(Disclaimer #1 - the United States Postal Service hasn't gotten nearly the level of support from the government that they need to continue as a going concern.)
(Disclaimer #2 - modes of communication are changing, the old USPS model ain't working, and they have to re-tool even more to thrive in the future.)
(Disclaimer #3 - I procrastinated on a task, which fueled the following interaction.)
Today (Monday), I go into the neighborhood post office to get some customs forms and medium-sized Priority Mail boxes. My church has a ministry that sends care packages to church members who are deployed military. We send out packages the first week of every month. I know I can order the boxes from the USPS website, but I waited too long to do it.
So, I get to the post office, hoping to get 5-10 boxes. One worker is at a counter. Nobody else is up front (I can't tell how many folk are in the back, nor do I know when others come on shift). There are probably eight or nine of us in line, with another guy off to the side waiting for some help with his passport.
After about 30 minutes or so, a second counter worker comes up, a middle-aged guy. He helps customers in front of me, then he calls me up. I ask my question about the boxes, but I mis-state my request (I asked for Express Mail boxes, but meant to ask for Priority Mail boxes).
His first response - "we don't send Express Mail to 'deployed military (insert country name)'". Ok, I admit, I mis-spoke. I re-address it, stating I needed Priority Mail boxes.
"You gotta go to the website to order them. We don't keep any here anymore", he stated in a gruff, snarky voice. I'd just stood near a counter where I saw several, but I assume those are only to be used on-site. I mentioned how I'd procrastinated & was concerned the ordered boxes wouldn't get here in time.
He repeated his statement about the website, in an increasingly snarky grumble of a voice. I thanked him for his time and walked away.
Granted, I am a sensitive guy. Maybe too sensitive to survive in a world such as this (LOL). But the mood in that post office seemed different than it had been in other years. I'd gone in that particular facility off and on since summer of '97, and I've never felt the vibe I felt today.
With the mood, and the facility's appearance looking a little more threadbare than the previous time I was in, their dire future seems to be manifested in the local facility. Floors were dirty, displays hadn't gotten the arranging & policing needed to make them look attractive, and there were dusty terminal stands where computer cash registers used to be posted.
If anybody reading this is a USPS employee, please respond. In the broader sense, what's the mood of the organization? Is that sort of frustration across all of USPS?
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