USPS — a case study in government incompetence

Darknut · #1 03-28-2013, 12:54 PM

I traded Pedals with fellow TB'er JCooper & the USPS has miss routed the package coming to me twice now due to no fault on JCooper part .... I'm left to conclude that its mind-numbing incompetence on the part of the USPS..... AMAZING.

audioglenn · #2 03-28-2013, 01:01 PM

I hear you...just last week I sent a USPS money order via Priority Mail to purchase a P bass pickup from a fellow TBer and it took six days for it to be delivered. Priority Mail is supposed to be two to three days tops! What happened?

boomertech · #3 03-28-2013, 01:13 PM

Of the hundreds and hundreds of USPS shipments I have made, only one has taken a few laps around the country. I think two priority shipments were a day longer than they were suppose to be. So far, they have a really good track record with me.

-Frank

gttim · #4 03-28-2013, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darknut

I traded Pedals with fellow TB'er JCooper & the USPS has miss routed the package coming to me twice now dew to no fault on JCooper part .... I'm left to conclude that its mind-numbing incompetence on the part of the USPS..... AMAZING.

Your experience is n=1, and suddenly it is mind-numbing incompetence?

Since you misspelled "dew", does that one incidence of poor spelling mean "mind-numbing incompetence" in your spelling ability?

franksgbass · #5 03-28-2013, 01:21 PM

It's mostly recently. For a while I was using them to ship pedals and even a few heads and bass guitars.I had no problems. However the last few months they have been really dropping the ball. I sent a bass from Philly to S.Cali and it wound up taking two and a half weeks because of mistakes on their part. I hate UPS because of some really bad experiences. But at least they have some customer service. USPS basically told me there is nothing I could do within the first thirty days except hope it gets there. Bottom line, insure whatever you send if it has to be with USPS.

franksgbass · #6 03-28-2013, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gttim

Your experience is n=1, and suddenly it is mind-numbing incompetence?

Since you misspelled "dew", does that one incidence of poor spelling mean "mind-numbing incompetence" in your spelling ability?

Hey, spell check guy,what is n=1 ? And what does a mis-spelled word have to do with the incompetence of a service that we pay for?
Is it not Ok for someone to voice their opinion? Especially if it could help others decide which method to use to ship things. So what if it happens once or ten times. If you pay for a service, its nice to know that you get what you pay for. Don't you think so?

fisticuffs · #7 03-28-2013, 01:34 PM

Quote:

If you pay for a service, its nice to know that you get what you pay for. Don't you think so?

Is that why you decided to pay for the least expensive service on the planet?

Darknut · #8 03-28-2013, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gttim

Your experience is n=1, and suddenly it is mind-numbing incompetence?

Since you misspelled "dew", does that one incidence of poor spelling mean "mind-numbing incompetence" in your spelling ability?

I have had lots of bad experiences with the USPS.
I will never use the USPS for anything big or expensive.

At least this was not something I "had" to have to play a gig .... I just don't see how do you miss route twice

I am mind-numbing incompetent when it comes to spelling

EDIT: What spelling error?

richntiff · #9 03-28-2013, 01:43 PM

I'm glad you have such a solid handle on the insane logistics that the USPS deals with that you understand how and why issues happen on occasion. Clearly one bad experience is enough of a sample size to formulate an opinion and populate the internet with it. Thanks for that.

FWIW - I've had MUCH worse luck with UPS (chuck the package and RUN) than with USPS. FedEX is good, but you pay for it.

Darknut · #10 03-28-2013, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fisticuffs

Is that why you decided to pay for the least expensive service on the planet?

Cost is irrelevant .... I've had expensive (non USPS) overnight packages not make it on time as well.

AmpedSilence · #11 03-28-2013, 01:52 PM

I've had that happen to me twice but I have used USPS more than twice. Its been a pretty good service to me so far.

FedEx on the other hand.....

Jhengsman · #12 03-28-2013, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by franksgbass

It's mostly recently. For a while I was using them to ship pedals and even a few heads and bass guitars.I had no problems. However the last few months they have been really dropping the ball. .

You have heard about the Postmaster General treat to end Saturday delivery of letters? Along with that has been an arbitrators decision to add a lower paid tier of new carriers.Anyway delivery staff is being shifted and the potential new employees have not lined up to fill in the holes. Many that are have gotten bounced in pre employment screening.

However that only accounts for the last mile where the institutional experieence of the carrier on the route has been disrupted and many have been mandated to work 12 hours a day, half of it on unfamilier territory.

Epitaph04 · #13 03-28-2013, 01:58 PM

I've had my own share of troubles with the USPS. I know I'm not the only one. Their tracking is non existent. Once I sent a Stingray to a TBer and it was "lost" for about a week until it somehow found its way to the TBer. I like using their flat rate shipping for smaller packages but anything bigger is an absolute no. They tend to charge me the most of any carrier I've used (next to UPS anyway) unless I want to use Parcel Post, which is no.

Don't even get me started on the actual service they've given me...

MysticMichael · #14 03-28-2013, 02:10 PM

What is a rant thread about the USPS doing in the "Effects" forum - instead of in "Miscellaneous" or "Off Topic" where it belongs - merely because the items that were shipped just happen to have been effects pedals?

Seems to me that there's more than enough incompetence to go around...

MM

Epitaph04 · #15 03-28-2013, 02:12 PM

So post something in the wrong forum...suddenly you're an idiot? Sheesh. Parts of this forum need to get laid or something.

kreider204 · #16 03-28-2013, 02:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epitaph04

Sheesh. Parts of this forum need to get laid or something.

Oh, I am so sigging that ...

Darknut · #17 03-28-2013, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MysticMichael

What is a rant thread about the USPS doing in the "Effects" forum - instead of in "Miscellaneous" or "Off Topic" where it belongs - merely because the items that were shipped just happen to have been effects pedals?

Seems to me that there's more than enough incompetence to go around...

MM

All aspects of pedal usage/addiction/gas, & shipping woes gets talked about in this forum ...

Lighten up Francis

MysticMichael · #18 03-28-2013, 02:19 PM

FYI, the USPS is under tremendous political pressure - and as a result, tremendous financial pressure - about which the OP probably has not a clue. Given the crap they have to put up with on a continual basis, count me sympathetic to their situation. Relative to the service they provide, they're still one of the best deals in existence.

Without getting into factual detail that would have some accusing me of having politicized this thread, let's just say that, thanks to the ulterior agenda of some who serve in Congress, the United States is the only developed Western democracy in the world that seems intent upon starving its own postal service into oblivion.

MM

Epitaph04 · #19 03-28-2013, 02:25 PM

Well then at the very least their employees could try *not* treating me like I'm an idiot every time I try shipping through them. Not saying they're *all* like that, but the vast majority of them make me not want to ever use USPS again.

Jhengsman · #20 03-28-2013, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epitaph04

Well then at the very least their employees could try *not* treating me like I'm an idiot every time I try shipping through them. Not saying they're *all* like that, but the vast majority of them make me not want to ever use USPS again.

It is a matter of them getting paid the same no matter what. To pick up a package is extra work and a possible fight with their superviser for being late as a result. As the service shifts from an advertisement delivery service to a parcel delivery service the prevailing attitude will change.