobs.

Still, if they answered the phone, they might have to explain why my mailman woman used to show up bright and cheery at 11 am, then 1:30 pm, now 3:30 pm.

Hopefully your county hasn't had its rash of the mailman woman stockpiling first class mail because it was just too stressful to deliver all of it everyday.

It happens at the State level in my home state. In the past year, I've had to call the Department of Professional Regulation and the Department of Employment Security. DPR put me on infinite hold, and DES' machine looped back to the main menu after and started over as I went through my path. I finally found a way to a voice mail and left the message that said "we'll call you back in the order received." That was over 2 months ago and nothing so far.

Also try to get a patent examiner on the phone: Get the paper that says you have 30 days to resolve a dispute with what the patent examiner says. I spent a week with repeated calls to the number provided. I left voicemail. There was an escalation number -- we tried to escalate. Her boss was just as unresponsive as she was -- we spent weeks leaving him voicemail, too, with no response.

The government does not have to respond to people. There is no profit motive. They will not get a pay cut for bad service -- and they will not get a pay raise for good service. The rot starts at the top and goes all the way down.

And too many Americans want these people controlling more of their lives.

With the kind of "service" I get at the PO, I've taken to thinking of it as the "Pissed Off"ice. (My carrier I have no complaints with - she's very nice).

I had a dilemma with Spirit Airlines the one and only time I flow with them. We got bumped from a flight and they destroyed a suitcase. They filed paperwork, gave us a copy, and told us they'd replace the suitcase. They also gave us "free" flights anywhere with "no blackout dates."

Well, over the next month, I called them, wrote them, emailed them, faxed them, repeatedly, and they kept saying the cannot find my record but will take care of it. Then, Shazam, on the 31st day the tell me they can't help me because there was a 30 day limit. Despite showing them where they were notified in person on day 1 (and I could prove it), and notified repeatedly on days 2 through 30, they wouldn't help me.

Then we tried to use their "free flights" with "no blackout dates," but it didn't work out because the days we needed were blacked out (they just called them low traffic dates to weasel out of it). So I told them if they couldn't get me to and from a wedding on the dates I needed, I'd never give them another chance. And I haven't.

Yeah, its a trend in government and private sector a like.

Here's a tip: If you get infinite menus and infinite holds, just select an option that says you are wanting to pay them money you owe them. You'll get an actual person fast that way.

Trust, the difference is you can go to another airline.
I hate Spirit too, and if enough of us refuse to use them again, they'll go out of business and another airline will get their customers.

With monopolies, whether it's the government or even a monopoly of a private company born of overregulation, they don't have to care because you have no choice.

I do the same thing on Comcast phone trees, I say pick the one that says I want to buy more services, then tell them what I really want. Otherwise I have spent 2 hours on the phone at times, and never had a call less than 40 minutes.

"he way you used to be able to earn a good living if you just worked hard"

That was back in the 50's.

"There's something of Communist Russia in this, just a little flavor of it"

Also a worry back in the 50's.

I've experienced extremely good service, and lots of it. Unfortunately, it was usually in Japan.

Despite the cliche, our local DMV is good, as is the Post Office.

>>"There's something of Communist Russia in this, just a little flavor of it"

You know, just yesterday I was reading a book about a woman's Chinese heritage ("Falling Leaves" by Adeline Yen Mah, the grown-up version of her book "Chinese Cinderella"). She left before Communism really took hold, but detailed what her aunt went through while Mao was in charge. It was terrifying, mostly because I've recognized whispers of the same kind of stuff here! Like a woman who wrote the newspaper about the mandatory lawn-watering schedule: "Wouldn't it be better if neighbors got a discount on their water bill for ratting out neighbors who disobeyed?". And people agreed with her! SCARY!

>>Here's a tip: If you get infinite menus and infinite holds, just select an option that says you are wanting to pay them money you owe them. You'll get an actual person fast that way.

