Seems like a 20 minute wait is standard at my local post office, mainly because the people who frequent it seem to be entirely disfunctional.
First, is this normal, or should I just find a different post office?
Second, are UPS/Fed Ex/Airborne any better?
That is normal. 90% of the line is always people doing stupid things like buying a stamp that they could get from the machine. You have to go at the off-times, like when they open. Definitely do not go at lunch.
I do have to say, the workers go out of their way not to be helpful, though. And they will always give you a pretty expensive rate when you ask what the price is to send something (usually the 2-day rate rather than the 5-7 day rate).
One time I needed to ship something and they told me it needed more tape and they made me buy their freaking packing tape for $3.00!
You can do just about everything online these days.
Wow…my experience is totally different. I live outside of Boston. The post office people (two different small towns and one urban area) couldn’t be more helpful. They have their days like everyone else but they are very, very nice and extremely helpful.
Even the mail man who delivers my mail is a great guy.
Where I used to work, we had a truly ‘postal’ postman. We didn’t realize we had a ‘sub’ for him while he was on some kind of medical leave, but he finally showed up to take back his route and hinted that he had been away due to an inability to cope with his job. Over the course of several months, we logged quite a few complaints to the post office about him. He was really rude, obstinate, etc. hard to believe… it seems like kind of a fun job.
My experience has been a mixed bag but, in all cases, the customers weren’t at fault. Some post offices are ran quite well – one I frequented around the holidays even had someone who ‘triaged’ and rang up people while in line. Other offices, though, like the one two blocks from my place could use some serious reengineering. Everything there is inefficient, right down to the way the lines are formed up to the window. And what’s up with the postal workers at that branch conveniently taking breaks during peak hours, leaving one person who barely speaks English doing everything?
caleb,
I think it varies from post office to post office, so maybe you would have better luck at another one. I can’t say enough good things about the post office in Howell, MI. The people who work there are terriffic. They bend over backwards to help you. Even when the line gets long, there is never a long wait because they just put more people on the desk. Sometimes the manager comes out and streamlines peoples needs by directing them to the stamp machines or the package self send. It is nice to see.
Bernie
We used to have a small branch office in our neighborhood run out of a book store called Wrinkles. They usually had only one person working and that person would inevitably make a mistake on every single transaction and have to start over. I couldn’t believe it when I first moved here – the least patronized, yet slowest post office ever – Christmas season was a nightmare, all those odd sized packages going to all those odd places. At first I was annoyed, but then it became kind of charming, especially since I got to know the clerks and there was almost always somebody in line from the neighborhood to talk to. Sadly, Wrinkles went out of business and so too the post office. Word is, we’re supposed to get a new branch, but it will probably be staffed with boringly efficient and competent clerks.
In a word, yes. The post office is the closest example we have in the US of French Bureaucracy (so says an American expat friend of mine living in France).
Our local PO (which isn’t my branch as our zip code cuts off at the major cross street one block north of my house - MY branch is 7 miles away in a super sketchy neighborhood), is staffed by the biggest bunch of imbeciles on the planet. They are rude, inconsiderate, unaccommodating, and seem to take great pleasure at needing to take their government-allocated 10 minute smoke breaks - simultaneously - when the line stretches out the door. One of them, who IMO looks like an old grumpy cocker spaniel, told me that my driver’s licence photo was “the absolute worst” she’d ever seen, questioned whether the ID was real, and refused to ship my parcel. Another gem of an employee assured us repeatedly that there was “absolutely no need” to expedite our passport applications. Applications filed May 2. Today is July 17, 10 weeks later… the “promised” date of arrival for said passports (and I know this is bunk and they can’t promise anything).
Bottom line: any box over 2 or 3 pounds is cheaper to ship with UPS. The drawback is that UPS ground can take a week to get across the country and Priority Mail is usually 2-3 days. Pick your poison.
I try to do everything using the machines. My post office has a machine you can mail your boxes from. Works great.
I gave up on waiting in line after an afternoon waiting in line. The line was long, only 2 windows open. The manager showed up (I guess he was a manager, he was wearing regular clothing not a uniform) and asked how everything was going. Everyone complained that there were postal workers chatting in the back and the line was not moving and there were only 2 windows open. He imediately started making excuses and then said there was nothing he could do about the long wait.
Our post office sucks. I avoid the place at all costs, which isn’t easy, because I sell a few things here and there on e-bay, and inevitably it seems I have to go there every other week. Here are my gripes with the post office:
Too many people waiting in line to do something like buy a stamp. The post office has two stamp machines. Use them.
People not prepared to ship their item. I have seen this dozens of times. Someone with a box not even taped shut standing in line. When they get to the head of the line, the clerk watches and helps them seal the box. Hey! If your box isn’t ready to ship, you should be busted to the back of the line. Or, the clerk should hand them some tape, then call “next” and not be standing there idle while the person is taping the box shut.
Too many choices. People are presented with too many options for shipping. They spend 2-3 minutes understanding options and making a decision. I wait. Most people don’t know or care the difference between priority and parcel post.
Quit selling other crap. A little while back, my post office was selling phone cards. They would ask at each transaction – do you want to buy a phone card? No, and quit asking me. Hurry up, I don’t want to be in here.
Not enough staff or poor management. Seven stations for staff, never more than 3 staffed. Staff go to lunch at noon (busy time), leaving only two open. Why?
Hours suck. The lobby is open early, and you can use the self-service machine, but ONLY if the box fits in the slot, which mine doesn’t. How about opening at 7:00 am so I can go before work? Even only 1-2 days a week?
I’m sure I could think of other problems. There are a lot.