If a box starts filling up, I get out of the truck and try to hunt down the box owner. I can't for the life of me understand how a person can be so fucking lazy that they won't check their mailbox at least once every two weeks for mail. And when I'm chasing people down, I'm not supposed to be doing that. Instead, I'm supposed to fill the box to capacity, then pull everything out and hold their deliveries for 10 days before declaring the box vacant. Of course, doing that nets us customer opinions like the previous post which doesn't help our image.

Orguss, my post was about two specific carriers; not USPS as a whole. I've had some great carriers; some that went above and beyond. The folks at the local office are outstanding. Yes, the homeowner should have put a stop mail request in, so they are partially to blame, but there is a point where common sense should kick in and to me; it's way before the mail is falling out of the box.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
If a box starts filling up, I get out of the truck and try to hunt down the box owner. I can't for the life of me understand how a person can be so fucking lazy that they won't check their mailbox at least once every two weeks for mail. And when I'm chasing people down, I'm not supposed to be doing that. Instead, I'm supposed to fill the box to capacity, then pull everything out and hold their deliveries for 10 days before declaring the box vacant. Of course, doing that nets us customer opinions like the previous post which doesn't help our image.

Well, as I said, the procedure is to pull the mail from the box. Obviously, the carriers on that route are too lazy to do that. But as a carrier, I've witnessed stuff that boggles my mind when it comes to customer behavior.

I once pulled up to a house where I'd delivered many a package. The resident was standing in his driveway. When he saw me pull into his driveway, he walked off down the street. Since the item I had needed a signature, I left a "sorry we missed you" form in his box. I'm not chasing you around if you're gonna walk away knowing I'm delivering something to you. Fuck that noise--I'm happy to make you drag your ass down to the post office for that.

People have posted gripes about getting their packages misdelivered. Another example of that happening is because I was literally pounding on a guy's door because I could hear them watching TV inside but they refused to answer the door. Since it's Amazon's policy that we deliver to the closet approximate address and this address had one number for two different houses, I gave up trying to get them to come out and left five Amazon packages at their door. Was it for them? I wouldn't know--it wasn't my regular route and it was my first and only time in 8 months that I had to deliver to them. So if it ended up being the wrong house, is that my fault? Nope. Put a fucking address on your house.

Forget calling the postmaster and call the national call complaint line with USPS. Get a ticket number or call identifier number and keep it.

Call and tell them the problem of mail box being left open, etc and best if anonymous (due to retaliation by postal carrier). I had this exact problem and it WAS corrected with the lazy postal carrier and quite quickly I might add! YMMV

Ive been amazed at my last two postal carriers. The level of lazy is mind boggling. Good luck!

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Call and tell them the problem of mail box being left open, etc and best if anonymous (due to retaliation by postal carrier). I had this exact problem and it WAS corrected with the lazy postal carrier and quite quickly I might add! YMMV

Explain to me how to do this anonymously when you tell them the address of the mailbox? Thanks.

Tell them your vicinity or road maybe. Thats what I did. They did NOT get my name nor my numerical address. They in turn gave me a complaint unique ID number that I could have them reference in the event i needed to call back.

No sense in starting a war with the carrier but pressure from the top to the postmaster and it will flow downhill to the turd that needs addressing.

Good luck. The complaint line person I got was surprisingly VERY helpful. Leaving mailboxes open and delivering packages to the wrong address is a real security issue. Thats how I phrased it. It is very unfortunate because I have had a few FANTASTIC carriers that did their job well.

Thank you. Can you post the number you called? Thanks

There's a new tool for consumers when it comes to complaints. It's called twitter. Everyone a company fucks me (usually an airline) I mention them in a tweet (@mention so they can see the tweet) describing their shitty service. Within minutes you get a message back asking to communicate via direct message. Usually it ends with me getting a voucher of some sort. It seems that these days the only publicity that companies care about is social media. Maybe the post office has a twitter account. Might be worth a shot.

Orguss thanks for the number. I just figured with the USPS that it would be hidden and not accessible through obvious means. I will send them a telegram. I hope to get a rotary phone soon to replace my hand crank one.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
If a box starts filling up, I get out of the truck and try to hunt down the box owner. I can't for the life of me understand how a person can be so fucking lazy that they won't check their mailbox at least once every two weeks for mail. And when I'm chasing people down, I'm not supposed to be doing that. Instead, I'm supposed to fill the box to capacity, then pull everything out and hold their deliveries for 10 days before declaring the box vacant. Of course, doing that nets us customer opinions like the previous post which doesn't help our image.