For those that use the iPhone, there's an app called Dial Zero. It gives you "backdoor" entrances out of some companies' phone tree menus. I've only had to use it twice, but its worked both times (a call to Sprint and to AT&T).

It is different, but somewhat similar in what you experienced with a lack of care at answering the phone, I had an upsetting incident with the post office early this year.

I had a couple week trip planned to Florida. Before leaving, I went on-line requesting for mail delivery to be stopped. I checked that the mail was to be collected & once I returned I'd pick it up. So after the collection time was over, with computer print out in hand recording the held mail request, I drove to the post office.

i stood in line for around 10 minutes while the "held mail and packages" postal lady helped a lady in front of me with her passport request. When the passport customer was through, I walked up to the double door thinking it was my turn. To my surprise the post lady - while looking straight at me - closed the door and locked it!

I walked around the corner, and found the same lady sitting at a desk eating an apple. I asked why did she shut the door on me? No response. She did ask what did I wanted though. I handed her my hold mail paper saying I was there to pick up what ever mail had been collected. The postal lady pulled out a paper with a list of names on it, looked it over, and with a rude tone said I was not on the list. We went back and forth over this. I had to be on the list. Another postal guy got involved. 3 weeks of mail couldn't have been lost I kept saying! But no one knew what happened to my mail, and from the sound of their voices, the two of them could have cared less what had occurred.

Happily, later that day, 3 weeks of mail was delivered to my house by the normal postal guy that does my neighborhood route. I told the post guy what had happened at the post office earlier. He just laughed. I was hoping he might shed light on what occurred, but he turned around and walked away.

I just think with the difficulty of firing government workers, some of them have taken a no care attitude toward customers.

When I was a business owner, I can recall several times having run-ins with government employees. Off the top of my head, as an example, our company was located on approximately 6 acres of property. Most of the land was grass fields. One day a family decision was made that instead of hiring someone to mow the lawn, we would do the yard work our selves. So we had a small pole shed constructed to house a tractor lawn mower, plus tools. Once the building work was done a city building inspector was called to come out. The guy showed up and right away began having a fit. For some reason he acted to be confused between our large warehouse of goods & manufacturing and the new tiny little shed to be inspected. He began telling me that the whole large warehouse had to be emptied immediately and all our employees removed from the premise until the inspection was done. He had to make sure the building was safe.

We went back and forth over this for awhile. I just eventually asked him, why was he doing this? Why was he harassing us? The guy finally backed down. Later I learned from home builders in town that this city inspector is known for this kind of thing. It was his way of showing power apparently.

And lately my grandma gave her car to my aunt recently. We live in Illinois and the aunt in S. Carolina. To register the car in S. Carolina my uncle has been working with state employees. He had to do the work in person. Each trip took one hour each way. And I believe 4 trips were been made. Each time he is told different paper work was need in order to make the title transfer legal. It was ridiculous and upsetting.

These are just a couple of my examples. But from my experiences, it is scary to me that we have an administration in power that wants more government control and more powerful unions. It makes me worry for my nephews.

My neighbor is a postmaster of a tiny back-country post office. Call a small one and they'll answer your questions. The Post Office is falling apart. The volume of first class mail is dropping through the basement. The staff is cutting expenses everywhere and still they're in debt. Offices will close. People are leaving and not being replaced.
They're not UPS or FedEx who are more efficient (and charge more) but they've done well for us in the past and still deliver mail remarkably well. You'll miss them when they collapse.
Dana
San Diego

No I wont. You know what else I wont miss?

Wet mail in a stae that hanst seen a rainstorm in nearly 3 months, or the mulitple bite marks in every piece of mail I recieve, or the 20 pounds of junk mail fliers they have to put in my mail box each week in order to pay for their piece of shit operation

That sucks but dealing with the IRS can suck even more.

