Help if you have any knowledge of the post office, PLEASE!!

[jab105]

I go to the post office once a week to mail off my packages, usually I have between 10-20 packages. Last Saturday, I had about 15 and 4 padded envelopes. My husband and I walked in at 1pm (they close at 4pm - so it was 3 hours before closing...)

When we came in, there was only one person helping customers, and the person at his station had a lot of packages, so we waited...

After about 10 minutes, another employee came up, but said that she wouldnt help us because we had too many packages...so, she took someone behind us who had fewer packages...we continued to fill out package forms (we'd been doing this for 5 years, so we know how to fill stuff out -- have never had a problem with this)

After another 10 minutes, another employee came up, to help us...all of the padded envelopes were completely filled out, and all except for 2 of the boxes were filled out, so I put all of the boxes that were ready in a stack for her on, and at the counter, I finished filling out the last two insurance forms...

meanwhile, the lady seemed to have an attitude from the moment we got there...she put the first box on the scale and told me that she didn't know how I wanted to send it...it was in a priority box...I said priority...(you can only send priority boxes priority, but anyways)...then she asked about the other boxes, and I said to send them parcel post...

She asked again, but this time she said...so you mean that if it isn't in a priority box, send it parcel post...it was asked in an odd way...I responded yes...

It took me about 2 minutes to finish filling out the last two insurance forms, so the rest of the time, I just kinda stood there, cause...well...there isn't much to do...my husband was on the phone trying to find out about a money order that he was sending out...

She finished putting postage on all of the boxes (about 15 boxes)...in total it took about 15-20 minutes, and then she started on the padded envelopes...on the second envelope, I realized that she was sending them parcel post also...and the price was a lot more expensive then what we usually get...I was surprised at the price and asked what it was...it was $2.95 ...normally it is 54 cents...then she said that I had said to send everything parcel post and she was...so, I told my husband that she was sending the envelopes parcel post and it was $3 each...so he said, just have her rerun them as first class (that kind of thing happens all the time, and its a pretty easy thing to fix)...so I said, just void those padded envelopes out, and redo them as first class...

She said that she wouldn't do it...I asked again...and again, she said that she wouldn't do it...

I was pretty surprised, so I asked for the name of her supervisor...which she gave me immediately...I was still hoping that she would do what I requested, and then there wouldnt be any issue...

Then, she started taking the postage stickers off of every single box and padded envelope that she had run...she voided every single transaction (which took her quite a while)...and refused to help us, and sent us to the end of the line...

There were only two clerks available, the other guy was nice enough to take us next - took another 10 minutes or so for him to finish up who he was waiting on (even though there was a pretty long line based on what had occured)...

***

So, I was pretty upset, and I wrote a letter and arranged to meet with the supervisor...cause I thought it was really bad (I KNOW that I would have been fired immediately if I had done anything like that)...all I asked for was an apology from the employee, and an assurance that something like that wouldn't happen again...

Today, I had the meeting with the supervisor, and she she basically said that I should be apologizing to the employee because I had said parcel post, and because I didn't have every one of my boxes ready at the time I was being served (I have been doing it this way for 5 years, and have never once had an employee have to wait for me to finish filling out a form)...

She said that she told her employees to refuse to wait on me unless I have every form completely filled out in the future...

I asked if there was any type of postal code or regulation that said that an employee could pull the postage stickers off of a customers package, refuse to wait on a customer, and not change the type of postage when asked by the customer...and she said that there were no postal regulations like that, and no code of conduct that says that...

Honestly, I can't even imagine this...

They can send me to the end of the line if they feel like it?
They can take me as a customer, and then refuse to wait on me?
They can refuse to send something a cheaper way, because there was basically a misunderstanding (I didn't even know that you could send envelopes parcel post - I've never had one sent that way in 5 years)...

Do any of you know if this is true...it is just baffling to me...

thank you.

[Maddy McCall]

1. Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit!!!

Get in touch with the district postal inspector for your area. DO NOT take the word of the post master of that post office.

Go to a post office in the closest town to your post office (or another post office in your city, if your city has more than one post office), tell him/her that you want to know the name of the district postal inspector. Then, contact that inspector and fill out a complaint.

Believe me, as the daughter of a long-time postal employee, I can tell you that what they did to you was a violation of the policies under which they operate, and if you report it to the district postal inspector, they will be admonished against such behavior ever occurring again.

Do not give up until you have discussed this with the district inspector. Do it as soon as you can, so that you can remember every detail when you write your complaint.

[jab105]

5. Thank you...you've given me some hope...

As I was going in there today I felt so confident that I would get the apology...but after what happened in there (she kept telling me that it was my fault)...I just felt deflated...

I have never complained about anything before in my life, so to have this experience for the first time just blows my mind...

The reason why I never had in the past was of course because I'd never been treated quite like that before...but also because I felt there was so much power in a complaint, and I never wanted to take advantage of that unless I had a very justified reason...

Do you know if there is any place to see postal code of conduct anywhere...
Every time I asked if a postal regulation had been broken, she kept telling me no...and that there was no code of conduct for the post office...

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Was selling on eBay a lot a few years back

and although I always had packages, envelopes and forms filled out, the USPS people were always nice and would let me know if there was a better price for the shipping (priority over first class,with shipping days being the same, etc.) I think all that appears on their screen as they go through it all.

Good deal you have a meeting set up with that person's supervisor.

