I have pretty low expectations for service these days. I mean, for the most part, I expect to receive less than stellar service wherever I go. I keep my standards low so I’m never disappointed and only pleasantly surprised when something goes well. Oh, who am I kidding? I am always disappointed.
But this took it to a whole new level for me.
And since I have already vented about it to both my hubby and Lisa, and I am still not over it, I am taking it to the blog.
That is just how I roll.
My rant involves the United States Postal Service, an organization that has seen their fair share of mockery through the years. We already know they are broke, so further criticizing them will probably not help their cause, but COME ON PEOPLE.
I happened to be sitting at my computer when our mail was delivered on Saturday. I knew it had been delivered because the little mail truck drove directly in front of my “office” (totally my dining room) window. So imagine my surprise when I found a slip tucked between our light bill and my latest issue of Entertainment Weekly.
It was a package delivery notice saying that the package could not be delivered because it required a signature and no one was home.
SAY WHAT?
I was not only totally home but completely willing AND able to sign for the package (i.e. not showering or playing my 87th round of Candy Crush that day). I was never even given the chance to sign for the package!
To make matters worse, this is one of those final notice kind of deals where you have to go to the actual post office to pick up your package.
I have to haul both my children to the post office (yeah, yeah, yeah, I am a total slacker and didn’t go during the school day) after school because my mail lady could not bother to walk the 50 feet to my front door on Saturday. Which, last time I checked, is part of her ACTUAL job.
So either my mail lady has decided getting out of the truck is optional on Saturdays, or she *really* didn’t like the Golden Corral coupon I slipped her as a holiday gift.
They are lazy or it could have been a sub (I have a family member that works for the USPS) he tells me all the time some of the things they do. This has happened to me also and I asked him why and that is what he told me. It happens all over smh
Oh it could have been a sub! Didn’t think of that! Let’s hope that was it!
Oh totally had this happen to me, too. And let me tell you someone is always home in my house, so there truly is no excuse. And my mail person seriously is a real character (he was actually seen in a local grocery store all dressed in black leather!). The UPS Guy even rips on our mail carrier whenever given the opportunity. Never actually thought about it, but now I could totally write blog post on this, lol!! But seriously, couldn’t agree more and you vent away!!
You should totally do a post, too! Isn’t it just ridiculous??!! We adore our UPS guy, too…he rocks!
That is terrible! And now the mystery is solved for when I got the same notice and I could have sworn I was home! I kept thinking it was my hearing and then wondered for the rest of the day, “Where was I that I didn’t hear the door?” I HATE hauling Gia to the post office so you have my total support on this one!
The mystery is solved for sure! Your mail carrier is totally a slacker just like mine! 😉
Oh my gosh, how annoying! I actually share a property line with our local post office. They park their trucks on the other side of our fence. I have some stories…like when they wouldn’t deliver my mail because the sidewalk wasn’t plowed (hello! You can see my perfectly clear back porch!) or when a branch from a tree that may or may not have been on my property fell slightly near their trucks (someone could have died!). I feel for you. Ashley!
Oh my GOD, they wouldn’t deliver your mail??!! That is just ridiculous! Seriously, though, what is wrong with people!?!
Thankfully I have a son that runs out to meet the mail truck everyday. She doesn’t even have to get out of the mail truck.
So helpful! That is totally great of him!
That is unbelievably annoying. I would have been beyond irritated. I hate when I get those notices. However I love our mail guy - our mailbox is up by the main road but whenever there is a package he comes down to house (private road) which I am sure he does not have to do. UPS guy goes over and above too…always brings up the packages to the front door and rings the bell…the dogs always go nuts. Fedex a completely different story…they have left boxes up on the grass by my mailbox on the mail road…seriously? And I have had them in the middle of the driveway, like they were just thrown there. Maybe I don’t have a regular Fedex person?
That rocks! Your person sounds like the movie version of a postal carrier…that is awesome! But FedEx…that is nuts!
