"Caution Post Office Rant!" Long Read But Worth It.

OK let me first give you the setting of my PO. As you walk in you are greeted by a philatetic store built 8 years ago (it has never been manned or open since they cut the ribbon). On one wall are two gapping holes that are now boarded up where one could go to purchase a single stamp out of a vending machine(now one has to wait 15 minutes in line). Finally, you get to see 10 customer counters to be served by awaiting clerks (there has never been no more than two clerks at these counters even during heavy Christmas season). So as you can judge by now my PO is a large center but you can see what kind of service to get.
Now that one has the setting I will refer to myself as victim and the Postal clerk as clerk (or is it Cluck)?

Project: Mail one Registered International Letter, and one Domestic letter.

Time : 12:05 pm

Victim: Hello, I would like a sheet of Chrome and Fins.

Clerk: What is that.

Victim: It is a sheet of stamps with cars on them.

Clerk: They have not been released yet.

Victim: Yes, they have please check in back.

Clerk: (Without moving a inch) We do not have them.(to lazy to walk in the back to the safe)

Victim: Fine just give me a 50 roll of Flags of Nation.

Clerk: That will be $42.00

Victim: I said a roll of 50.

Clerk: Right, that will be $42.00.

Victim: Ahhhh, 100x.42 is $42.00, 50x.42 is $21.00.(thinking to myself 1+1=2)

Clerk: Let me check.( types into computer) Sorry, that will be $21.00.

Victim: I would also like to send this letter registered and could you check postage for international (as I had been in yesterday and the clerk gave me weight with post of $5.80 and the proper form to come back with).

Clerk: You will need to step out of line and fill in this form.

Victim: As you can see I came prepared and here you go.

Clerk: You will also need this form.

Victim: But I requested all forms yesterday what is this?

Clerk: They must have missed this one also the postage is incorect. It is not $5.80 but $6.65.

Victim: Are you sure this is all I need.

Clerk: Yes. Please add postage and complete and go back to the end of the line.

Victim: I do not understand the jump in post but will be back.(run out past a line of seven people to the truck to add post and fill out form)

Time: 12:20pm

Victim: Returns to a line of ten.

Time: 12:40

Victim: Here is the form and added post.

Clerk: I am sorry but you have to have Postal tape on the letter.

Victim: I know, that is Postal Tape (hmm,purchased at PO and dispenser labeled Postal tape?).

Clerk: It needs to be a different color, wait over at the other counter and I will get it.

Time: 12:50

Victim: Please do not cover the stamps with tape as my friend collects.

Clerk: (the first strip of brown fabric tape goes completely over the first row of eight stamps) You will have to wait in line to mail this now.

Victim: Could you please get the postmaster of the office?

Clerk: She is out to lunch.

Time: 1:05

Victim: Here you go.

Clerk: Do you want insurance.

Victim: It is included for $100 on international Registered.

Clerk: No it is not.

Victim: (confused) Well how much is it then?

Clerk: That will be $6.00 extra.

Victim: Just send it uninsured. (most people would have given up by now but I really needed to send the letter)

Clerk: That will be $24.80.

Victim: ( Alarm bells sound as I am very quick with math) Excuse me, but the registered fee is $10.80 + $6.65 post= $17.45

Clerk: But the insurance is $6.00.

Victim: I had just stated I do not want insurance. (trying not to bang my head on the counter, also I know that it still does not add up right but wait for it)

Clerk: Just a minute,( she retypes all into the computer) You know what! The insurance is included for under $100. Do you want it?

Time: 1:15pm

Victim: (as I turn the line is now up to the entrance, about 20 people tapping their foot!) Yes, so what is the total?

Clerk: That will be $18.60.

Victim: Ahhh,Ahhh, registered $10.80 + $6.65 = $17.45

Clerk: Registered $10.80 + $7.80 = $18.60

Victim: You said the post was $6.65 so I went out to put more stamps on it in my truck!

Clerk: I am sorry I said it was $6.65 but the computer is now showing $7.80. Would you like to go back out and add some stamps.

Victim: No, here is the full amount, mail it before the rate goes up again!! ( The line is now out the door and the customers that can hear this are rolling and the ones that can't are madder than hornets)

Clerk: Fine here is your receipt. I s there anything else.

Victim: Yes, just hand cancell this letter please and put it out to mail. ( I had placed two 20c flag stamps and one 2c on letter)

Clerk: You can not mail that letter.

Victim: Why? ( should I even ask while refraining from jumping over the counter?)

Clerk: You need a 42 cent stamp to mail.

Victim: These total 42cents.

Clerk: Thoose are not stamps.

Victim: Yes, they are. Just because they are older does not mean they are not still stamps.

Clerk: I need to check with my postmaster.

Victim: I thought you said she was out?

Clerk: Oh, let me check with the other clerk.

Clerk: Yes she said we can except these. Would you like any stamps today before you go. ( mighty nice of them huh?)

