"Life is lived forward, but understood backward. It is not until we are down the road and we stand on the mountain looking back through the valley that we can appreciate the terrain God has allowed us to scale.” Jill Savage

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Post Office

I don't vent too much (well I don't think I do) - and I truly love the United States Postal Service. I love to use them, I trust them, and I even think the price is good. Did you know when the Pony Express existed it cost $5 to send a piece of mail?

I went yesterday around 11:15am - I went with my husband - who has zero 'wait capacity'. He flipped out. So we left and I went back around 1pm. The line was 20 deep. Now there were four workers there and I thought it would go fast - although the post office, now that I think about it, NEVER goes fast.

When the clerks walk - you ever notice they walk so slow - they are never in a hurry - they never look stressed. Almost every job I've ever worked at - I've always had to work fast!

Well it took me 40 minutes. Just as I got 'up next' 2 clerks went to lunch and I waited another 10 minutes being first in line. So close and so far away.

My question is this - why or how do they move so slow? Is that a requirement of the job? Are they taught that in a class? Why not charge a little more - get more help - and make people happy with the post office so that is gets used more? Oh well - what do you think? Have you ever been to a fast post office? Inquiring minds want to know.

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This is a cute little site - you type in the name of a Christmas song and the two little characters will sing it to you. Great for the grandkids.
http://www.sundog.net/carolofthechins/flash/card.swf

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Happy Birthday Deborah Sampson - who is Deborah Sampson?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Deborah Sampson (December 17, 1760 - April 29, 1827) was the first known American woman to impersonate a man in order to join the Army. She gave her name as Robert Shurtliff, or Rob Shart, and successfully convinced the Uxbridge Seargent that she was a man in order to join the Continental Army near the end of the American Revolution.

You need to look her up and read the rest of the story.

Love,
Chatty

8 comments:

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Real small town post offices -- like where we are now move a little faster -- only one or two clerks, but way fewer customers. Also middle of the morning or mid-afternoon (helps to be old and retired). Now that I think of it, maybe they are slow and I'm so old I just don't notice it anymore ;>))

English Cottage in Georgia said...

What an interesting post. During my last trip at the post office, I was amazed at how patient the clerks were with the customers who were old and not on a fast paced schedule.

Susan (Between Naps On The Porch.net) said...

Oh, you don't even want to get me started on the post office! I'm about like your DH...I can't stand going there because they truly act like they do not care...no incentive to try to work more quickly.
Great meeting you, Sandie! :-)

Chatty Crone said...

Okay I guess I should have had more understanding and patience myself. I didn't get mad at anyone - just frustrated within myself!

jeanmac said...

Merry Christmas, Chatty.

betty said...

I think its because they are government that they move that slow; doesn't really matter, you know. if you want to use their service you'll wait; not too much competition (other than FedEx or UPS and you really don't send letters through those places without paying an arm and a leg). so they almost have a monopoly except for email of course :)

but I guess they even are feeling the effects of the economy, my brother works for them (he's in the back not a mailman or works the counter, he manages maintenance or something like that) and he says they have been offering incentives for people to retire to reduce their work pool

betty

Rina ... also Chester or Daisysmum. said...

I found the Australia Post very helpfull and fast. Considering we can pay most of our bills electicity, phone, rates etc there. And then all the normal post office stuff. Sometime our newsagent has a little post office area in most suburbs. They are great.

ClassyChassy said...

In our local post office, they have cut the workers down to one behind the counter, and if theres a line, the Postmaster General might come help out for a few minutes. Everything is right there by the desk - the bins, the stamps, the tape, the scales - they don't have to do more than just move one step or twist or bend. It is an old building, probably from the late 1800's (judging by the designs on the little boxes that people use to pick up their mail; also the building style)but they've used space efficiently!