Editor, The Spotlight;
What’s up with the Post Office? Has anyone else had the following experience?
You go in for a stamp or to have an envelope weighed, maybe you want to mail a package. You get to the window. Almost before you can open your mouth, the postal worker starts an extended sales pitch.
It goes like this, “Do you need a book of stamps, do you want to register that letter, overnight that package, get a signature guarantee, rent a post office box, add special handling, 2 day delivery, priority mail” … etc. etc ?
And the litany goes on. No matter if you’re in a hurry and you just want what you came in for, you have to listen to the whole sales spiel.
The other day, an elderly lady in front of me in line, who only wanted to send a small package to the midwest, was intimidated by the postal clerk into changing her $6 dollar parcel post package into an overnight delivery, signature guaranteed rate that ended up costing $37!
The atmosphere is more like a used car lot than a government service.
If you have had an unpleasant experience at the post office you can contact the USPS consumer advocate: United States Postal Service Office of the Consumer Advocate 475 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Room 4541 Washington DC 20260-4541.
— T. Rooney
Delmar
