justinmandawg
New member
kuggy2 said:
Changing that policy would lower expenses.
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US Postmaster Recommends Cutting Mail Service to 5 Days/Wk
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Changing that policy would lower expenses.
ChasHawk
New member
They just raised rates 2 weeks ago :twisted: :twisted:
justinmandawg
New member
chashawk said:
Raise them again. When I was in sales, we had two price increases in 60 days. Sometimes it is necessary.
Therion
Well-known member
The Post Office is doing exactly what a failing business attempt when they have counterproductive executives. This is not a brilliant move, but a desperate one.
When deciding to use a business there are generally two factors: cost and service. If a company's service is mediocre but the cost is low, they will likely remain competitive. As that service becomes viewed as more and more mediocre and the cost rises (even if slightly) their ability to remain competitive dwindles when there are viable alternatives that may cost more but are viewed as more service oriented.
I realize that we all have heard or experienced UPS or FedEx horror stories, but the fact remains that they general public regards them as being far superior in service. The PO is generally perceived as having poor service. There is always too few tellers and mail carriers are often subpar. Mine failed to take the letters I was sending out today, instead he just dumped my mail on top of the outgoing mail. It doesn't help that we've all heard the stories about cracked out postal employees that can't lose their job short of killing people. The PO is not going to improve their service image any time soon.
So, the logical response would be to lower prices. Poor service can be overcome by a low cost. So what does the PO actually do? Consistently raises prices and has ensured that the legislature allows them to raise those prices every year in May. I acknowledge that the cost to ship a letter via is low but consistently raising prices in the face of poor service is going to cause your customers to use you less often.
And now they want to cut service even more. This is a stupid move.
If UPS or FedEx decides to start a letter service in addition to the services they already offer, I'd put money on the table that the USPS goes under or the government steps in with a bailout/legislation preventing another company to have letter service.
When deciding to use a business there are generally two factors: cost and service. If a company's service is mediocre but the cost is low, they will likely remain competitive. As that service becomes viewed as more and more mediocre and the cost rises (even if slightly) their ability to remain competitive dwindles when there are viable alternatives that may cost more but are viewed as more service oriented.
I realize that we all have heard or experienced UPS or FedEx horror stories, but the fact remains that they general public regards them as being far superior in service. The PO is generally perceived as having poor service. There is always too few tellers and mail carriers are often subpar. Mine failed to take the letters I was sending out today, instead he just dumped my mail on top of the outgoing mail. It doesn't help that we've all heard the stories about cracked out postal employees that can't lose their job short of killing people. The PO is not going to improve their service image any time soon.
So, the logical response would be to lower prices. Poor service can be overcome by a low cost. So what does the PO actually do? Consistently raises prices and has ensured that the legislature allows them to raise those prices every year in May. I acknowledge that the cost to ship a letter via is low but consistently raising prices in the face of poor service is going to cause your customers to use you less often.
And now they want to cut service even more. This is a stupid move.
If UPS or FedEx decides to start a letter service in addition to the services they already offer, I'd put money on the table that the USPS goes under or the government steps in with a bailout/legislation preventing another company to have letter service.
pujolsthomefan33
Active member
I just read and saw the article on yahoo and I have 2 questions....
1) How the hell can the USPS be 2.8 Billion dollars in debt????---wouldnt you think they would at least charge enough for postage to cover all their costs??? I mean what happened here??
2) I really dont see how axing one day of mail is going to make things any better--2.8 billion is a big number....how is 1 day of mail loss a week really going to put that big of a dent in it???
Also, the article mentioned that Saturday was not a set day to not deliver mail. It was going to be more like a Tuesday when the mail is the lightest. It just boggles my mind how many of these companies just run themselves into the ground (Post office no exception obviously) and slash prices to a bare minimum to try and get all the business, especially to corporate accts, and then find themselves completely at collapse because they are so far in debt........
TK
1) How the hell can the USPS be 2.8 Billion dollars in debt????---wouldnt you think they would at least charge enough for postage to cover all their costs??? I mean what happened here??
2) I really dont see how axing one day of mail is going to make things any better--2.8 billion is a big number....how is 1 day of mail loss a week really going to put that big of a dent in it???
