From PostalReporter Reader:
What follows is a set of links to articles where the Postmaster of Pittsburgh tries to explain the long lines. In the highlighted portion is how the newspaper describes the PM explanation .
Lance: To the United States Postal Service. The scene: the North Side office across from Allegheny Center. The day: Monday. The time: the noon lunch hour. One postal clerk is on window duty to serve a long line of customers, stretching to the door separating mail boxes from the “service” windows. As is per usual. One of the busiest times of the day. Anyone really doubt why the “post office” is in such deep trouble?
In response to the recent “Laurels & Lances” (April 16 and TribLIVE.com) salvo aimed at the U.S. Postal Service, let me clarify for Trib readers that a single snapshot of one day at one of our many locations does not present an accurate picture of our regular service. There are peak times for any business, be it a bank, car garage or coffee shop.
The Postal Service has established hundreds of alternate-access locations where customers shop to serve their postal needs, in addition to a complete array of mailing services available online. We provide numerous services on usps.com, and many grocery stores, drugstores, banking ATMs and greeting-card stores sell postage stamps. We have positioned our Automated Postal Centers — self-service kiosks that allow customers to do more than 85 percent of counter transactions — in 15 offices around Pittsburgh and those kiosks are accessible 24 hours a day.
We know our customers’ time is valuable and we have gone to great lengths to reduce wait time in line and provide alternate locations. It is my goal to provide the most expedient window service to our valued patrons at each of the branch locations of the Pittsburgh Post Office.
Rocco D’Angelo
The writer is Pittsburgh postmaster.
My station manager actually told me that the goal was to let the line get long so that the customers would use the APC (kiosk). I don’t understand why we are assuming that our customers don’t need the clerk’s expertise or personal attention. Many ppl don’t like to or don’t know how to use machines to conduct business. Many don’t trust them and several that do use them, don’t do it correctly, which is costing the PO lots of money daily in short-paid postage. But hey, I guess that is the goal also, right? SAD, SAD, SAD! Wake up Washington people. How about coming out to the field and seeing what is really going on. Come out and talk to the professional window clerks and their customers. Stop making stupid-assed decisions from the desks in the ivory towers. While you are at it, talk to the CEO and CFO of Chick-fil-a. They have the most professional and cheerful retail staff and they are ALWAYS busy. And guess what? They aren’t the cheapest in town either, but ppl will pay for GOOD SERVICE!!!!!!
Why won’t congress call for some workers in the processing facilities and the retail centers testify instead of only management and head of unions. I will. My name is alan morgan I am not afraid to stand up for our jobs
Not sure what time or which c span channel but it will be interesting to watch PMG POTTER LIE again or be questioned for his lies he told @ the last hearing.. too bad we can’t watch them fire him!
If you keep hiring so damn many MANAGERS, just who in the F–K are they supposed to supervise? You don’t have very many CRAFT EMPLOYEES LEFT! Surely you don’t think their gonna work the mail, hell they don’t even touch the mail, Well maybe if they drop off a letter in a BLUE BOX ON THE CORNER… Oh Shit I forgot there isn’t anymore left, because YOU HAD THEM ALL TAKEN OUT!!! because of your BULLSHIT BUDGET CUTS IN SERVICE!!! WOW HOW DID YOU GET THAT JOB? YOU ARE CLUELESS!! AND SHOULD BE FIRED!!!!!! it looks like you are trying to sabotage to USPS, even the blind people can see it, why can’t the BOARD OF GOVERNORS? WE WILL NEVER GO PRIVATE! SO WHO EVER IS PUTTING YOU UP TO THIS, IT’S NEVER NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!!!! SO DO US ALL A FAVOR AND RESIGN. so you can just go ahead and work for ups that’s where you wants to go! don’t let the door hit you on the way out!! BYE
The waiting in line for a long time is a system wide issue. It is only a problem if managment tried to do something about it. They want customers to wait so they will go elsewhere. Looking out at the people in line from the back area is like seeing a line of people waiting to go into a funeral. Pretty sad. Any city carrier or clerk knows, it is our fault we are loosing money, not managments stupid decesions.VERY SAD.
…and Pat “The Hoe” Donohue at headquarters in Washington, DC says the average wait time at any post office is three minutes.
I think I can sum up the USPS in two words: Service sucks!