I believe it was either Money magazine or consumer reports that did a study that showed that when you called the IRS for help, %50 of the time they were given incorrect advice. I was able to find another study that said %35 and mailed it to you.

I've never had any problems here in Milford, CT. Whenever I've gone to the post office here, the workers may have been a little slow, but they're always nice, and fairly helpful. In fact, when the girls got their passports in March, we just walked up to the window, the lady took our info (and she remembered me from when I got my passport last year), signed off on everything, and 2 or 3 weeks later, the passports came in the mail. No problems at all. And my regular carrier is a gem, he's on time every day, very polite, no problems with him ever. Of course, the bottle I give him at Yule probably helps that along. I've never had a problem with his relief guy, either, though. And when we go away, I have our neighbor get our mail and newspaper. I get hers, and #1 feeds her cat, when she goes away. I guess we're pretty damn lucky.

To my knowledge, my local post office does not even have phones. I've tried looking them up in the phone book, and there is only the 1-800 number that you called. Also, I'm at the post office a couple times a week and I've never once seen somebody using a phone. I have no idea what a person is supposed to do if they only have a simple question and don't want to wait in line to talk to somebody.

They do, however, have a large mailbox inside specifically for packages, so I do not have to wait in line for paid-for packages unless they are very large or being sent international.

It's deliberate. They're orchestrating a work slow down to intimidate the public. We're seeing this across the state agencies in PA as well. Their budgets are in jeopardy so they're bogging everything down to show the public what will happen if they don't get their way.

I just went through the process of moving an had no trouble contacting the post office in my old neighborhood by phone. Twice. Both times it was picked up on the third ring, and my questions were answered. I don't think I've ever ha a problem with getting good service at a post office.

As for your issue, Amy, do the POs near you have the automated mailing stations? You can weigh and buy your postage right there and then deposit your package into the standing receptacle without dealing with any clerks. It's my favorite way to mail a package because you can access it after hours and don't have to wait in line or deal with people.

I second the comment about the rural post offices. I used to pick up my mail at a rural PO in Southeast Texas. The phone number was listed in the blue pages of our telephone directory, and the Postmaster always picked up by the second ring. After I moved to an urban area I fell into the habit of calling her when I needed information about postal service policy. My wife and I have noticed, however, that packages shipped through USPS are moving faster than they did only a few years ago. We ship boxes using Media Mail and they used to take 7 days to go 400 miles; now they arrive overnight. I suspect the PO is filling empty first-class trucks with media mail just to make a complete load.

To my knowledge, my local post office does not even have phones. I've tried looking them up in the phone book, and there is only the 1-800 number that you called.

You have to get the number from somebody at the 1-800 number. Otherwise, it's "secret."

Regarding what you say about the work slowdown, Jeremy, if that's true, it's disturbing. People at the post office should be glad they not only have jobs, but government jobs, with the vast pensions not available to most in the private sector, paid for by the rest of us.

My wife and I have noticed, however, that packages shipped through USPS are moving faster than they did only a few years ago. We ship boxes using Media Mail and they used to take 7 days to go 400 miles; now they arrive overnight. I suspect the PO is filling empty first-class trucks with media mail just to make a complete load.

More likely feeling the pressure to be competitive. It is only in package and express mail delivery that the USPS has any competition (UPS, FedEx, and DHL).

Amy, as a quick historical reminder, the reason you cannot drop a package over 13oz into a mailbox is a response to terrorist attacks, but *not* muslim terrorists. This rule went into effect as a result of Ted Kaczinski, better known as the Unabomber. You would probably not blame these attacks on the US Army (he was an honorably discharged veteran) or on Harvard (where he taught mathematics), these attacks were the work of a lone homicidal terrorist living in a cabin in the woods.

Yes, most terror attacks globally are conducted by muslims and these acts are reprehensible. When evaluating the risks of terror attacks, remember that the Oklahoma City bombing, the anthrax mailings and Kaczinsky's bombs (three of the most severe terror campaigns in recent US history) were not carried out by muslims.