Also, the article mentioned that Saturday was not a set day to not deliver mail. It was going to be more like a Tuesday when the mail is the lightest. It just boggles my mind how many of these companies just run themselves into the ground (Post office no exception obviously) and slash prices to a bare minimum to try and get all the business, especially to corporate accts, and then find themselves completely at collapse because they are so far in debt........
TK
200lbhockeyplayer
Active member
- Aug 10, 2008
- 11,049
- 2
The entire business model of the Post Office is based on volume. Obviously if you get 20 letters a day, they are making more money on your mail than you neighbor who only gets 3 pieces of mail.
And without stating the obvious...volume has dropped tremendously.
Consider the following:
- email (almost killing the postcard)
- evite (invite everybody for free...through email, and it's traceable)
- environmental awareness (IE: not printing as much or as often)
- economy (for years companies have cut back on their mailings/catalogs)
- media (magazines are dropping like flies)
Everything above has chiseled away at the volume...and it adds up.
In this modern era, the business model just doesn't work at the prices they are charging.
And without stating the obvious...volume has dropped tremendously.
Consider the following:
- email (almost killing the postcard)
- evite (invite everybody for free...through email, and it's traceable)
- environmental awareness (IE: not printing as much or as often)
- economy (for years companies have cut back on their mailings/catalogs)
- media (magazines are dropping like flies)
Everything above has chiseled away at the volume...and it adds up.
In this modern era, the business model just doesn't work at the prices they are charging.
MattinglyAlexander
New member
Ut Oh.... longer waits coming for our "maildays"???
"WASHINGTON - Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday"
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top? ... -606066373
"WASHINGTON - Massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery, the postmaster general told Congress on Wednesday"
http://enews.earthlink.net/article/top? ... -606066373
MattinglyAlexander
New member
Re: Ut Oh.... longer waits coming for our "maildays"???
No freeking way.... I'm not even going to look at that damn link! :lol:
I see the problem though.... I guess I thought I had some sort of future news ....
From Associated Press
January 28, 2009 6:49 PM EST
It's 6:30PM Eastern Right now. Pretty sure today is January 28th though.
Evidently, the AP is going to post this 20 minutes from now, lol.
moxacaine said:http://www.freedomcardboard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=27206
No freeking way.... I'm not even going to look at that damn link! :lol:
I see the problem though.... I guess I thought I had some sort of future news ....
From Associated Press
January 28, 2009 6:49 PM EST
It's 6:30PM Eastern Right now. Pretty sure today is January 28th though.
Evidently, the AP is going to post this 20 minutes from now, lol.
IndyManning18
Active member
MattinglyAlexander
New member
Re: No more Saturday maildays???
I like the headline on that one.
IndyMann said:
I like the headline on that one.
tramers
Well-known member
raise price on JUNK mail !!! i get a box load a week. no open post offices on saturday will hurt alot of us . my local is packed on saturday .
mlbsalltimegreats
New member
- Aug 7, 2008
- 6,772
- 3
What 200lbhockeyplayer and other has said makes sense but they keep uping prices and they are in debt?????? Where the F does the extra money go?? They keep raising it a penny here a penny there, which adds up but man just up it 5 cents and move on. Whether it's needed or not this whole thing is ridiculous.
flightposite
Active member
- Aug 7, 2008
- 2,999
- 0
They are only open a few hours on the weekend anyway, not a big loss and i'm sure it's a nice savings.
justinmandawg
New member
In 07 the usps lost 5 billion. Wouldn't 2008 be seen as a success if they have closed a gap by over 40%? Why is it now that they need to discontinue mail service on Saturday if they lost less in 08 than 07? Where was this in 07 or early 08?
muchuckwagon
New member
One problem has to be delivery to rural areas...it can't be cost effective. Second, the mail comes three hours earlier on Saturday....my guess, the driver has the same route and starts at the same time....hum?!?!?!
Third, a post office should be run like a McDonalds. A simple and straight forward offering of services, a cookie cutter approach to setting up each office, a staffing model that matches peak hours, flexibility to open additional registers during a spike in customers and a trained staff. It never fails, every time I am at the post office, two workers are debating some application of a postal regulation.
Times have changed and the role of the mail carrier has changed. The same is true with banker tellers. At one time a bank teller was trained, knowledgeable and better compensated. Today, their role has changed and as a result their compensation lowered.....perhaps the same should be true for postal carriers.
