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quote:
Originally posted by HereOnThePrimalEdge
Part of the problem is that the PO has no money, and is losing money.
I have always been puzzled that the USPS is supposed to make money, or at least not lose money. As one of the few institutions specified in the constitution as the responsibility of the Federal Government, why must it break even?
I can't think of any other Federal government program that is expected to break even--probably there are some?
Every Federal program I can think of simply takes tax money (or borrowed money) and spends it at a "loss" of 100%.
Maybe the IRS could be considered a money maker, but with the deficit spending they aren't breaking even in the big picture.
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Never really used the Hilo Airport USPS, but am delighted with the workers at the Pahoa branch (not the parking lot, but whatever).
Cheers,
Kirt
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Part of the problem is that the PO has no money, and is losing money.
Entirely due to external constraints imposed by politicians who actively want to see the USPS fail. If this succeeds, the US will be the only "first-world" country without a functional postal service; you'll be paying $25 private postage to receive your credit card statements and property tax bills.
Don't suggest that "oh, everything will be online", look no further than this week's latest massive breach. The US "should" have a functional PKI infrastructure for reliable digital signatures, but the terrorists might use encryption to hide their nefarious plots... can't have that...
WOW, FYI (Primal) Larry is a combat vet and is one of the most kind and helpful people you will ever meet. Yep, he is slow and methodical but its always RIGHT!
He also retired almost two years ago now. So you can relax and find another one to complain about ... Why not tell John ( tall red hair haole ), what you think and see what kind of reaction you get.
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one of the most kind and helpful people you will ever meet.
All of the Hilo PO counter people I've met were kind and helpful and always got everything right when I've been there, including Larry. I stopped going to that post office location a few years ago as the line was always out the door. If a worker at McDonalds filled one order in the time the another counter worker filled three and your food was cold, they would move that person to the back, or let them go. No matter how nice they were. I'm glad you have enough time in your day so you don't mind waiting in line. I'm only in Hilo when I'm working so my time at each stop is limited, and I especially appreciate people who are both friendly and efficient at the job they're paid to do.
“Facts fall from the poetic observer as ripe seeds.” -Henry Thoreau
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Standing in line at the P.O. is a time honored tradition.
They never have clerks at all the counter locations, even during the Christmas and April 15 rush.
The only break from that is when few people are trying to use the counter services.
If you want to avoid standing in a long slow moving line, time your visit to when the line is most likely to be shorter.
I have found the best way to avoid the P.O. lines.
I opened an account with the P.O. online.
I do almost all my postal business online, pay postage and print out the label and tape it onto the package myself.
When I go into the lobby, all I do is excuse myself as I push past the people in line to throw it into the basket,
then excuse myself as I push through the people in line as I exit the lobby.
The only business I do through the counter is to buy rolls of stamps.
That can be done elsewhere.
I always time my visit to buy stamps to when the line is low to non existent.
I am no longer frustrated by the lines in the P.O. lobby.
Dealing with the long slow moving lines is a choice you make for yourself.
Welcome to Puna, the land of the Vocal Lunatic Fringe.
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Was a Democrat until gun control became a knee jerk, then a Republican until the crazies took over, back to being a nonpartisan again.
This time, I can no longer participate in the primary.
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Last time I went there to buy stamps, they didn't have enough rolls...
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There is one guy there, Larry, who helps a single customer while every other worker has completed three transactions. He lines up everything at perfect right angles, the letter on his scale, the stamp on your envelope...
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I have encountered this guy! I thought.. WTF???
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You should find yourself lucky if John is helping you - the man has an encyclopedic grasp of the Postal system.
That being said, welcome to the Big Island. Consider yourself lucky enough to have a service, don't worry about the quality with which it is provided.
P.S. I would not mind paying a fee to receive my mail.
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I went back there today to talk to the morning shift hoping to get a better response. I did. Nothing really helpful, but a supervisor did come out and tell me that the missing mail was probably put into the wrong box. They said they searched all the boxes around mine and couldn't locate the package. If whoever got our package brings it in, I'll get it. If they don't, we're screwed.
After I asked them what my recourse was, he essentially said I didn't have any. I then brought up the check from the US Treasury that was mistakenly placed into my box and explained it was my experience that this was not an uncommon occurrence and asked them what their plan was to mitigate these problems in the future.
I won't go into his reply on a public forum because it was critical of those above him. But I don't have any expectations that this Christmas season is going to go smoothly.
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Need to add the above- to their credit they didn't try to blame it on me like tech support would "Are you sure you didn't pick it up and forgot about it? Did somebody else pick it up?" Etc. I was preparing myself for those types of questions so I wouldn't go ballistic if I got them. Fortunately they didn't go there. Namaste.
"Dealing with the long slow moving lines is a choice you make for yourself."
Not when it's the only way to pick up your packages.
"I would not mind paying a fee to receive my mail."
Amazon is piloting two new delivery services. One where they deliver it into your house, and another one where they deliver it into the trunk of your car. Of course both of them require leaps of faith to allow it, but they have a lot of security measures built in. The car trunk method actually makes a lot of sense in a lot of areas- think of all the people who live scattered throughout the suburbs but then drive into a city where all the cars ("mail boxes") get concentrated to where the delivery people are, instead of working a less efficient system the other way around.
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