I agree with every word “You Should be Fired” said. This poor excuse for a Postmaster needs to ‘go somewhere else to work’ if he tells his customers to go somewhere else to do their mailing. Where in the world do all of these stupid management people come from. Is common sense extinct????
Hey Jack Potter, is this just another part of the master plan. Are we allowed as Postmasters to be driving away customers? Is this how you would justify changing from a six day service to a five day service.
The Pittsburgh Postmaster forgot that Fed EX, UPS are other alternative places to go. Yes, That is what the Postmaster General wants. Do not come to the Post Office go somewhere else. Potter has to be the first CEO that its only purpose is to drive customers away and to destroy the PO. He made 850,000.00 last year. Why is the PM General destroying the PO. Does he have a job lined up with UPS or Fed Ex after he gets done with the PO?
Why are you telling people to go everywhere but the PO to do their mailings.You are a real asshole!!!
Postal management, PMG. John Potter is cutting craft jobs and hiring new vice presidents. Even the Postmasters and supervisors are complaining. While the craft get a 1% or 1 ½ % increase management can receive a 10% increase. Some of the top managers get $85,000 bonuses. Mr. Potter has a great retirement package. His salary is caped so any thing over that goes into his pension. I keep reading the ratio of managers to craft is one to six. Maybe congress should look into that.
How dare you try to tell them to go somewhere else, or on line! NO WONDER THEY BAD MOUTH US!! Isn’t our GOAL TO GET/KEEP BUSINESS? Why don’t you ADD another WINDOW CLERK? IT’S IDIOTS like YOU that make the USPS look BAD! budget cuts on SERVICE PMG POTTER, COME ON WAKE UP!! how do we provide A SERVICE when you take it AWAY? (PRC) Chairman Ruth Y Goldway Please Listen and take a look @ what PMG POTTER IS DOING TO THE USPS he make us all look like a FOOL….. POSTMASTER GENERAL POTTER, The Board of Governors really needs to FIRE YOU! ASAP before you completely DESTROY the USPS! and take this IDIOT Postmaster from PITTSBURGH with YOU! Where in the hell do they get their TRAINING? It’s not working the whole TRAINING SYSTEM the USPS has in place across the Country Sucks! You don’t know how to treat EMPLOYEES (PEOPLE SKILLS) Who ever set this up should also be FIRED! Did you know you get more bees with honey? You don’t need to be such ASSHOLES!!
Instead of making excuses the USPS needs to do something about the problems. This is a typical reaction frrom the PO. It’s time to start replacing those like this PM.
As an American having lived most of my life here but also several years in EUROPE I have often noticed better service in many fields there as opposed to here. We all recognize the need to save money and the crunch is getting worse especially with distances, delays, the cost of gas and this society depending on technology and machines as one is constantly being dictated to by corporations however- I’ve noticed time and time again Europe is alot about relationships and the necessity to be successful in business dictates personal service and leaving the customer with a good experience.
The Post Office as well as other businesses need to realize people want to do there shopping often locally and not have to travel distances and deal with machines and excuses. There are really no more excuses if you want to stay in business and want a job. Because Europe is small, people study at an earlier age. might often know 2-4 languages and be more focused and grounded. The U.S. is too often about the fast buck and who cares if you come back. Time to wake up. America is no longer the boss. Empty rhetoric and nothing behind it as well as being a debtor nation doesnot create an image of a leader.The foreigners built up this country including the atomic bomb, Space program, alot of bridges in the East and on and on. A postmaster should be sensitive to peaktime and increase staff if needed. These days almost everything is being logged,stored, recorded, photographed etc. Is anyone listening?
Wouldn’t a peak time for the business warrant scheduling another clerk during this time rather than tell customers where else they can go to conduct business?
hey mr postmaster.. great lengths????? your kidding right? i am a long time window clerk. we also have long lines while qualified window clerks sit on standby… you have any clerks on standby????? Or maybe you just abolished jobs already. or maybe someone retired and you never filled that position??
is your staffing at the windows any different now than it was lets say 10 years ago? or 5 years ago?? be honest.. these things can be checked on.
dont deceive the public. dont lie to them. dont lie by omission.
be an adult first. then a postmaster.
dont be a company man first, a supvisor second, and an adult last..