United States Postal Service recognition (Page 2): People tend to think that the letter carrier is the only person responsible in the Postal Service to ensure timely, accurate delivery...

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

People tend to think that the letter carrier is the only person responsible in the Postal Service to ensure timely, accurate delivery of mail pieces. The letter carrier, who delivers the mail piece, is only the last Link in a chain of events starting with the piece being dropped into a pick-up receptacle. Mail handlers and mail processors work through the night preparing millions of letters, flats, and packages for delivery by the carrier the next day.
Letters carriers are only the visible part of the process.
The Postal Service does an incredible job of delivering millions of mail pieces timely and accurately every day throughout the world. People complain when one piece is delayed, but say little about the millions of timely deliveries that are ROUTINE.
Thanks for posting.

Chance Logan Loc: New England

Bruce, your words are much appreciated. I am retired and biased. Having worked in a 24/7 postal distribution center, I never dealt with the public. My first day on the job (10pm-6am shift for my first 15 years) I asked myself if I had made a mistake. For hours I was observing extreme 'conviviality' amongst workers and I couldn't imagine how we could ever get the voluminous amount of mail to its destinations. Though people were working, I couldn't sense an air of concern for the job. Then...it was like a robotic silent alarm went off in everyone's head simultaneously and there was no doubt where the purpose was headed. That savior-faire carried me through 28 years of service. Bad apples? Yup, they are in every job, but I saw very few over the span of my career. Problems? Sure, but not its employees. Perfect, no, but who is. The strongest bond in the USPS is the one between the workers and the public. I can tell you first hand that in the heart of a postal worker there is nothing more important about the job than getting the mail to the customer.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I agree - the USPS has been doing a good job. I have had very few problems over the fifty-four years I have lived here. It used to be that when I received a package, I had to go to the PO to get it. Now, packages are delivered right to my door.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

Chance Logan wrote:

Bruce, your words are much appreciated. I am retir... (show quote)

Your point is well taken: most Postal Workers take great pride in getting the mail piece delivered to the customer. Every delivered mail piece is a success for them.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

riderxlx wrote:

I have seen a few posts about the poor service fro... (show quote)

I agree with you. I have never had a problem with the Post Office.

superdadplano Loc: Dallas, TX

riderxlx wrote:

I have seen a few posts about the poor service fro... (show quote)

Agreed. I am in Plano and we have great USPS service here. Packages are gently place in front of your door, not thrown like some video I saw from other carriers.

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

Retired CPO wrote:

So why don't we put a business savvy person in charge of the USPS? Somebody needs to marshal, train and encourage these good people so they can thrive in a job that is difficult to do effectively and almost impossible to do under the guidance of a bureaucrat who couldn't manage a hot dog stand. President Trump wants to do just that.

The USPS is a semi-public agency operating under almost impossible restrictions placed on it by Congress, while trying to maintain universal service in an era that is seeing a shift to electronic document delivery. Prices charged are capped by Congressional regulations, for example. The new CEO seems to have plenty of savvy, but it is a very tough job.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

MrBumps2U wrote:

The USPS is a semi-public agency operating under almost impossible restrictions placed on it by Congress, while trying to maintain universal service in an era that is seeing a shift to electronic document delivery. Prices charged are capped by Congressional regulations, for example. The new CEO seems to have plenty of savvy, but it is a very tough job.

The new Postmaster General is a Trump crony who got the job because he contributed heavily to the Trump campaign, and the Republican Party. He is the first Postmaster General who has no knowledge or experience with post office matters. He has been tasked by Trump with the job of moving the Postal Service to privatization.
Bottom line: We will miss the Postal Service when it is gone.

LoisCroft Loc: Jonesborough, Tennessee

I think it depends almost entirely on where you live. In Florida, we had the WORST service possible from the post office, in Tennessee, it is the BEST! It was the same with Fed Ex. UPS, on the other hand was really great in Florida, here, well...... I hope they will improve.

Kmgw9v Loc: Miami, Florida

LoisCroft wrote:

I think it depends almost entirely on where you live. In Florida, we had the WORST service possible from the post office, in Tennessee, it is the BEST! It was the same with Fed Ex. UPS, on the other hand was really great in Florida, here, well...... I hope they will improve.

Postal Service regulations, service commitments, standards, are stringent; and are the same in all delivery areas.

raymondh Loc: Walker, MI

Retired CPO wrote:

So why don't we put a business savvy person in charge of the USPS? Somebody needs to marshal, train and encourage these good people so they can thrive in a job that is difficult to do effectively and almost impossible to do under the guidance of a bureaucrat who couldn't manage a hot dog stand. President Trump wants to do just that.

LoisCroft Loc: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Nope. I took a package to our post office (Wimauma, Florida) and was waited on by the postmistress. It was to go to South Africa and she wanted to know what state that was in. She didn't believe me when I said it was a country on the continent of Africa. I guess geography isn't a prerequisite. The mail carrier would jam packages into the mail box so tightly that it had to be opened with a knife to get the contents and package out. She said someone else must have done that. This finally stopped when I told her I had installed cameras. She also told me I couldn't mail anything that had stamps on it.

Here, our mail carriers bring larger packages to the door, are careful to get a signature if necessary and are very professional.

PWL46 Loc: Michigan

As stated earlier, the USPS In in a unique position: part governmental and part “public or private.” When they were “separated” the government refused to accept the “legacy” obligations they had with all of the past and present employees. That had an estimated trillion dollars in obligations. So the “new” USPS has been burdened to pay these as well as current costs. If you take out those past obligations, the USPS would be doing fine financially. Yes, there is some governmental financial support, but nowhere near actual costs of the “dead horse.” Remember, the USPS has the obligation to deliver to every address in the entire USA 6 days per week! Remember, you can send a letter anywhere in the country in 3-5 days for the cost of a First Class stamp!
Yup, I complain on occasion as we all do, but then I calm down over an ice cold Diet Coke.
Love this site and the UHGers.

wds0410 Loc: Nunya

I'm going to disagree with just about every thing on this thread. My experience in North Texas has not been that great and I'm pretty sure I won't miss them when/if they are gone. 90% of what I get in the mail goes straight to the recycling can and the other ten percent could be accomplished by email.

The USPS is a dinosaur and will probably go the way of magazines and newspapers if it just sticks to mail. Delivering packages is their only hope for a raison d'etre.

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

riderxlx wrote:

I have seen a few posts about the poor service fro... (show quote)