"There's a childish "If I see you, it can't be a bomb" thinking at work here." You are ok with racial profiling yet when you have to stand in line to make it happen then it's bad?

I've never had an issue with the post office. I typically ship 3-4 packages a month with no hassle.

That's news to me that the clerk has to see it happen. I routinely mail packages after hours from those kiosks when there aren't any clerks on duty, much less watching me do it. Never had a problem. The kiosk at the PO I use in San Diego isn't even in the same room as the clerks' counter. Is that maybe a local rule?

It's true. We've also been having a lot of 'sick outs' (i.e. everybody calls-in sick). This has all come up due to the budget crisis. It's been in the papers.

Flynne, if you don't mind, get the number of your local post office and call and see if they answer.

Heh. I've had the local number for a couple of years now. I got it by misdialing my favorite pizza place, it was one digit off! I called shortly after you posted, Amy, and the answering machine was on because it was lunch time. Just now called back, and got a spanish-sounding woman, who was very nice and told me that they don't answer the phone from noon to 1 p.m. (I'm on the East Coast, remember). I asked her what policy was about phone calls there, and she told me that if she's in the facility, she picks up after 3 rings no matter what, unless someone else is expecting a call. I guess they're a little more casual here than in, say, a big distribution center or something.

Despite the FBI naming a person of interest (whatever that extrajudicial bull is supposed to mean), the anthrax mailer has not been indicted or convicted.

The FBI also wrongly named Richard Jewell as a person of interest, so I don't place to much credence into that little bureacratic stunt.

As long as we are being accurate.

[Post] Offices will close.

No they won't. The Postmaster general has been trying to get about 600 post offices closed for years, and Congress won't let him.

It's not about providing mail or service, it's about handing out jobs. even when the guy running it wants to turn it around, Congress blocks him.

FWIW the 2 post offices in San Francisco near my office are both slow as molasses. Not quite as rude as some descriptions here, just not the cream of the crop if you know what I mean. Trying to mail anything there takes an hour. My main complaint is a stunning lack of alacrity. In fact, they just don't hustle to provide good service even the way they do at Fedex Kinko's, which is called something else now.

I agree that the USPS is mainly an arm of the junk-mailers these days. There was a time that it was a well-run civil service, and in some towns that's still true - as readers here have reported.

Every time I go in there I wish the Postmaster General and all his executive cronies had to stand in this same @#$#! line every time they wanted to mail a package to their kids in school or whatever…

I live in a small-ish city in Southern WI, and it was only about a year or year and a half ago that we stopped being able to drop any mail over 13 oz. into the mailbox outside our office. Long after Ted Kaczinski and 9/11… so, I don’t know why it would take that long for the rule to reach “my neck of the woods” since all they did was post a sign on the box telling us that we could no longer do it, or the mail would be returned to us.

We also have the option to send packages without ever talking to a clerk. There is a kiosk inside the post office that allows you to weigh your package, print a label, pay for it, and drop it into an outgoing box. No lines, no waiting.

The one time I did go in though, the lady at our post office was kind of a bitch, but all the mail carriers I’ve ever talked to (work, home, and one who is a neighbor) have all been super nice.

Also, I forgot to say, Amy I loved this: Huh? This is like saying "If I eat oysters, it's strawberry."

I don't know how you even come up with something that random, but it sure was a good one!

Welcome to the third world; everything's like this in my country. Atlas shrugs.

We get people who come from the city for our post office, especially the eBayers. Terri, Gerri and Lori (no lie) make things move faster (and friendlier) with two stations than the sullen tree sloths in the next town with their 5 open stations. Same with our DMV "outpost"- they do the basics only, no exams, but people come up from the city 8 miles away. It's not perfect though, they just rebuilt the DMV/police department/town hall into one larger facility. The DMV portion is 4x larger than it was previously, to "serve more patrons", but they still have the same number of employees. Duh... (eye roll) There goes our budget for the next ten years.