Third, a post office should be run like a McDonalds. A simple and straight forward offering of services, a cookie cutter approach to setting up each office, a staffing model that matches peak hours, flexibility to open additional registers during a spike in customers and a trained staff. It never fails, every time I am at the post office, two workers are debating some application of a postal regulation.
Times have changed and the role of the mail carrier has changed. The same is true with banker tellers. At one time a bank teller was trained, knowledgeable and better compensated. Today, their role has changed and as a result their compensation lowered.....perhaps the same should be true for postal carriers.
f2tornado
New member
Looks like we need some union busting...
Postal officials used the hearing to emphasize the difficulty of USPS’ position. The service faces a decline in first-class mail volume and an increase in addresses — it is delivering less mail to more people.
“This is not a formula for long-term success,” Potter said.
Meanwhile the reforms prevent the Postal Service from controlling its prices or costs, 80 percent of which are labor-related. The law caps postal prices. And binding arbitration means USPS lacks the final say over pay and benefits.
“There are compelling calls for lean networks for mail processing and delivery to keep postage as inexpensive as possible,” testified USPS Inspector General David Williams. “Conversely stakeholders also exert pressure for legislation to maintain a large public work force and unneeded facilities. The challenge … is to find ways to navigate through this very difficult environment and contradicting imperatives.”
Potter described his approach as a compromise, neither continuing old practices nor outsourcing everything possible. He repeated vows the USPS will not contract out existing jobs, and cited a July 12 agreement with the National Association of Letter Carriers, in which the Postal Service agreed not to outsource delivery routes in major cities.
Some union representative and lawmakers expressed support for a “sense of the House” resolution, sponsored by Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., barring outsourcing of most functions.
http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2941945
Postal officials used the hearing to emphasize the difficulty of USPS’ position. The service faces a decline in first-class mail volume and an increase in addresses — it is delivering less mail to more people.
“This is not a formula for long-term success,” Potter said.
Meanwhile the reforms prevent the Postal Service from controlling its prices or costs, 80 percent of which are labor-related. The law caps postal prices. And binding arbitration means USPS lacks the final say over pay and benefits.
“There are compelling calls for lean networks for mail processing and delivery to keep postage as inexpensive as possible,” testified USPS Inspector General David Williams. “Conversely stakeholders also exert pressure for legislation to maintain a large public work force and unneeded facilities. The challenge … is to find ways to navigate through this very difficult environment and contradicting imperatives.”
Potter described his approach as a compromise, neither continuing old practices nor outsourcing everything possible. He repeated vows the USPS will not contract out existing jobs, and cited a July 12 agreement with the National Association of Letter Carriers, in which the Postal Service agreed not to outsource delivery routes in major cities.
Some union representative and lawmakers expressed support for a “sense of the House” resolution, sponsored by Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., barring outsourcing of most functions.
http://www.federaltimes.com/index.php?S=2941945
kruzie3
New member
Idk if this has been posted yet, but when does this 5 day thing start?
markakis8
Active member
- Oct 31, 2008
- 12,081
- 2
that's not the problem they are running into and why they want to shutdown on saturdays. it's the delivery people who work 8-10 hours a day and they pay over $20/hr to deliver mail.
i worked as a sub for two years strictly on saturdays and would fill in for sick/vacation; I got $160 per day PLUS they paid me .49 per mile for my route for gas. My post office is the smallest one in my area and we had 5 routes. 5 x $160 plus the gas money = about $1000 just for one tiny post office in one day. They are paying that much b/c they were having trouble hiring part-time drivers just to work one day a week.
This also doesn't include the guys that load/drive the trucks to and from post offices dropping off/picking up mail. There is so much expense going into a Saturday.
Mondays were already a pain in the butt for the regulars, I can't imagine what a monday would be like without Saturday delivery.
i worked as a sub for two years strictly on saturdays and would fill in for sick/vacation; I got $160 per day PLUS they paid me .49 per mile for my route for gas. My post office is the smallest one in my area and we had 5 routes. 5 x $160 plus the gas money = about $1000 just for one tiny post office in one day. They are paying that much b/c they were having trouble hiring part-time drivers just to work one day a week.
This also doesn't include the guys that load/drive the trucks to and from post offices dropping off/picking up mail. There is so much expense going into a Saturday.
Mondays were already a pain in the butt for the regulars, I can't imagine what a monday would be like without Saturday delivery.
flightposite said:
