Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Journal of Steffanie Rivers: Open Letter About the Post Office

Steffanie Rivers
Steffanie Rivers

I never have openly campaigned for the demise of an organization. But my experience as of late has me hoping the U.S. Postal Service goes the way of the Twinkie.

Even though its viability has been in question for almost a decade, the post office’s strategy of reduced hours, layoffs and price hikes have kept it on life support.

But with more than 240 years in business somebody in charge should have figured out raising the price of stamps every six months won’t create a profitable business. Figuring out how to deliver good customer service – or just deliver my package – might be the key to success. I’m not talking about one package and one bad experience. My complaints are too numerous to recount.

This is not about the long line of customers waiting to ship packages and purchase stamps from that lone postal worker at the only counter that’s open because everybody else is on break at the same time. I learned long ago there’s no such thing as a quick trip to the post office. What I have a problem with are people who waste my time or my money. The people at the post office have managed to do both.

Eversince I had that experience with a stalker 25 years ago I’m particular about who knows where I lay my head at night. Privacy is the primary reason I started renting a post office box. Add to it the fact that, as a flight attendant, I travel frequently. I live in a condo community. And as is the nature of many transient communities new people come and go. Some of them (probably) steal and some of them don’t. Having my packages delivered to my post office box is supposed to be convenient and secure.

So why is it that packages delivered to the post office get lost on the way to my box? The tracking numbers indicate they were shipped and received at the post office, but when I take time out of my busy schedule to retrieve them nobody knows where they are. I have to call the company that shipped it and tell them the unbelievable story of the disappearing package from my p.o. box. No, I’m not trying to get free merchandise. I just want what I already paid for.

So I negotiate another delivery, except this time lets have it shipped to my transient condo community where the package could sit for days at my front door until I’m able to get it. But God forbid there’s snow in Dallas like there was last week. Despite the USPS slogan about delivering in rain, sleet or snow, my mail man doesn’t deliver mail in the snow. Really?! So the priority package for which I paid extra money to have delivered to my door within a certain time sat in package limbo until I called to inquire. And that’s putting it nicely!

That’s when I was told it was too snowy for the mail main to drive two miles up the street to bring my package that I paid to have delivered. Okay. I’ll pick it up. When I got there I was told the mail man had it on the truck to be delivered. I’m paying for a p.o box and for priority delivery to my front door. And I still don’t have my package. Is this a joke? No, this is the post office.

Steffanie is a freelance writer living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. For questions, comments and speaking inquiries email her at [email protected].

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!

YOU MAY LIKE

SEARCH

- Advertisement -

TRENDING