More Postal Service news for you, Amy...

20K Pieces Of Mail Found In Mailman's Philly Home

http://cbs3.com/local/United.States.Postal.2.1693281.html

Some dating as far back as 1997!

(If this is the beginnings of Communist Russia, I suggest everyone load up on toilet paper....running out could be, well, unpleasant).

@plutosdad: "Trust, the difference is you can go to another airline."
_____

I understand. I just cited it because it seems a trend in private sectors as well as the state government i referenced. Blow them off to save a buck is the motto.

You're all missing a fundamental feature of "government" post offices: some are franchises.

If you knew where to push, there might be a way to improve service.

I don't know, maybe I'm lucky but I've never had any problems with the post office, the DMV or the IRS. I file my own taxes (they are quite simple right now because I don't have much money or own a house or anything) and when I've had questions I've been able to talk to an actual human being who was able to help me quickly. WIth the DMV, I just bought my parents' car from them, I looked up what I needed on the DMV website, printed it, filled it out, waited a short time at the DMV and had no problems. Post offices aren't the fastest places, but I plan for that. If I had questions about how to mail a package, I'd just go down there prepared to wait for 30 minutes. Or I'd pay for FedEx.

Actually, I would take "doesn't ever answer" any day over one "customer experience" I had - the robot answerer picks up and says to wait for the next available customer service rep. So I wait, and wait, and wait. It was on speaker phone while I did other stuff for at least 20 minutes. Finally, I give up.

Call back the next day. Turns out, the call center had shut down for the night before I'd called. And the message doesn't tell callers that! I could have held all night and been the first person helped the next day... Or not, you never know.

Despite the cliche, our local DMV is good, as is the Post Office.

In Ohio, the DMV is a franchise operation. And you can tell the difference between them. The larger the franchise, the slower it is.

Here's my USPS stupidity in action:

I did an ebay and had grabbed on of the "flat rate boxes". I then boxed up the label by mistake. So I go into the PO. They were out of the flat rate boxes, but had the exact same size one that didn't have the "Flat Rate" stamp on it, reboxed it and took it to the window to ship. The clerk let me ship it without a third rebox -- but was all offended I didn't notice the difference between the two.

I was just in the that is so f'ing stupid -- do you have two brain cells to rub together.

I went to usps.com - went to locate a post office, found my local post office and it had their number in addition to the 800 number. So not so secret.

I gave them a call. They said I had to talk to a person not just throw the package on the counter. I asked why - she said that was the rule so in case the package became suspicious there would be some one to give a description. I have noticed before that the place is filled with cameras. I have not tried the automated system for heavier packages, but the directions implied it would work for that - I suppose it is covered by a camera.

My local post office is fine. No real hustle, but very steady.

We use a convenience/mailing type store that has a post office counter. Quick service. It's great. The post office should license more of these.

The same situation happened to me, I had a bunch of already stamped mail. I walked to the counter, bypassing the line, and asked if I was supposed to stand in line or just drop them somewhere. Turns out there was a drop spot, but the lady just took them... pissing off the line but c'est la vie.

There are a rich post office and a poor post office near me. The rich post office is on the main street, next door to a gourmet shop. There is only street parking nearby. The service is excellent and the place is clean and there is never a line. The poor post office is in a strip mall, near a housing project. The wait averages about half an hour, and the service is sullen.

Check out the different options near you. It makes a difference. When choosing between a post office by a gourmet shop and one by a pathmark, choose the former.

"I understand. I just cited it because it seems a trend in private sectors as well as the state government i referenced. Blow them off to save a buck is the motto. "

An airline dodging you because they owe you money is different to a government department simply not delivering a service at all. I bet if I phone the sales department of any airline I would get an extremely rapid and satisfactory response. Good luck with the postal service though; they don't even care about helping you.