Fear

I have the fear. Fear for my Netflix viewing soul. I just read this. A price hike would suck. Truly. A fuller story here. And the actual USPS bitching can be seen here(PDF).

As you may have read, we've had a few beefs with ye olde Postal Service. Add this one to the list. Looks like I'll be writing another letter to them. And to Netflix. Maybe you should too!

Via Apartment Therapy & Wired

We write letters

April 24, 2007

Joseph Chiossone, Postmaster
City Operation
United States Postal Service
1050 Forbell Street
Brooklyn, NY 11256

Postmaster Chiossone,

We are writing to inform you that the mail delivery service that operates out of your Fort Hamilton Station has failed repeatedly to deliver our mail in a timely fashion after the expiration of a hold order. Specifically regarding the hold order with the confirmation number WEH33940912, as of the writing of this letter late this afternoon, we have only now just received our mail dated from Monday, April 9 through Saturday, April 21 of 2007.

Earlier today, given the lack of service, we went to the Fort Hamilton Post Office to file complaint and get our mail. We spoke with the station manager, a woman named Diane. She informed us that the carrier serving our building, a Mr. Hui, must have “forgotten” to deliver our held mail and would surely deliver it today. We then asked that, since we were already there, could we just have it? She went to check and reported back that Mr. Hui had already left with our held mail. It goes without saying that we speculate our visit prompted the delivery. Only Mr. Hui can say for sure and we doubt he will.

The Hold Mail Service available through the USPS website states on the request confirmation in clear terms that:

For Security reasons, your carrier will leave only the mail that fits into your mail receptacle. Your carrier will leave a notification slip and return any excess mail to your local Post Office. If you choose to pick up your mail, you must present photo ID.

We did not receive any notification slip at any time prior and it is worth it to note that all of our mail from the hold period fit easily into our mailbox. Additionally, our incoming mail in the interim has been so little that the held mail could have fit easily into our mailbox on any day prior additional to what was delivered each day.

We find this service sub-par and unacceptable. Let us be clear. Our discontent has not been stirred by this one dereliction alone. Prior to this occasion, we’ve had nearly identical experiences utilizing this same service during the dates March 5th through the 10th of this year and November 28th through December 9th, 2006. On each occasion delivery was delayed by three business days or more. We have not determined if Mr. Hui was the mail carrier during those periods as well.

Outside of our complaints regarding the Hold Mail Service, there have been instances where we have received notice of delivery failure on signature required packages and the reason given was that the “door was locked.” Such notices are left in our mailbox, inside the cited locked door.

One last specific example from Monday, July 3, 2006 at approximately 12:30 p.m. our apartment was rung up by a Postal Service carrier to deliver a package. We buzzed the person in and assumed that they would leave the parcel by our mailbox. Upon going to retrieve our mail, we found no package but a delivery slip that gave notice an attempt was made and that a signature was required for release of the package. They had ample opportunity to inform us that a signature was required, but didn’t say anything to that effect. Frankly, we find this beyond lazy and/or extremely irresponsible.

At the very least, all of this does not speak well for the quality of service that people should associate with the USPS. We are not seeking compensation. However, it is our hope that you understand the problems reported and take steps to restore timely, competent service to this address and the greater Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton areas.

Sincerely,

Mr. & Mrs. Bourgeois Deviant
Brooklyn, NY 11209

Mrs. Deviant writes the Postmaster

Dear Postmaster,

I feel that is important to notify you that the standard of service for mail delivery under your supervision is declining. Normally, I would not take the time to bother you with this except that it is not the first time this issue has occurred. Also, at the time of my writing this letter and the day of the particular event, I am nine months pregnant, thus making this matter which I am reporting particularly bothersome.

On Monday, July 3, 2006 at approximately 12:30 p.m. my apartment was rung up by an employee of the United States Postal Service to deliver a package. I buzzed the person in and assumed that they would be bringing it up to my 4th floor apartment. After waiting a while, I came to assume that the delivery person had, on a particularly hot day, decided to leave the package by my mailbox on the first floor of the building. As you might glean, this was not the case.

Being nine months pregnant as I am, you might well imagine that four flights of stairs are no easy task. With that in mind, you might also assume that a person in my stage of pregnancy might try to avoid (and with good reason) making repeated trips up and down those stairs. Especially in the summer heat. Later in the day, laundry required me to go to the basement of the building to retrieve my clothes. I had counted on being able to combine tasks on this trip and retrieve what I thought would be a delivered package additional to my laundry. As I am sure is abundantly clear to you by now, I was sorely mistaken.

Looking at my mailbox, I found no package, but a delivery slip that gave notice an attempt was made (copy enclosed) and that a signature was required for release of the package. As this was not the first time for something like this to happen, I was quite dismayed. My disappointment does not come from anything but for the fact that I saw the person as I let them into the building via closed circuit television. They appeared able bodied and unencumbered by large, heavy or otherwise unwieldy packages. I don't fault the carrier for not knowing of my present physical duress. I fault them for not advising me that a signature was required when I admitted them to the building. Frankly, I find it is lazy. It certainly doesn't speak well for the quality of service that people should associate with the USPS.

I hope that this circumstance does not occur again. But, as I am still with child for at least a few more weeks, I fear it may. In the future, I shall try to be more diligent when admitting employees of the Postal Service into my apartment building. I will make sure that they are aware that they will need to actually bring the package up to me as I am in the end process of gestating a child. I should hope that henceforward you, your staff and other employees will be comparably diligent and make better efforts in providing a higher standard of customer service.

If I am in error in my perception of this or am mistaken about the terms of service that the USPS provides, kindly inform me as such. However, should similar events continue to happen despite someone being on the premises to sign for signature required parcels, I will be more than happy to solicit the services of other more reliable couriers with better customer service.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Bourgeois Deviant
Brooklyn, NY