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I Think I Got Our Postmaster Fired

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  • I Think I Got Our Postmaster Fired

    We were building a new home in a brand new subdivision. I was the first homebuilder, so a lot of the services, I was the first to arrange.
    I could tell a LONG story about getting AT&T's fiber network to my house. (They kept denying we had fiber, when I personally know the engineer who oversaw the installation)

    The developer of the neighborhood (it was formerly a large cow pasture) had roads put in, and one of those "standing community mailbox" things for the neighborhood.
    One location with everybody's mailbox, so the letter carrier makes one stop.

    I was needing to establish mail service, so I stopped by the post office to get my assigned key, but was told they were still 'working on it'.
    I thought that strange, because the developer had installed the mailbox unit, and turned all keys over to the post office, as he was asked to do.

    Long story short, after about 5 attempts to get my key, with a different excuse every time, I was getting a bit impatient.
    There's an African-American lady there who is ALWAYS kind and gracious, and I always try to be sure to get her as my point of contact at the PO.

    So, about the 6th time, I waited patiently until she was available (I let some folks behind me go first) and asked her, "do you know why I can't get my key"?
    She put a "tortured face", and darted her eyes toward the back office, and said, "my boss is mad that you keep coming and asking, and said you'll get your key when you get your key".
    I was stunned.

    I asked to see the postmaster, an angry little fat Hispanic dude, and he came out of his office.
    Before I could even say anything, he yelled (there were employees and customers in the lobby) "I said I'm working on it, and you'll get your key when I'm ready".

    Again, I was stunned, and replied, (admittedly in a not so friendly voice) "so much for customer service", and was going to walk out in a huff.

    As I was walking to the door, he YELLED (in front of God and everybody) "Well YOU'RE A BAD CUSTOMER!!!"
    I stopped dead in my tracks, and turned around and asked, "what did you just say?"
    He repeated it, and I held my temper, and asked rather loudly but distinctly, "Because I am trying to get YOU to do YOUR JOB?"
    And I left.

    I was still hot about that a few days later, when I decided to see what my options were.
    Next time I stopped into that PO, Grace, my African-American friend, handed me my receipt for the package I sent, but as I was going to the car, I noticed there was a business card with the receipt.
    It was to somebody with the USPS Inspector General's Office.
    I took that as a hint, and found out how to file a complaint.
    Amazingly, just a few days later, I got a call from the Inspector General's office, very politely asking for more details, and the names of anybody else who may have been in the PO that day.
    I knew several of the clerks (?) by name, and I also knew two locals (customers) who were there that day, as well.

    Over the next couple weeks, I got some more phone calls from the Inspector General's office, asking for more details, or asking me to confirm elements of my story.

    About six months later, I read in the paper that the former Postmaster had retired, and introducing the new guy.
    When I stopped in at the PO the next time, I did my usual thing of waiting for Grace to be available to handle my business.
    I leaned over and whispered, "I see Mr HotShot isn't here anymore", and she smiled real big and said, "THANK YOU, thank you, thank you".
    I responded "thank ME?" And she said, "he really needed to go".

    Moral of the story --- sometimes it's worth it to make that formal complaint, and sometimes it actually does pay off!

    (I found out later that they "allowed him to take early retirement", but, still -- he's gone)
    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

  • #2
    That's awesome.
    Now if only I can get my letter carrier replaced with someone who puts people's mail in their own boxes instead of randomising.
    Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
      That's awesome.
      Now if only I can get my letter carrier replaced with someone who puts people's mail in their own boxes instead of randomising.
      That's next.

      The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
        That's awesome.
        Now if only I can get my letter carrier replaced with someone who puts people's mail in their own boxes instead of randomising.
        This. I constantly get mail for the house next door and have to take it down to them.

        I don't know if it is the problem of the mailman or whoever sorts it at the PO.

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Sparko View Post
          This. I constantly get mail for the house next door and have to take it down to them.

          I don't know if it is the problem of the mailman or whoever sorts it at the PO.
          We regularly have mail delivered to us by mistake. Every time it happens, I call the PO, and then I use a clothespin to pin the mis-delivered mail to the mailbox so the carrier can take it next day. We still have mail delivered to the house, so that makes it easier.

          Usually ours is delivered incorrectly due to a temporary replacement carrier if the regular one is on holiday or something.


          Securely anchored to the Rock amid every storm of trial, testing or tribulation.

