Well, as you know, the Postal Service is currently in the process of going belly up due to stupidity, mismanagement, and a general lack of good sense.Recently, as many of you may know, we bought a new house. The postal service in their attempts to avoid insolvency, are implementing a new policy to try to increase efficiency.
Before we moved into the new house, I was over there working to get it ready when the mailman stopped by to deliver the electric bill. I was out front when he arrived and met him half-way to the curb to take the mail from him to save him the walk all the way up to the porch where the mailbox is, and said hello. He asked if we'd bought a new house to which I replied that we had. He congratulated me and went on about his business.
Two days later I recive a letter informing me that the postal carrier has informed the postal supervisor that we've purchased a new home and as a result, the postal service will no longer deliver my mail until such time as I install a curbside mailbox. Additionally they will hold my mail at the post office for up to 10 days before they begin returning it. (At a cost to them I might add.)
I went up to the post office to speak with their post office supervisor in hopes of determining the cause for this. When I asked, she was immediately on the defensive and informed me that they had instituted a new policy that whenever anybody moves into a new house that they will require them to install the curbside mailbox to increase efficiency for them. I told her that I didn't see how it was my responsibility to make it easier for them to do their job when EVERY other house in my neighborhood had their mail delivered to boxes on the house. She said "Well you're getting your mail delivered for free" Of course all my neighbors also get their mail delivered for free as well without having to go to trouble and expense to put out curbside boxes.
I further inquired as to whether there was a way to appeal it and the Bytch snorted and said " I told you we're doing this over the entire city." Essentially she was making a big deal obout a 30-40 year plan to make it so their overpaid carriers won't have to exit their ass wagons. She was rude, and generally indifferent to the issue and I was so mad after I left that I literally shook for half an hour.
Since then I have had all my statements switched to electronic delivery via email, and haven't sent anything via USPS...and I won't. Everything else gets delivered to the porch on the other house, and in their attempt to "Increase efficiency" and be more profitable, they've screwed themselves out of not only my business, but also the revenue they recieve from the utility companies, etc. who send me statements.
I might have been able to swallow it if they had been the slightest bit apologetic/understanding but rude behavior is unacceptable... there is a reason they're a failing business. It also doesn't make sense to single out individuals one at a time. I've spent many thousands of dollars, and several hundreds of hours in the last few months in buying and fixing up a house and don't appreciate the P.O. asking me to expend even more. If they were really concerned about this they would request the change on a subdivision by subdivision basis over a few years, rather than on a case by case basis over the course of several decades.
I feel sure though that they didn't go that route because they didn't want an angry mob. It's easier to ignore one angry person rather than a multitude...