That drives me INSANE. And I am one of those people who obsessively check the mail every day with the hope that one times out of 20, there’s something in there that isn’t ominous. (trashy magazines and cards) I think I would have sat outside the next chance I could during a mail delivery and probably given her an earful.
Ha ha ha! I *should* have sat outside and told her what I thought of her! 😉
That is awful, and a regular occurrence in Malaysia. Especially since we live in an apartment, the postmen can’t be bothered to intercom us, they just dump a notice in our mailbox. It’s so annoying. GAH.
That is absolutely totally obnoxious!! I would be SO ANNOYED!
Crazy, but not surprising! And it’s not just the USPS. We got a notice the other day that we have to trim back a tree because the electric company couldn’t get to the meter to read it. But the tree isn’t blocking the view of the meter at all. It does however require them to take maybe two or three more steps. Too many I guess.
Those extra steps are really exhausting! 😉
I feel your annoyance. The same thing happened to me in November, only not only did they not check if I was home (which I was), but they didn’t even bother to leave the slip. So I was freaking out that my new computer had been lost. And the people on the phone gave me incorrect info as well, which would have helped me track down my package sooner. I mean, I understand that they have no money and as a result things are going down the tube, but how hard is it to ring a doorbell?
Oh my Gosh, it was YOUR computer…I would have been freaking out, too!! That is absolutely insane!!!
I hate playing one-up, but I’ll do it here. Often when I get back from dropping my daughter off at preschool the postal truck is coming around. So I’ll walk over and get the mail. The mailman saw me walking over, I was less than ten feet from the mail box when he pulled away, and I still got one of those notices. I’m convinced my package was never in the truck, that slip was already written out. He only spent about three seconds by the box.
When I lived in a second floor apartment (two and a half flights of stairs) I had a terrible time with a lazy UPS driver who didn’t want to walk the stairs. Unless I was downstairs I got a “sorry we missed you” more on our mail slot. Eventually it got so bad (he drove off with a bridesmaid dress I needed the day it was to be delivered, in the time it took me to go to the bathroom, I had been waiting outside for him) that I had to start complaining. I feel bad I got him fired (I think I only helped,a lot of my neighbors complained as well), but I was sick of having to drive out to the sorting facility to get my stuff.
OH MY GOD, you are SO RIGHT!! He totally didn’t even have your package in the truck! That is RIDICULOUS!!
I am sure it’s just apathy. they are overworked and increasingly underpaid (and afraid of dogs and dog-like kids) so they probably don’t want to vacate their super-cozy captain’s chair in their jeep.
Good point. Those Jeeps are pretty sweet! 😉
I got one of those notices on Saturday, too. The “postal annex” we have to go to pick up packages like this has the super-convenient hours of M-F 10am to 3pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Seriously?!?!
Those are the dumbest hours ever…who can possibly make those?!
OMG I’ve had this happen. It makes me feel crazy. Like wait, wasn’t I here? Is this really happening? It totally feel your frustration. And then to have to drive down the post office is just the icing on the cake!
It does make me feel insane! Like maybe I have experienced sudden deafness or something!?
{Melinda} That kind of thing is so annoying. So. annoying.
Right? So annoying.
That is NOT cool! I loved how you wrote, “You’re not sorry!!! You didn’t even come to the door!” I think you should send your post office the link to this post. 😉 I feel your indignation, sister! Our time is valuable!
Thanks! That was Lisa’s addition, and it made me laugh so hard when she sent it to me!
I normally defend the post office, I think overall they do a great job, but you’re right, this is pretty bad.
Right? I mean, this is just poor service.
Maybe the food at the Golden Corral was really bad? You should step it up a notch and upgrade to Denny’s or something this Christmas.
