[Summit] USPS

[Bresler E]

Well this is a VERY sore point with us.  We have lived here for ten
years and I don't remember when I first noticed it, but for at least 5
of those years we have been having regular problems.  We get other
people's mail and apparently they get ours.  Some of the time they
return it.  Sometimes they take weeks to do that.  It's true it's not
their job but it is the law.  At least they should put it right back
out to the mail man.
Who frequently then returns it to the sender, who calls us puzzled
about what's wrong with our address.  But at least we both know what
happened.

One neighbor came one day with 14 pieces of my mail, some of it two
months old, & including checks, one of which had already had a stop
put on it.  I also don't appreciate other people receiving my
payments, checking statements and credit card statements, all of which
has happened.

I have a few magazine subscriptions.  One of each, a year, on the
average, never arrives.  My Jewish Voice newspaper is missing more
often.

I have talked to my mail carrier several times. He is a nice guy.  So
I tried polite. I tried desperate.  And I was clearly trying to
control myself from frantic & angry the last time (I didn't recieve
some important information I had paid for and really needed; it did
arrive AFTER it was mute.)

He says he is over burdened. That some Mondays his supervisor makes
them deliver only catalogues, because they are too backed up, and that
they are what finance the post office these days. Since we get very
few catalogues, that explained why we frequently got no mail at all on
Monday.

I'm told that carriers sort their own mail.  But that doesn't explain
why one piece arrived with a note on it saying "why did someone
deliver this to Cranston City Hall".

We here are self employed & must depend on the mail for contracts and
payments.  Our mail service, or lack of it, has created several very
embarrassing situations.  I hate having to call a client to ask IF
they sent a something because my mailman may have lost it.  I don't
want to be a nudge if they are a little late, but I certainly don't
want them wondering what happened, or have the next piece of business
to fall apart, when we don't get back to them,  because  we are
waiting for something, they already sent, that's never going to
arrive...

Another time I missed the notice of the time of a board meeting I had
personally and assertively requested.  Needless to say, my being
missing there was not well received.  It did arrive later, two weeks
after it was postmarked... from Providence. ( After that I had to add
to my already busy schedule, calling the secretary every week to
inquire if there was a meeting planned.)

I have called to complain almost a dozen times, but somehow the right
person is NEVER available.  Phyllis, please tell me where you sent the
letter, if you remember.

I don't often say this, but I wouldn't mind a price increase, if I
could actually depend on the service.  Or if they are going to mess up
so regularly, they need to at least eduacte the public on how citizens
must handle misdelivered mail.

I'm human, and I make mistakes too, but the PO is supposed to be more careful.

Phew!  Well someone asked for my opinion...

Elianna Bresler

On 8/22/06, libertyliterary at cox.net <libertyliterary at cox.net> wrote:
> I have actually found this post office to be
> staffed by very able and responsive workers.
>
> I've never had a problem with non-delivery
> or late delivery - but  occasionally  the system
> is a bit less than ideal.  For example, the
> need to have mail brought over to the main
> post office from across the street for pick-up
> after holding it over vacation.  Forgetting to
> call ahead results in a delay - and it is
> important to make sure they know you want
> delivery re-started.
>
> However, as I said, I have found the personnel
> extremely helpful, and I agree with the other
> neighbors - talk to your postman and  ask
> them who to speak with back at headquarters.
> If that doesn't  work, try the folks at the customer
> service window in the main post office.
> They are great.
>
> I believe you have an excellent chance of
> resolving the problem.
>
> Blessings,
>
> Liberty G
> ********************************************
> ---- FLUTESY at att.net wrote:
>
> =============
>  I wrote a letter once and got better service henceforth.  I just recommend being polite and factual and maybe a little pathetic (if you could cite an example of how late arrival of a particular document negatively affected you in some way.)  I've also called about various things and they seem very eager to please.
>
> Good luck.
>
> phyl (Greaton Drive.)
>
> -------------- Original message from "Brian Sullivan" <sulliv at gmail.com>: --------------
>
>
> Dear Neighbor,
>
> I hope that by posting this question to  it will distribute through the whole list.  If it works differently, please let me know.
>
> My question is this.  Does the USPS in Providence have a reputation for inefficiency.  My wife and I have been living on Tenth street for about a year and the mail service is terrible.  I honestly don't know if it's a run of "bad luck", or if it's actually the USPS.  We've had important documents take more than 3 weeks to arrive.  One time we had a 12' x 14' rug sit in the main post office for a month.  I have actually had packages arrive in England from Boston in less time than it has taken regular mail to arrive at my residence in Providence from inside the U.S.  Maybe it's a string of bad postal experiences.
>
> Does anybody else have an opinion?
>
> Brian
>
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