Victim: No, I think I have had enough today Thank You! (I slowly walk past a line of about 25 people shaking their heads, all I could do was laugh!)

Time: 1:55pm

Wow

You must have the patience of a saint 1775. We should sick Phil on them he'll straighten them out.

Dianne

One bad apple don't spoil the whole bunch.

My PO in Buchanan, is a small one with no philatelic store or
display.

There are Two counters, and the two counters are manned everyday
except on Saturday. (only one counter is open)

The postal employees know that there are 4-5 stamp collectors in Buchanan, and they do everything to accommodate us.

I was there this morning, and the postal clerk asked me " Hey Bob, do you want a sheet of the Chrome and fins stamps.

All that they ask, is that we do our philatelic purchases during the week, and not on Saturday.

I never have a problem, in fact I also get them to use hand cancels on airmail stamps that I send to David.

I guess its just up to the local postmaster.


Just my two cents

The postal clerks in Red Hook have the mentality of 1775macs..i understand some of them retire with wonderful pensions !!

And these are the kinds of government or semi-government clowns that want to run the sick care system (the one they euphemistically call the health care system). You know, the kind of bureaucratic hires that ran Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and precipitated the current economic mess. Wait till you're standing in their sick care line getting rolled and abused!

So Diane, you remember what happened to Spedward when he got on the wrong side of me.........

Bob, those small town postal people can be pretty nice. Coming from small towns, I believe they might have a different view of things and different political tendencies, as well.

After giving each employee that works the Canada Post outlet, down the street from me, a bottle of wine, I get treated very well. It cost me three bottles of wine. They call me "the stamp collector", and are always interested in the stamps I put on all the packets to you folks. they always have the latest issues and they let me cancel my own mail... it's the Canadian way!

David

Corruption, corruption, David. It takes bribery, eh?

it Must Be The Small Town Mentality.
My Small P.O. Is Wonderful, Just The Other Day She Put Stamps Away That I Had Forgot To Order.
Good Idea David, A Bottle Of Wine Or Flowers .

I really know what you all mean about small towns. I grew up in one and I remember going back behind the counter and flipping thru books of old stock, picking just what I wanted many many years ago. Those days are now gone.

Modern:

That's not corruption, that's looking out for the people that can help you. I've been in private industry all my life. When I repaired cellular phones, people brought me bottles of wine all the time.... my girlfriend and I don't drink.... but we always show-up for a dinner invitation with wine!

If we go to NY State, it's dark Canadian beer for the Lady of the House, and the Lord of the House gets Canada Post t-shirts and a Cuban cigar!

I'm always well fed!

David

Sounds like a normal modern day worker just happy to be at work to me.

My small town post office is located in a rented building that also serves as the water company and has an apartment on the second floor.

Nancy is the postmaster and as far as I know might of been the postmaster 50 years ago. They have one part time worker for Saturdays or when she is on vacation.

Mail can reach my home is you just put my name and zip on the front of the envelope. It works just the same if you use the town instead of the zip.

Buying stamps is easy and she saves every new issue for me since I'm there every Monday. The longest line that I can remember was about 5 people.

If she is at lunch a the local restaurant mailing a letter is still easy. You simply hand it to her along with your change. We all know where she eats every day.

She will always find the cheapest way to mail a letter or package and asking her a question is like opening up a postal regulation book. She knows everything. The last time I was there she reminded me that there were two more sheets coming out the following week. She had them waiting for me on my next visit already in large glassine's.

That is a small town postal worker where everyone knows everyone.

Why you would put up with a lazy clerk is something I don't understand. Ask them for their district supervisors number next time they tell you the post master is not in.

David, the corruption "charge" was tongue-in-cheek! Sorry, it probably deserved the big grinning happy face to make it clear.

Mkfarm, it's more than a lazy employee. It's not about a part-time high school kid at Burger King. These are people who take competitive exams to become civil servants (generally a misnomer) where many actually serve no one but themselves knowing they will be hard to get rid of despite their attitude and incompetence and still be set for life.

There is also the set-up 1775mac described:




Oh what you can do if you are uncompetitive because you are part of the government or have an exclusive sanction from it! Nothing has to make sense and there never has to be any relationship between form and function because the tax payer will always pay in one way or another, that is money and/or inconvenience.

And that description was followed by incompetence among what sounded like at least two of three clerks that couldn't agree on a price and the last one, especially, who lacked the basic math and service skills to work behind a service counter and probably couldn't keep a job at a private sector business like Wal-Mart!

Sick care, beware! Remember, it only started to become a big, costly problem when big, costly government started to get involved.

Man o man. Am I ever glad that I have a small rural post office and get personal service every time I go in. The postal worker (don't know what they call the post master these days) even brought me one day a jar of homemade soup.

I sent an item international registered just last week and we even picked out the stamps to go on it together! When it was finished I didn't even want to mail it. It was so "pretty".

A typical piece of mail, that is delivered to my mailbox, with no problem