Post

[John A]

I went to the post office today to mail a small part so I needed a person. There was a sign that said due to personnel shortages the window was closed until next week. A sign of the times,I expect. No big deal, it just surprised me. It used to be desirable to work at a small town post office.  Rant over, sorry I blew up like that…

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

I use Click-N-Ship for everything but International shipments, haven't needed to go to a post office in months. 

[pehayes]

PayPal has a direct relationship to SHIPSTATION.  Prints postal labels for anything.  Takes money from my PayPal account.  Leave the outgoing package in the mailbox.  Too big?  Leave it on the front porch and put a note in the mailbox for the carrier to come fetch it.

Patrick Hayes
Fremont CA

[Huzo]

I use Click-N-Ship for everything but International shipments, haven't needed to go to a post office in months.

That could be a contributory cause as to why they are not sufficiently staffed, denied income and expected to survive.
Same as guys who buy their helmets, tyres and oil etc on line, then expect the shop to be there when they need something 5 minutes ago at midday on a Saturday.
If you’re going to starve them, they will eventually die.

[kballowe]

I cannot remember the last time that I shipped something.

BUT, I get a lot of things shipped TO me. 

 

[Moparnut72]

I used to sell and ship vintage Mercury outboard parts. I quit due to excessive shipping costs. It is not unusual for the shipping costs to be more than the part is worth.
kk

[guzzisteve]

Go to next town, send there!

[kballowe]

We have a UPS terminal here.  I've discovered that it is a fair amount to ship there, than at a "UPS Store".
The heavy stuff seems to be cheaper at UPS, and the bulky stuff cheaper at the USPS.

[SIR REAL ED]

I went to the post office today to mail a small part so I needed a person. There was a sign that said due to personnel shortages the window was closed until next week. A sign of the times,I expect. No big deal, it just surprised me. It used to be desirable to work at a small town post office.  Rant over, sorry I blew up like that…

Greatest thread title ever!

If only more people had a similar sense of humor........   

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

That could be a contributory cause as to why they are not sufficiently staffed, denied income and expected to survive.
Same as guys who buy their helmets, tyres and oil etc on line, then expect the shop to be there when they need something 5 minutes ago at midday on a Saturday.
If you’re going to starve them, they will eventually die.

Every small town near me (including my own) used to have a post office. The USPS started closing them down one by one until there was none left. They started doing this well before they offered Click-N-Ship online label creation and printing. The two post offices that are nearby (7 and 10 miles away) are fully staffed - I'd estimate a dozen employees each. I refuse to spend 1/2 hour driving to one of the two "local" post offices just to mail a package that will fit into my mailbox and be picked up by an employee of the closest post office. The same post office is handling my mail anyway.

This is nothing like buying tires, etc. online - there's only one source for the service and they're still getting my $$, the local post office gets credit for the "piece count".

[John A]

This small post office is a mile away, it used to be that stuff mailed from here would beat delivery times compared to the bigger po three miles away, in Minnesota. In this area, in MN the mail goes to St Paul and the WI mail goes to EauClaire. 

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

The US Postmaster General made clear last year that he intends to reduce staffing through attrition, hiring continues but not at a rate to keep up with those leaving. His vision for the USPS is to run it like a for-profit company rather than the government service that it has been since Benjamin Franklin's time. The downside to this is that your small town's post office likely isn't profitable enough to keep staffed for your in person needs. Not to worry, you'll still receive your online purchases from them as large companies like Amazon have contracts with them for better service than you or I could afford.

[kballowe]

I wonder if the "letter mail" was a money maker for the post office. 

Nobody writes letters anymore - and we get a fraction of the junk mail that previously filled our mailbox, on a daily basis.