South Tamworth Post Office to Close

[WINNOCTURN]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

I think it is ridiculous that the Moultonborough post office is closed at for lunch. you would think someone there could cover during lunch.

Did you know that all of the Postal worker are either Part-Time or Contract Employees? The Postmaster is the only full time employee. The Part time employees are known "Part-time Flexies" and are not guaranteed 40 hours a week. They may only be getting less than 20 hours a week in some circumstances.

Try sling a 80 pound sacks of mail out of a mail hamper most of the day. Do you think you could "STUFF" a mail slot as full they can?

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" before you criticize so easily.

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

Did you know that all of the Postal worker are either Part-Time or Contract Employees? The Postmaster is the only full time employee. The Part time employees are known "Part-time Flexies" and are not guaranteed 40 hours a week. They may only be getting less than 20 hours a week in some circumstances.

Try sling a 80 pound sacks of mail out of a mail hamper most of the day. Do you think you could "STUFF" a mail slot as full they can?

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" before you criticize so easily.

The specifics of their job are not hugely relevant.

The USPS is a very non-competitive business. Prices keep going up, quality of service and availability is going down.

It would seem that a lunch break is a logical time for people to go to the post office. So, if they want to maximize their revenue options it would make sense to be open during peak demand periods.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

Did you know that all of the Postal worker are either Part-Time or Contract Employees? The Postmaster is the only full time employee. The Part time employees are known "Part-time Flexies" and are not guaranteed 40 hours a week. They may only be getting less than 20 hours a week in some circumstances.

Try sling a 80 pound sacks of mail out of a mail hamper most of the day. Do you think you could "STUFF" a mail slot as full they can?

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes" before you criticize so easily.

I am well aware that they are part-time or contract. That doesn't answer the question why one of them couldn't cover the window during the lunch hour. They want customers so I don't why they can't accomodate them at lunch. I thought it was about the customer??? Maybe that is one of the reasons why they are loosing money.

[TheProfessor]

Originally Posted by Green's Basin Girl

I am well aware that they are part-time or contract. That doesn't answer the question why one of them couldn't cover the window during the lunch hour. They want customers so I don't why they can't accomodate them at lunch. I thought it was about the customer??? Maybe that is one of the reasons why they are loosing money.

Did you bother to read the inital post?

You obviously didn't read or you don't wish to read about the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.

Why can't your local post office stay open during lunch? All workhours are dictated from headquarters. Each office has a set of hours. The local postmaster cannot create more hours or different hours. The local postmaster cannot change the hours of operation without permission from headquarters.

As far as telling a story about some mailman in Peabody, MA 30 years ago sitting in some garage for a time. You are completely missing the point of the initial posting.

In the real small post offices with just a postmaster, when do you expect the postmaster to take lunch?

Some just can't see the forest through the trees. Some are just against government. Even though the post office does not receive any federal tax monies. Zero.

The US Post Office is the most efficient in the world. With the highest productivity. The price of stamps is also the lowest in the Western World. Just go look at Canada. The Canadian dollar is about on par with the US dollar. How much is a first class stamp in Canada?

You will miss it when it is gone.

[TiltonBB]

As far as the contention that the Post Office does not recieve government funds:

Maybe but:

The Post Office doesn't have to pay state or local taxes, and it gets to borrow billions from the government at reduced rates ($10.2 billion, by the end of this year, according to the GAO.) Last year, the FTC found that the Post Office received implicit subsidies of $34 to $117 million -- and that's not counting the monopoly, its biggest benefit.

Even after being given those economic benefits, in mail categories where competition is allowed, the US Postal Service has just a 16% market share - behind UPS and FedEX, according to the FTC.

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Did you bother to read the inital post?

You obviously didn't read or you don't wish to read about the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.

Why can't your local post office stay open during lunch? All workhours are dictated from headquarters. Each office has a set of hours. The local postmaster cannot create more hours or different hours. The local postmaster cannot change the hours of operation without permission from headquarters.

As far as telling a story about some mailman in Peabody, MA 30 years ago sitting in some garage for a time. You are completely missing the point of the initial posting.

In the real small post offices with just a postmaster, when do you expect the postmaster to take lunch?

Some just can't see the forest through the trees. Some are just against government. Even though the post office does not receive any federal tax monies. Zero.

The US Post Office is the most efficient in the world. With the highest productivity. The price of stamps is also the lowest in the Western World. Just go look at Canada. The Canadian dollar is about on par with the US dollar. How much is a first class stamp in Canada?

You will miss it when it is gone.

Mr. Professor:

You are living in a different world. The post office has lost 25% of its revenue in the last several years and it is expected to lose another 20% in the next 5-years. Has the post office adjusted its cost structure the way a private business would to survive? Trust me, the answer is no. If the tax payers wanted to save money (and lots of money) we would out source the whole system to UPS or Fed-x and it would be fixed pronto but we can't do that because of the unions.

Let me give you a little quiz that you failed once above but perhaps if I put it in simpler terms you might get the correct answer this time since after all you are a professor. Here goes: If you were running a private, FOR PROFIT business and all your customers came at lunch time but you were the only employee in the shop what would do?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by TheProfessor

Why can't your local post office stay open during lunch? All workhours are dictated from headquarters. Each office has a set of hours. The local postmaster cannot create more hours or different hours. The local postmaster cannot change the hours of operation without permission from headquarters.

So what you're saying is that, unsurprisingly, their problems with mismanagement and bad business practices go all the way to the top brass? Not exactly a shocking revelation for a government-run "business".

Their solution to lack of business and inability to be competitive seems to be to "cut costs" without logic rather than adapt to the mainstream market.

[P-3 Guy]

The problem is that Congress wants the USPS to run like a for-profit private business, but at the same time Congress is making all sorts of rules that apply only to the USPS and micro-managing its affairs, something that a private business doesn't have to deal with. If the USPS wants to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, it has to get permission form Congress. If it wants to change the way it funds its pension and medical plans to be more competitive, it must get permission from Congress. The USPS is stuck, because with all the Congressional (political) involvement, it can't do what's necessary to remain profitable.

I would be perfectly happy with getting my mail every other day. Make deliveries to half of my town on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and the other half on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Get rid of half of the delivery personnel. Save on vehicle maintenance and fuel. But it will never happen, because Congress won't allow it.

[RailroadJoe]

With the number of postal workers in the USA. Why should Congress give up those votes on next election.