General Discussion

Tommy_Carcetti

(44,411 posts) Fri Jun 14, 2013, 12:55 PM Jun 2013

139

I went to my local post office on my lunch hour and was in and out in less than 5 minutes. [View all]

I was mailing a gift for my dad for Father's Day.

There were multiple people in line (as the lunch hour is one of the busiest times for the post office)

Still, I was up at the counter in less than a minute.

The rep was extremely friendly and courteous. She volunteered a marker so I could make out the address, and when it looked as though the box I had chosen to mail the gift in might be too small, she was able to work with the box to make sure everything fit right.

After paying, I made sure to thank her for her customer service.

So, with all this in mind, please explain to me again how the Post Office is a dying industry, with long lines and miserable employees, and that we should just throw in the towel and defer to private industry parcel services like UPS or FedEx?

Because I just don't see it.

78 replies

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I went to my local post office on my lunch hour and was in and out in less than 5 minutes. [View all] Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2013 OP

Big K & R ctsnowman Jun 2013 #1

Our rural post office would be sorely missed. femmocrat Jun 2013 #2

I remember as a kid.... Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2013 #4

When the new federal bldg & post office opened in Eleanors38 Jun 2013 #76

you're lucky fizzgig Jun 2013 #3

Purely anecdotal OP Floyd_Gondolli Jun 2013 #12

Yep, both good AND bad - just like with private enterprise! Beartracks Jun 2013 #57

I'm 63 and everything that the government has "privatized" in my lifetime, like Ma Bell, has xtraxritical Jun 2013 #74

You have THREE clerks during lunch hour??? Humph..in my area we'd be extremely Kahuna Jun 2013 #20

Seems like the population centers are always understaffed itsrobert Jun 2013 #29

I agree Johonny Jun 2013 #44

I love my DMV and Post Office ...... oldhippie Jun 2013 #72

There are never any lines at my Post Office at lunch time. Our Post Office A Simple Game Jun 2013 #52

Love the PO but MuseRider Jun 2013 #5

Or maybe what you experienced is a symptom of the problem WestStar Jun 2013 #6

Yogi Berra tclambert Jun 2013 #61

The USPS rocks! MrScorpio Jun 2013 #7

I kept it running like a well-regulated clock when I had something to say about it. Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #8

Benjamin Franklin?? NMDemDist2 Jun 2013 #47

At your service. Sorry that I am dead so there isn't a lot I can do right now. Nimajneb Nilknarf Jun 2013 #48

So the USPS is the "public option" of package delivery? Beartracks Jun 2013 #58

I was thinking about that yesterday. Hissyspit Jun 2013 #9

+1 HiPointDem Jun 2013 #10

USPS. Even after 40 years of a concerted, bipartisan effort to cripple and kill it, Egalitarian Thug Jun 2013 #11

The post office is essential to my income RainDog Jun 2013 #13

Yes, we run a business on the side for a nice income. Low package rates and good mbperrin Jun 2013 #34

A few years ago I was at the PO mailing Christmas gifts. CrispyQ Jun 2013 #14

USPS Hula Popper Jun 2013 #15

USPS is cheaper than UPS/FEDEX when it comes to shipping smaller items penultimate Jun 2013 #16

Mine has a 24/7 self-service machine. bunnies Jun 2013 #17

right on Wiki: MisterP Jun 2013 #18

How did that make revenue drop? Bay Boy Jun 2013 #27

Less resources available to provide services with whopis01 Jun 2013 #69

you are right, Mr.P! blondie58 Jun 2013 #54

My post office is a hot mess. They very rarely deliver packages at all AND.. Kahuna Jun 2013 #19

I love my post office. Demoiselle Jun 2013 #21

Like, cheese, not all are equal. Wait Wut Jun 2013 #22

K&R ReRe Jun 2013 #23

Good experience for me LittleGirl Jun 2013 #24

Glad you had a good experience, but kudzu22 Jun 2013 #25

Wow. I had to wait almost half an hour. ananda Jun 2013 #26

the post office is awesome Skittles Jun 2013 #28

We also have a great post office... tecelote Jun 2013 #30

People really need to reconsider the USPS Jeff In Milwaukee Jun 2013 #31

email and the loss of letter revenue? geckosfeet Jun 2013 #32

That's a real but manageable problem. hay rick Jun 2013 #38

If it wasn't crowded during lunch hour that's not a good sign. pnwmom Jun 2013 #33

It was crowded. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2013 #40

At my PO crowded means something a lot different. pnwmom Jun 2013 #41

Because some scumbags want to privatize it to themselves malaise Jun 2013 #35

My Post Office is Great beemer27 Jun 2013 #36

You'll be more likely to use digital devices to zeeland Jun 2013 #37

I Use USPS Exclusively! mckara Jun 2013 #39

Very few people write letters anymore, they telephone, text, or email. GreenStormCloud Jun 2013 #42

I still prefer them for parcel service over UPS or FedEx. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2013 #43

I prefer them for parcel too. GreenStormCloud Jun 2013 #45

I ALWAYS enjoy great services and prices at my p.o. (UPS not so much.) joanbarnes Jun 2013 #46

A 28% decline in first class mail since 2002 hack89 Jun 2013 #49

Forbes quoting Cato. Hmmm. hay rick Jun 2013 #56

My link addresses the short term pre-funding issue hack89 Jun 2013 #71

For small packages Priority Mail is much less expensive than UPS/FedEx/Others 1-Old-Man Jun 2013 #50

I love my little local Post Office, the staff is awesome, the service is great, and I never have to Zorra Jun 2013 #51

My mail service is pretty bad KentuckyWoman Jun 2013 #53

a couple of options, blondie58 Jun 2013 #55

They're being crippled by the requirement to pre-fund 75 years' worth of pensions. nyquil_man Jun 2013 #59

All this anti-USPS Enthusiast Jun 2013 #60

Postal service Scarsdale Jun 2013 #62

Great story and thanks for the reminder! Rhiannon12866 Jun 2013 #64

Welcome to DU my friend! hrmjustin Jun 2013 #75

I went to my local post office for a passport... Jasana Jun 2013 #63

AND that postal worker is a union member Le Taz Hot Jun 2013 #65

If any Postal Service employees are miserable... GoCubsGo Jun 2013 #66

you do not describe my post office. tomp Jun 2013 #67

Ebay... Bay Boy Jun 2013 #68

Been my experience as well. Good, competent folks. DirkGently Jun 2013 #70

When people ask me if I want our health care system run like the post office, I say... MannyGoldstein Jun 2013 #73

Here in Los Angeles we have nice, big post offices with 6-8 clerk stations. Unfortunately, kestrel91316 Jun 2013 #77

Talked to my letter carrier the other day... B Stieg Jun 2013 #78