Going Postal

Warning: Long Post Ahead

I have thought about writing a post about this for several weeks now. I've been very hesitant. My loyal readers (thanks all three of you!!) probably have a good idea that I'm pretty opinionated about the kind of customer service I get. Anyway, this post begged to be written for other underlying reasons.

Let me take this back a little bit. Like many out there, I'm concerned about the health care system. It is failing in many ways. I've been amazed since we've started a full-time job and had to cover more of our health care costs how expensive and crazy health care is. We've been blessed have good health insurance. However, I'm extremely concerned about having government/national health care. I don't believe that is the best way to go. That being said, I don't know what the best solution is.

A while back during a conversation with good friends on the state of the health care system I posed this question: Name one thing that the government does well? It stumped us all. A prime example of what the government does poorly is the US Postal System. (Don't worry, I've already been black listed at my local post office so posting this won't affect anything.) How many millions and millions of dollars are they running in the red? And yet again, they are raising the price of a first class stamp. Are they timely and more cost effective than any of the private package delivery companies? And those are just a few reasons.

Since moving we've had several crazy experiences with the postal system. And the latest has made me even more concerned about government involvement in our health care. (Sorry if you don't see the link because I do.) Let me briefly describe.

We have a wonderful friend from college get married in February. Unfortunately, for various reasons we couldn't make it to the wedding. We bought an awesome gift and one Saturday I found myself at the post office with this huge gift along with half a dozen other items that needed to be mailed. Truthfully, if I hadn't needed to have some items specifically weighed I would have just taken this wedding gift to the local UPS store. This package would have shipped faster and cheaper at half the rate.

Well, that wasn't the case. Because of the weight of this package the postal worker offered to mail it 1st class for about $30. I opted for the parcel post rate ($12.51). I had never shipped parcel post before. I was told by the mail clerk the only thing different about parcel post is that it would take about 2 weeks to deliver. That was fine by me. I'm off on my merry way.

Six Weeks Later:
My friendly postal carrier is ringing my doorbell. He hands me a stack full of mail and tells me I have a package that has postage due. Me with an exceptionally confused look: "Postage due?" As I'm looking at the completely beat up package in his hand I begin to recognize it. It's the wedding gift. I can't figure out why it's come back to me asking for more money when I shipped it from the post office. Long story short. They attempted to forward the package and you can't forward parcel post and so it came back to me and I had to pay $11.81 to receive my package.

Hmmmm. As I'm contemplating how angry I am about this I'm flipping through the stack of mail my mail carrier gave to me. Not for me. Not for me. Not for me. Not for me. "Ummm, sir, none of this is my mail."

Confused postal worker: "Really? Sorry about that," as he snatches the mail back from me.

At this point I'm not to fond of the interchange and the carrier gladly pounces on the idea of my talking to a manager. That requires me going to the post office the next day. Oh happy day.

So I do that. I take the little card that was handed to me (which by the way, had the wrong address!) and drive to the post office address listed on the card. Did I mention my three small kids tagging along? Arrive at post office, wait to talk to a worker, they search the back room. No package. They call the main office, it's there. That's funny. I must have a hard time reading and following addresses. Get back in the car (with 3 small kids) and drive to the main post office. Wait 15 minutes in line (with 3 small kids).

After some more rigmarole I end up speaking with the postal master. I explained my extreme frustration and lack of understanding. Why doesn't the postal system forward parcel post? Why am I paying to have a package returned to me? Why didn't they tell me that there isn't forwarding on parcel post? Why was I sent to the wrong location? Why? Why? Why?

I had several postal workers involved at this point. No one could give me a straight answer. And no one was willing to cut me some slack. (I thought the 3 small kids would help but they didn't.) I wanted to know why the rules of shipping with parcel post weren't explained to me. One worker helpfully pointed out that there are so many rules for the postal service it makes up a huge, thick book. No apologies, no remorse, no sympathy, no give.

I refused to pay the money and left. [Clark went back the next day to pay the money and retrieve the wedding gift after having a rather heated discussion with a manager. And Todd, sorry we haven't re-sent it yet. We will. And also, I'm horribly embarrassed if a postal worker tried to hit you up for postage due on a wedding present for you guys. I had no idea.]

Here's my point with this long winded description: This is disturbing. On a lot of levels. I'm a customer but they don't think it's important to inform me. Some people might argue, well, it's just the mail, not a big deal. But if that is how a government run organization is going to be who's to say that a health care organization run by the government wouldn't be the same. Endless amounts of rules. Hidden costs for the tax payers. And mistakes galore. Lack of information. There are lots of lessons to be learned from this small scenario. Also, even though I was the paying customer in this case, I wasn't the customer. The government is. The government owns, runs, and subsides the postal system. They really don't care if they make me happy. Where else am I going to take my business. I guess I could rip my mailbox out.