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          • #6
            I don't think my route even has a regular carrier.
            "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
              That's awesome.
              Now if only I can get my letter carrier replaced with someone who puts people's mail in their own boxes instead of randomising.
              Oh wow. They are now supposed to put the mail in the right mailbox?

              They seem to do that well where I live. I have to note that something could be missing that I'm not aware of.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by mikewhitney View Post
                Oh wow. They are now supposed to put the mail in the right mailbox?

                They seem to do that well where I live. I have to note that something could be missing that I'm not aware of.
                I get an email from USPS every morning at 8am, if I have mail coming that day or if there's a tracking number for a package still on its way. The email contains an image of each item, straight from their OCR camera, that is supposed to be delivered to me that day. Sparko mentioned the service in another thread some time back and I signed up for it right away. I want to know when important mail is coming so I can report it missing right away when it doesn't show up. "When", not "if". And if the only thing in my mailbox is junk, I don't bother walking to the mailbox.
                https://informeddelivery.usps.com/bo...o/start.action
                Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                  I don't think my route even has a regular carrier.
                  My route's carrier is anything but 'regular'.

                  AND, she finally got a different vehicle so she no longer drips motor oil in my driveway!
                  The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
                    I get an email from USPS every morning at 8am, if I have mail coming that day or if there's a tracking number for a package still on its way. The email contains an image of each item, straight from their OCR camera, that is supposed to be delivered to me that day. Sparko mentioned the service in another thread some time back and I signed up for it right away. I want to know when important mail is coming so I can report it missing right away when it doesn't show up. "When", not "if". And if the only thing in my mailbox is junk, I don't bother walking to the mailbox.
                    https://informeddelivery.usps.com/bo...o/start.action
                    Actually, I think that was me.
                    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Mail service in my neighborhood for the past 5-years has been very reliable. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of what I receive these days is junk mail, so I actually wouldn't mind if they did start losing or misplacing some of it.
                      Some may call me foolish, and some may call me odd
                      But I'd rather be a fool in the eyes of man
                      Than a fool in the eyes of God


                      From "Fools Gold" by Petra

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
                        I get an email from USPS every morning at 8am, if I have mail coming that day or if there's a tracking number for a package still on its way. The email contains an image of each item, straight from their OCR camera, that is supposed to be delivered to me that day. Sparko mentioned the service in another thread some time back and I signed up for it right away. I want to know when important mail is coming so I can report it missing right away when it doesn't show up. "When", not "if". And if the only thing in my mailbox is junk, I don't bother walking to the mailbox.
                        https://informeddelivery.usps.com/bo...o/start.action
                        I have the same. It's helpful to know when a bill is arriving. It was also helpful when two bills were suppose to arrive and didn't. I reported it using the link but haven't had a response.

                        I am finding that Saturday is the popular day for missing mail.
                        "For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

                        "Theology can be an intellectual entertainment." Metropolitan Anthony Bloom

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          The most likely day for mail to go undelivered is the day after a holiday, especially if like most postal holidays, that holiday is on a Monday. Those days are nightmares from a delivery perspective because they're catching up on three days' worth of mail. It's not uncommon for some mail to be held back on those days, usually junk mail or non first class packages.

                          In my experience, they would make an effort to make sure that medicine was always delivered on time even in these circumstances.
                          "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by KingsGambit View Post
                            The most likely day for mail to go undelivered is the day after a holiday, especially if like most postal holidays, that holiday is on a Monday. Those days are nightmares from a delivery perspective because they're catching up on three days' worth of mail. It's not uncommon for some mail to be held back on those days, usually junk mail or non first class packages.

                            In my experience, they would make an effort to make sure that medicine was always delivered on time even in these circumstances.
                            I wish there were a form that a customer could sign that says "you hereby have my permission to discard all non-first class mail without delivering it".
                            The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Cow Poke View Post
                              I wish there were a form that a customer could sign that says "you hereby have my permission to discard all non-first class mail without delivering it".
                              Junk mail is so much of their revenue. They wouldn't be able to charge nearly as much for ad coverages if they could be opted out of.
                              "I am not angered that the Moral Majority boys campaign against abortion. I am angry when the same men who say, "Save OUR children" bellow "Build more and bigger bombers." That's right! Blast the children in other nations into eternity, or limbless misery as they lay crippled from "OUR" bombers! This does not jell." - Leonard Ravenhill

                              Comment

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