Anyway - where we live in Canada, there is no mail delivery. We have to go to the post office and get the mail from our box and when there is a parcel they drop a note in the box and you have to get in line to pick it up. Which is fine with me - the horses of the pony express would trample my beautiful dandelions, um lawn if they came to the door 😉
You know what, good point. Maybe Denny’s would be a better idea…they do have a killer Grand Slam breakfast! 😉
And here I thought I was the only one! Totally happened to me, too, and it was a week day! The time stamp they put on there I was totally at home, but I (unfortunately) did not see the car so cannot prove if they just wrote the wrong time or totally didn’t come to the door (and I was only not at home for the 10 - 15 minutes that it took to get my boys from school, too). I mean, I’ve had my mailman literally see me start walking to get the boys from school, pull into my driveway and hand me my mail through his window to avoid getting out of his car, so…Yah, I dunno. Either way, it ticked me off royally because they didn’t even attempt to see if I was home. We’ve even wondered if some of our Netflix DVDs have been previewed by our mail staff because they’ve arrived taped shut days after we were to recieve them, if you know what I mean. Can’t prove it, but sure does make you wonder!
They are TOTALLY watching your movies!! Taped shut is a dead giveaway! UGH.
That’s what we think! Doesn’t help that our mailman looks creepy, too. *shivers*
I know that some people have amazing mail carriers (we have had excellent service from some great people before), but ours are going downhill fast, and it seems that many other people face the same thing.
I have even been told that relief carriers won’t take our route because they know he doesn’t like to deliver packages and lets them build up if he’s going to be going on vacation! YIKES! Because of this, some days there is no mail for a few days when he’s gone. Seriously! It is not a hard and fast rule (they have a decent fill-in now who is actually pretty nice and helpful), but it still happens. Crazy!
Grr! I am totally convinced that our mail carrier doesn’t even come to our house unless he has mail for us. I know this because if I put a letter out it sometimes takes two or three days to get picked up and in those two or three days we don’t get any mail. I just take my outgoing mail to work now and post it from there.
You know, you are probably right. I bet they don’t deliver to you either. That is nuts!
Our is notorious for doing the same thing.. what makes it harder for me is our local office is now only open a few days a week for a couple of hours and I have to go those days to get it.. grrrr
So ridiculous! It is just so frustrating!
that is beyond frustrating…the post office in our town is a black hole. You can’t go in, a simple act of buying stamps takes thirty minutes…I don’t know what is wrong with those people.
Anyway, that usually happens when the usual mail person is not on duty, but seriously, that is bad either way.
Crazytown that you can’t even buy stamps in less than 30 minutes! We at least have a machine we can purchase them from.
Well I think we have all had that happen before,, and it is aggravating. Something like this just makes my blood boil, but not a lot we can do about it.
You are so right Jen…sadly, there is nothing we can do about it!
I have the best postal carrier EVER. BUT…have not always been so lucky and have had to chase down things at the post office in the past. next Christmas, maybe double up on those coupons you give her and see if that makes a difference?
Good thinking Ilene! Double coupons for sure! 😉
Why am I not at all surprised?
You could probably tell where this was going right away!
I have a nice post office and it is amazing they get a letter across the country for 47 cents (or whatever a forever stamp is worth these days). That is bad not to ring the bell at least. I think it is punishment for you reading Entertainment Weekly.
HA HA HA!! Good point! 😉
The only thing I hate more right now than the actual post office (why do they have to KEEP raising the price of stamps!?) is the delivery vehicles, when they come JUST as I laid my little one down for a nap, they have no mufflers on their trucks, and they come up to my door, ringing and knocking and I’m trying like heck to shush them before they wake him up. I swear, I’m making a sign. But one day, when he’s off to school, I’m sure they will have stopped ringing the bell and knocking, and I’ll probably get a slip just like that one, Ashley.
I wish they would just pick one stamp price and stick with it! I totally remember the days of trying to keep the doorbell from ringing with sleeping children!
Here, anything that doesn’t fit through the envelope slot thingy, we have to go pick it up. The other day we went to pick up two tiny bottles of medicine! And by tiny I mean the size of my pinkie.
Oh my Gosh, that is just ridiculous! Unbelievable that they did not deliver it!
Right on! I also am annoyed because the post office closes at 5pm. So I have to leave work extra early just to go wait in a line to get my package. So annoying!
SO ANNOYING!! They should have one evening a week where they stay late!
Oh my god I would be so pissed!! I hate when you miss the whole 3rd times the charm bullshit and have to go there and wait. One time I had to do it and they couldn’t find my wedding dress. Needless to say I flipped out, started sobbing, called B, came back and flipped out at them again and then sobbed some more. Eventually I got my wedding dress.
Also, what the fuck is it with service these days? The other day I left a waitress a less than 20% tip. And I ALWAYS leave 20% tip!! But if you forget our food, forget we ordered out food, don’t apologize and then ask if we ordered the fruit bowl three times when we never even mentioned a fruit bowl, you will not be getting 20%.
Don’t even get me started on service. I could write an ENTIRE post about poor customer service. You are SO RIGHT!!
She is lazy! We don’t ever have stuff like that happen!
You are so right!
Post office.
Several years ago I wanted to take my Dad’s ashes back to his homeland (Louisiana swamp, y’all). Long story avoided about airports security issues with ashes versus gun powder, I had to mail the urn through the post office.
AND THEY LOST HIM SOMEWHERE IN NEW ORLEANS. Jokes aside, it took calling my senator in *tears* before they managed to locate the box, clearly labeled all over the place as “cremated remains”.
Otherwise, no- there’s a reason I have a mail-order thing and my mom’s stampless mother’s day card still in the living room. The entire office couldn’t be a greater advertisement for ineptitude.
This is honestly the WORST story I have ever heard. I cannot even imagine how horrific that must have been. Thank God it worked out.
Postal workers are lazy now. There is no pride in what they do anymore. There is no pride in a lot of service jobs which is just plain sad. I try and give my customers the best service and smile when I talk to them on the phone so that they can “hear me smile” and I get gruff people. They are so jaded that they cannot realize good service. It is so sad.
They do seem to be lacking in pride in a job well done these days. It is really sad to me. Good for you for standing out from the crowd!
You give your postal carrier a holiday gift? All these years and I had no idea! At least that explains why I get lousy service. But you? Hmmm….I’m thinking your carrier is practicing for that upcoming day when the USPS cuts Saturday service entirely. Or she didn’t like your gift. 😉
I usually give something…even if it is just a little something! 😉
Totally annoying!
Thank you Jamie!
Oh that happened to me when I was on maternity leave and it fired me up! It was actually UPS and not the postal service mail carrier (we know him by name and my daughter loves him and he’ll take extra care to make sure we’re taken care of!). He would run to the door, knock, turn and run back to the truck and drive off. Here I am, upstairs trying to put myself together b/c I am upstairs with an infant and sometimes just trying to put my boob away so I wouldn’t flash him. I totally should have just run down with my boob hanging out….
Unbelievable. That is just the height of rudeness. You should have flashed him! 😉
I would have been so mad! I hate the post office…ugh! It really is horrible.
Thanks Natalie! I totally agree with you!
I’d be miffed! And who doesn’t like Golden Corral coupons?! I’d be thrilled. I LOVE Golden Corral. Their rolls! Their desserts! Yummy!
Right? It is yummy! 😉
Oh I’ve totally been there! I’ve also had untold number of items not delivered to me-including multiple paychecks-that never surface. My mail is usually delivered like clockwork at 11:30 am unless I’m expecting something in which case it will be more like 7:45 PM. And none of that compares to the holy crap that I had scared out of me the time I was sitting on my couch, which happens to be right next to the mailbox, when the mail carrier was SHOUTING into his bluetooth device at some female on the other end who was SHOUTING right back at him and I had no idea he was even out there until I heard his loud voice! I literally almost fell off the couch!
Not delivering your paycheck….that is just INSANE!! WOW…I cannot believe the shouting story…that is also INSANE!
That’s pretty bad! She must’ve been pretty sure you’d just doubt yourself that you missed hearing the bell. I bet they pull this trick a lot!
I bet you are SO RIGHT Robin!
Don’t get my started on USPS! It is the worst! At least she left you a note that you have a package. Half of my packages don’t get delivered and I’m pretty sure I know where they are going. On the up side my magazines do get delivered. After they have been read and thumbed through which is a total pet peeve of mine.
Have you sent in a note to the USPS about this? If not, please don’t. It only makes things worse. It used to be only 1/4 of my packages missing. LOL!
Seriously? Reading your magazines?! What is the world coming to!!
Those notices are the worst. And adding to it the fact that you were home is definitely adding insult to injury. I get your frustration.
Total insult to injury is right!! Annoying!
I would have been really irritated and then I would have complained at the post office. We have a really good mail lady… unless there is certified mail, she will drop off whatever won’t fit in the mailbox and put it in between the doors OR let us know at work she has something for us.
See that is super helpful! Our UPS guy is totally like that, too!
MAMA SAY WHAT???!!!! I would be furious!!!! Perhaps the mail-lady didn’t see the slip? Wait- it was filled out. How did she fill it out??? She is so SO busted!!! P.O. = PISSED OFF. Ridiculous. And btw- I totally would have waited and dragged my kids too… precious school time is sacred! LOL
That is why I love you Chris…you get that school time is sacred and therefore not meant to be spent running stupid, mindless errands! 😉
I having problems with the same institution lately. If my coffee shipment comes in a box, they ship it back!!! The mail lady will not get out of the truck to bring it to the door. If it comes in a bag which she can stuff into the mailbox, then no problem!
My inlaws are retired letter carriers, so this drives me batty!
Just ridiculous! I just cannot stand it when people do not do their jobs!!
I need in on this…..
My son had been pacing the floors for a new game that was to come in the mail, and when the time the mailman usually came by arrived we hiked out to the porch to wait and by and by he came puttering around the corner, my son was soooo excited! He stopped at our box, dumped some mail, quick like, waved and drove off! We went to the box and got the slip of laziness, stating know one was home. He waved at us!
Worst part, we went down to the post office, thinking maybe he didn’t have it in his truck and was told, he had it on the truck, and we would have to come back the next day!!
My poor kid was so disappointed and I was pissed and let them know it.
That is absolutely ridiculous! I am so sorry for your son! I cannot believe the rudeness and laziness of these mail carriers!
I feel angry this happened to you. My husband works for the post office and he tells me horror stories of how lazy some of his coworkers are. It angers him (and me too) because he works so hard to give a good image to the company, and then there’s someone like this who could care less. It’s a shame.
I have no doubt your hubby is one of the GOOD employees! Thank goodness for the ones like him!
I never even considered that this could be an actual thing, and to read so many comments about it happening to others is crazy! Crazy and completely unacceptable.
My mail carrier is great. I need to tell him that.
Definitely tell him! He sounds like a keeper!
I was waiting for this package and found out it was sitting at a post office through online tracking service.
Called them and they told me that after 3 attempts of delivery, I had to come and pick it up. They said the mailman left a notice each time which I didn’t get.
Went to the post office and pick up the package. Found one of the notice under the the ripped wrapping paper of the package. Nice try!!
Unbelievable. That is just ridiculous that they could not bother to even leave the slip. UGH.
Oh MY! I would be so mad! Lazy much???? And I am totally with you on the expectations of any kind of service these days…it is such a shame!
Isn’t it just sad? I feel like service has really gone downhill.
This has happened here too - and makes me so furious! Also because it’s always a package for my husband (who’s always at home), but I have to go to the post office to pick it up during their inconvenient hours because that’s not the kind of thing he can handle on his own
This also happened to be a package for my hubby, so I feel your pain! The worst, right?!