[petronius]

3. I don't know any official rules of the P.O.,

but that was piss-poor service and you are right to be upset - I've never experienced anything like that at my post office. I really doubt if any of the questions you list are true for clerks, at least not without a manager stepping in. You should complain your way up the chain of command until you get satisfaction...

[LostinVA]

15. Attitude trickles down: the supervisor doesn't give a damn about customers

So neither do her staff. I worked retail for years, so I know how this goes.

YOU help support the PO. Go up the chain of command as far as you have to, email your Federal-level elected officials, too. This is crappy service, period. Even worse, because now the supervisor is being vindictive.

[Kali]

4. I don't have much to offer

except I sure like my tiny town's PO better than the big city. (in fact the Post Office IS prety much the town!)


Have you tried one of those Mailbox Etc type places? they might cost a few cents more but they generally are more into customer service and satisfaction than the USPS. Iknow in the next bigger town a lot of the local businesses use the little M E instead of the town's regular Post Office - and that is still a small town!

[fortyfeetunder]

6. You got a bad deal

There are times I have mulitple packages, and the USPS clerks are always helpful and spell out all my options. Sorry you got some rotten service and I hope you are vindicated.

[fortyfeetunder]

7. self-delete

[Syncronaut Seven]

8. I use two local post offices, with two distinctly different flavors

One office is professionally staffed, with nary a single complaint from me in 20 years.

The other? they grumble and plod and glare when I bring heavy packages, I make sure they get ALL my heavy packages. :evilgrin:

[jab105]

9. That's what my husband wants to do...I'm worried that

they will simply refuse to serve us or serve us, and then just rip the postage off and void everything at the end of the transaction...because according to the supervisor, they can do whatever they please...they can send us back to the end of the line, they can rip off the postage...they can do anything they want...and I just have to deal with it...

[Maddy McCall]

14. They can't refuse to serve you any more than Department of Human...

Services can refuse to give you aid if you need it.

They are a governmental entity, and they have to follow the same rules of conduct that all employees of public agencies must follow.

I hope that you have already talked to a nearby post office's postmaster to get the name of the district inspector. THAT's where you need to send you complaint.

Indeed, I would bet that the postmaster in your neighboring town/area has already heard about the way his peer at your post office treats people.

To get remedy, you can't complain to someone inside the post office that affronted you. There's too much comradery in there. You're going to have to go outside of that post office, and over that postmaster's head.

And you will get your remedy. Trust me. What will probably happen is that the district's postal inspector will send a representative to monitor the employees' behavior inside the problem post office.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. That is horrifying! I am sitting here with my mouth open.......

You have my complete sympathies! Those nazis! And have a hug.....

:hug:

[jab105]

11. thank you...I have to go to the post office right now...

we go every Saturday, with our ~20 packages...

and the one where this happened is two miles away...the other one is about 15 miles away...and we are going to it...

I still cant believe that there are no rules of conduct...its incredible to me...also shows why they can get away with being so rude...

[jab105]

12. This is what I wrote them (the letter that I sent)...

Dear Ms. ***,

The following incident occurred on March *, 2006.

At approximately 1:00 p.m., as I have done for the past five years, my husband and I brought our packages to your post office to be mailed. At the time, there was only one postal clerk waiting on customers. After about twenty minutes, another employee, ***, came to the front counter to assist customers. This is what happened:

1. Eighteen of our twenty packages were complete and ready to go. We placed these packages
on ***’s counter. In the meantime, I worked on filling-out the last two package slips.
2. *** asked how the packages should be sent. I replied by stating that the packages marked “priority” should be sent “priority” and the other packages should be sent parcel post.
3. After completing the boxes, *** began working on the four padded envelopes we were sending. As she was doing this, I noticed that she was marking the padded envelopes as parcel post. I immediately notified her that the envelopes should be sent first class.
4. She curtly responded that I had said that everything that wasn’t in a priority box should go parcel post. This was obviously a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding that could easily be remedied.
5. I asked *** to change the padded envelopes from “parcel post” to “first class.” A very simple request. One that probably would have taken her a minute or two to perform.
6. Instead, ***, said she would not do it. Surprised and appalled by her lack of professional decorum, I once again asked her to make this change, and once again, I got the same response.
7. I then requested the name of her supervisor. She responded by giving me your name.
8. *** then took every single one of the boxes she had completed, removed the postage stickers, handed the boxes back to us, and then voided every single transaction. This took her more than fifteen minutes.
9. After stating that she would not wait on us, she then humiliated us by sending us to the end of the line. A line that had grown quite long by this time.

Thankfully, the other postal clerk, ***, came to our aid. He waited on us in a friendly and professional manner.

We spent more than an hour and a half at the post office because *** could not, or would not, handle herself in a dignified and professional manner. I do hope that you, as her supervisor, do not condone such behavior.

I believe that *** owes my husband and me an apology. As her supervisor, I hope that you explain to *** that the U.S. Postal System is a business and, like all businesses, relies on the good will of its customers.

[Maddy McCall]

13. Now, send this to the postal inspector for your district.

Yes, they are expected to treat their customers with respect--

And I'd include this in your letter:

"We have been loyal customers of the USPS, even though private mail services often offer better prices and faster delivery times."

Let me check with my father on any code of conduct the clerks are expected to follow.

[LostinVA]

16. There ARE rules of conduct -- they just aren't following them

[Ron Mexico]

17. I used this form and got a quick answer and apology

when I went through something just like it in December: https://hdusps.esecurecare.net/cgi-bin/hdusps.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php?p_sid=qwma7P2i&p_accessibility=0&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD05MjMmcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x