[/QUOTE]
One of my favorites is when you cram mail with a small parcel into a box that is completely full. The next day, the parcel is gone, but all the mail is still in the box....

Or how about when they pull the first class but leave the junk mail? Like we're gonna take it out and throw it away for them.

There's one address I had on my last route with one of those large boxes. It was for a nursery but I guess all the employees used it for their own mail. Each day, the mail from previous days would be carefully sorted and stacked at the back of the box--including parcels. Like, take all that shit out and bring it into the office!

quote:

Originally posted by texassierra:
Check to see if Informed Delivery is available in your area. It's a new service only available in a few areas at this time.

I have it, it is available in Wickenburg. Only issue is I had to travel to Sun City West to do "in person identity verification", due to my having a credit freeze in place. Anyway, that done, and informed delivery is working now as planned. It still does not explain why a package on my "package dashboard" that was scheduled for delivery yesterday was delayed to today. Priority Mail, insured, from NV to AZ, should have easily made two days. Instead, it took five. Hungup in PHX for some reason, but at least it got here fine.
 
I make a point of engaging all of my carriers, including my regular and her subs, first name basis only. Today, sub and I bullshitted for about 15 minutes about minor garage stuff (I was out there when he brought up packages that would not fit in the box).
 

quote:

I make a point of engaging all of my carriers, including my regular and her subs, first name basis only. Today, sub and I bullshitted for about 15 minutes about minor garage stuff (I was out there when he brought up packages that would not fit in the box).

A few years ago on a route inspection they docked me for knocking on the door and handing people their parcels. These were not even "carrier leave if no response" parcels... Time wasting practice. I poop you not.
I find this to be the easiest way for people know they got their stuff, and it's basic interaction, put a face to the name, "Hi how ya doin?" etc.

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:

quote:

I make a point of engaging all of my carriers, including my regular and her subs, first name basis only. Today, sub and I bullshitted for about 15 minutes about minor garage stuff (I was out there when he brought up packages that would not fit in the box).

A few years ago on a route inspection they docked me for knocking on the door and handing people their parcels. These were not even "carrier leave if no response" parcels... Time wasting practice. I poop you not.
I find this to be the easiest way for people know they got their stuff, and it's basic interaction, put a face to the name, "Hi how ya doin?" etc.

This is one of the advantages of living in a small town. All of my carriers are local residents. We run into each other at the Safeway. I am on a first name basis with all of the tradesmen who come to the house. If they call me "Mr. Stryker" once, that is the last time, then it is "Henry".
 

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Mr. Stryker

Hey that is a badass name, maybe they just like saying it. I am not making fun of your name, just think it is kind of cool.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

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Mr. Stryker

Hey that is a badass name, maybe they just like saying it. I am not making fun of your name, just think it is kind of cool.

It does have a little badass to it. That's why my my wife named her GSD K9 partner K9 Stryker. They had an impressive career.
 

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:
If a box starts filling up, I get out of the truck and try to hunt down the box owner. I can't for the life of me understand how a person can be so fucking lazy that they won't check their mailbox at least once every two weeks for mail. And when I'm chasing people down, I'm not supposed to be doing that. Instead, I'm supposed to fill the box to capacity, then pull everything out and hold their deliveries for 10 days before declaring the box vacant. Of course, doing that nets us customer opinions like the previous post which doesn't help our image.

One of my favorites is when you cram mail with a small parcel into a box that is completely full. The next day, the parcel is gone, but all the mail is still in the box....[/QUOTE]
Or the opposite side where they (postal employee) bend a parcel which was obviously a book to fit it into my box that is smaller than said book. Yes the book was permanently damaged. They did this even though there are two larger boxes that were empty that the mail could have gone in (you can tell when they are empty since the keys are in the box). I'm sure there are good employees but if it were up to me I'd privatize the postal service, I've had too many bad experiences from employees that do not care.

Orguss, I retired Friday. 70%-80% of residents on my last route, which I had for nearly eight years, only emptied their mailbox once a week. I would write "M. T. Me" in big letters on the back of a hold mail card and stick the edge inside the box door, leaving the message exposed. Somebody would always remove the mail.

If customers refuse to empty the box, pull their mail, leave a 3849, hold the mail ten days, then return it to the sender if it is not claimed; as the regulations state. Read and learn the handbook, and live it. The regulations protect you.

The only thing that's been happening lately here is packagers being marked "Out for Delivery" for two or three days. A bit annoying but no failures yet.