Posted on 05/03/2009 7:18:20 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
The postal service
You've got (no) mail
Apr 30th 2009 | NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition
The postal service has been hit hard by the recession and by faster competition
ENGRAVED magnificently above the columns of the main post office in Manhattan is a promise of the postal service’s resilience. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night”, runs the motto, “stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” Inclement weather is one thing, but the downturn is posing a greater challenge. Starting on May 9th, New York’s main post office, which prides itself on being open 24 hours a day, will close its overnight window. Other post offices round the country may close down completely.
This recession has been particularly cruel to the postal service, already battered by the popularity of e-mail. Last year saw the biggest decline in mail since the Depression: volume fell by 4.5%, or about 9 billion pieces. The postal service ended the 2008 fiscal year with a $2.8 billion loss, and the next two years may well be worse. “No one knows at what point mail volume will bottom out,” said the postmaster-general, John Potter, in his testimony before the Senate in January. He thinks the service could lose as much as $6 billion in 2010.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
Ping!
>>>>> Last year saw the biggest decline in mail since the Depression: volume fell by 4.5%, or about 9 billion pieces <<<<<
I know that I’m getting at least 50 percent less junk mail.
That’s a good thing. My mailbox shouldn’t be used as the economic lifeline for the USPS, which should be prohibited from delivering junk mail.
It also might have something to do with their pitiful customer service too. The local post office seems like they want you to serve yourself, but their self service kiosks are always broken. I sent them a complaint and they ignored me.
I like the Post Service. Their Priority Mail is awesome and cheaper than FedEx or UPS. However, they do need to make drastic changes. They should start by eliminating Monday service, and cut their prices across the board while getting rid of the bureaucracy.
Agreed. 2/3rds (at least) of the volume of my mail goes directly to the recycle bin. You'd think the eco-Nazis would be on that. The worst are the weekly sales fliers. I hate the smell and the feel of them and can barely stand to touch them. It's a bit OCD, but oh well. ; )
The Post Office can deliver boxes for half the price of UPS. They need to get the word out.
The dirty little secret is that the junk mail gives the USPS what little operating revenue they have to survive. The carriers know this.
Over the years the USPS has developed a nice little set of talking points. “We deliver mail to Alaska or to Atlanta for the same price” is one of their favorites. My question is...why? Federal mandates, board of overseers, etc. etc. Their pricing model may have been ‘fair’ once upon a time but people are accustomed to and ready for distance-based pricing as evidence by the success of FedEx and UPS.
Speaking of those two, they are private enterprises and their efficiency and professionalism would make the USPS eagle blush. Why people don’t consider this clear-cut example when debating health care is beyond me.
To put the boot in: the USPS removed stamp-vending machines because they claimed it cost too much to service the machines (pure hogwash but let’s accept their premise). Now to buy stamps you get to stand in line behind Aunt Mabel who hasn’t filled out her addresses (including HER OWN) and hasn’t even put her items in box! One USPS clerk’s apparently serious advice? “You can buy stamps at the grocery service counter still.” The mind boggles.
Perry GA has the nicest, best PO anywhere, I’m sure!! and my mail lady has spoiled my dogs so completely that they jump in the truck when she stops.
They are great here.
And since my son is in Navy basic training, they are getting a lot of new business from me. :D
We went from 50% less junk mail to 50% more unsolicited phone calls and email spam...great!
It always amazes me when government (fed or state) has a drop in revenue they enact a tax or fee increase rather than REDUCE OPERATING COSTS!
Our mail carriers are fine. It’s just the counter people at the post office.
>>>> I hate the smell and the feel of them and can barely stand to touch them. It’s a bit OCD, but oh well. ; ) <<<<<
Ha. I agree that the cheap paper and smeary ink is not something I really want to handle, even on the way to the trash can.
That’s another reason I’ve stopped reading the newspapers, the ink ends up being all over everything.
Maybe that’s OCD too.
I think the law requires this. Doubt it will ever change. People may be willing to pay distance based pricing for packages, but try it for first class mail and they will shut down the phone lines to Congress.
I thought I just bought stamps from a USPS vending machine a couple months ago? No?
I guess that’s the micro-problem for the USPS macro-problem: most people don’t mail letters or buy many stamps these days, and the USPS is on the same downhill slide as newspapers and print magazines. The Internet has killed them all.
There was a possible role for the USPS that they’ve never gotten off the ground and probably never will, which is the need for an email certification authority, and/or secure email.
But the USPS is frittering away its monumental brand and franchise with junk mail and weekly shoppers.
There’s still a business niche there for some reputable organization, it’ll probably go to Fedex or a Fedex spinoff.
YEA! Another USPS bash fest.
I work my ass off for the Post Office, and I love doing it. Everyone in our office is totally professional, and look after every piece of mail to the absolute best of our ability.
The Post Office is supposed to be another Government bloat-fest, but it’s been cut loose to stand like a free business. That means advertisements. I am waiting for the USPS bashers to ask “why the USPS is advertising, and isn’t that a waste of money?”
Any other part of Government cutting expenses, streamlining operations, and doing their utmost to save money and improve service? Name it if you can.
“Junk Mail” is better known as Bulk Business Mail. I thought Freepers were all about helping businesses succeed. If you’re in business and want to reach the most amount of customers in town, you do a bulk mailing. To encourage this practice, businesses are offered lower mailing rates. Ain’t that a great idea? USPS encouraging businesses? The USPS is pro-business! That would be conservative, wouldn’t it? NOT liberal?
You guys that want to cut daily service, or a day of service really ought to ride along with me on a Monday, or a day following a Holiday. You’ll be changing your tune to “Why can’t there be Sunday delivery, too?” Seriously.
One more point: The USPS is named in the Constitution as a legitimate function of Government, not unlike the military.
But, go ahead and prove yourselves by attacking the cheapest, most business friendly form of transporting something across the country.
There are plenty of lousy anecdotal stories about lousy service involving UPS, FedEx, and such too. Anecdotal stories about bad service, long lines, etc. are not a systemic problem.
“FReepers” in name only.
Agreed...I have ALWAYS had more problems with FedEx or UPS than the Post Office.
Not here. I like the USPS. There three offices that I can use. Every one of them is nice and the people are very friendly. (Which is kind of odd here in CT) Anything I have ever mailed has gotten to where it was supposed to in a timely fashion. Our carrier is very nice. I have never understood these rants about an occasional lost package or letter.
The solution is two or three day per week delivery. Saturday for sure should be dropped and probably Tuesday as well.
Then there are the subzipcodes. Delivery on an established everyother schedule day can easily be accomplished by delivering to some sub zips today and others tomorrow.
While going through my grandfather’s papers, I saw some envelopes from a company in Missouri that were delivered to a very remote Tennessee mining location during the late ‘30s in only 3 days for $.03. I wonder if a $.42 could do that now?
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