Artfully written, Heath! But I’m very happy to report that my recent experiences with the USPS have all been positive. SurePost does add a day to my delivery time, but otherwise my service is just as good. As for friendly, my USPS mailman (whom I had not met before) pulled over yesterday just to say hi to me, while I was out walking my dog in the ‘hood. Turns out that he’s active in a dog-rescue organization, loves them, and was quick to mention that he’d never been bitten in some two decades as a carrier. So I guess it comes down to dumb luck in who you get for your mailperson, and maybe your post office as well.heathicus wrote:I recently sent this note to a vendor when I realized, after making the purchase, that the delievery method was SurePost.
"I placed my first order with your esteemed establishment yesterday and just received my shipping notification email. I am very disappointed that the package is being shipped UPS SurePost. Had I noticed that at checkout, I certainly would have chosen another shipping method or shopped elsewhere. This shipping method, as well as it's equally evil twin FedEx SmartPost, is a scourge upon mankind resulting in delays, lost and damaged packages, dull tools, unbuttered popcorn, and other problems. The point of shipping UPS or FedEx is to avoid the USPS. UPS comes to my house almost every day and they provide an excellent service. USPS also comes to house every day and I avoid using them at all reasonable costs. Delivery by UPS means my package will arrive at my door, undamaged, carefully carried by a friendly young man who will deposit the package directly into our hands then tousle my kid's hair and pet my dogs on the way back to his truck. Delivery by USPS means my package will be left at the nearest processing center, forgotten and neglected for at least 3 days before finally making its way to the mail carrier where it will be forced to endure several more days as a floor matt in the back of a muddy Ford Escape. After several falsified delivery attempts - since the mail carrier has an irrational fear of kids, dogs, and mailboxes - it will eventually be unceremoniously dumped at the end of my driveway somewhere in the vicinity of my mailbox (or perhaps a neighbor's mailbox) regardless of weather conditions. UPS SurePost, where the package is lovingly carried by UPS for the majority of its journey, then turned over to USPS for the final leg, amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. I am unprepared to provide the psychological counseling the contents of my package will need before they can be integrated into its new environment. If you care about your customers, the merchandise you peddle, I would encourage you to use the services of UPS or FedEx as they were originally designed, and not allow the USPS to undermine these fine services by weaseling their way in. The world is depending on you."
Here’s another plus for USPS. If I have a package outgoing, I can set up a USPS pickup online, and just leave it on my front porch. It disappears when the mail is delivered, no extra charge. But if shipping via UPS, I have to carry it myself to a drop-off location.