W00t!

[lxskllr]

My post office isn't closing! It's a tiny place, and doesn't see to get much business, but it's laid back. and easy to deal with. I'm glad they're sticking around :^)

[AtreyuKun]

Hooray!

[TheJanitor]

PO here in town is small, and the people are rude. I couldn't care less if it closed.

[Mawdryn]

My post office isn't closing! It's a tiny place, and doesn't see to get much business, but it's laid back. and easy to deal with. I'm glad they're sticking around :^)

From my perspective, that's ALWAYS good to hear!

PO here in town is small, and the people are rude. I couldn't care less if it closed.

And that's not...sorry for your bad experiences with the USPS. I promise that lots of us are decent, hardworking people, who would do anything for you.

Thanks for your support, Lx!

[ChaoticGemini]

Did they come out with a list of PO closures?
They could easily close some around here. My village has never had one, but I can get to 6 within 10 minutes. The only problem is the main post office handles the mail for the two villages without post offices. That means when my mail-lady is out and the sub is too lazy to bring boxes with him in the truck. That then requires a 30 minute drive with terrible parking, narrow roads, one ways, and morons that don't know how to drive a round-about.

On a similar note, where did they ever go with discussion about the possibility of moving to only 5 delivery days per week?

[lxskllr]

It's only proposed at this point. I guess they'll wait to see who complains loudest. Here's a pdf of the tentative list...
http://a.abcnews.go.com/images/Techn...nch%20list.pdf

I wouldn't mind seeing them go to 5 day delivery. That's a reasonable workaround, that would stave off more painful cuts.

[snusgetter]

Did they come out with a list of PO closures?
...
On a similar note, where did they ever go with discussion about the possibility of moving to only 5 delivery days per week?

• Expanded Access Study List - Affected States has all the current info
• 5-day delivery week is another political football that's still being tossed around

btw, get ready for your friendly, knowledgeable Walmart employees to
assist you with your mailing questions once the 'Postal Village' concept
is implemented. U.S. looks to "Village Post Offices" to save money

[nicodude]

My post office isn't closing! It's a tiny place, and doesn't see to get much business, but it's laid back. and easy to deal with. I'm glad they're sticking around :^)

Glad to hear it! I like my local office too, its on the small side but I've known the clerks for years and they are always helpful, its about a 4 minute drive from my house and I keep a PO box there, luckily mine wasn't on the closure list.

I also keep a mailbox at my local UPS store, its further than the PO but is very professional and works with all shipping carriers including USPS, but for everyday mailing I always use the local post office.

[Mawdryn]

I wouldn't mind seeing them go to 5 day delivery. That's a reasonable workaround, that would stave off more painful cuts.

I think 5 day delivery is probably guaranteed at this point, but it might be months or more likely years away. The 5 day plan has worked well in other countries, but as an employee of a company whose whole role is service, it's hard to see cutting service as a positive. In addition, there are literally tens of thousands of relief carriers who depend on that guaranteed day of work once a week. When I first started at the PO, that was the only guaranteed day I got, and there were several weeks when Saturday was my only day of work.

Now, it honestly wouldn't personally bother me to lose Saturdays. There would be no chance of me having to work, missing time with my family, missing football games, etc...but for a lot of people, this will spell their end at the post office.

As for the closings, according to PO internal stuff, none of the offices that were being closed took in more than $27,500 in revenue ANUALLY. I actually filled in for a while at one of the offices being closed, doing a postmasters job at a relief carrier's pay. I think I sold about $20 worth of stamps and serviced about 80 PO boxes, and got paid for 6 hours of sitting on my hands. That's just not good business.

As a rural carrier, I can tell you that we service apartment complexes every day that recieve 10 times the mail volume of those post offices. The customers of those offices will probably just be asked to put up mailboxes, and they will be serviced by a far-reaching rural carrier from another town's office. Sure, they'll lose the center of their community in many cases, and for that I'm sorry. Unfortunately, it's not the USPS's job to provide a community center.

It's a weird time at the PO, but I think we'll pull through ok (just like the rest of the country)...we just need the economy to turn around.

[lxskllr]

Sure, they'll lose the center of their community in many cases, and for that I'm sorry. Unfortunately, it's not the USPS's job to provide a community center.

I wonder if they couldn't go old school, and put the PO in a general store(NOT WalMart!). Kick over a /little/ bit of money to the shop owner, with the primary incentive being the draw to the store the PO brings; like lottery.

[snusgetter]

I wonder if they couldn't go old school, and put the PO in a general store(NOT WalMart!). Kick over a /little/ bit of money to the shop owner, with the primary incentive being the draw to the store the PO brings; like lottery.

Postal Service Takes Next Step in Optimizing Retail Network

WASHINGTON — As more customers choose to conduct their postal business online, on their smart phones and at their favorite shopping destinations, the need for the U.S. Postal Service to maintain its nearly 32,000 retail offices — the largest retail network in the country — diminishes. To that end, the U.S. Postal Service announced today that it will be taking the next step in right-sizing its expansive retail network by conducting studies of approximately 3,700 retail offices to determine customer needs. As part of this effort, the Postal Service also introduced a retail-replacement option for affected communities around the nation.

“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” said Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”

For communities currently without a postal retail office and for communities affected by these retail optimization efforts, the Postal Service introduced the Village Post Office as a potential replacement option. Village Post Offices would be operated by local businesses, such as pharmacies, grocery stores and other appropriate retailers, and would offer popular postal products and services such as stamps and flat-rate packaging.


MORE

[snusgetter]

Here's your opportunity...

Business establishments interested in applying for a contract with the Postal Service
to start a Village Post Office in their local community should contact:
Rickey Johnson
303-743-1266
cmc.travelretailtempsrvc@usps.gov

Village Post Offices are operated by community businesses to proved selected postal products and services, including Forever stamps and Priority Mail Flat Rate packages and envelopes. These retail units may also provide Post Office Boxes either inside or outside the business.



If there's a local business you favor that might be receptive to the Village Post Office concept,
make sure they contact Rickey Johnson. Could be a win-win all around!

[ChaoticGemini]

WOW there is a lot of places in the Greater St. Louis area on that list. I have to say, some of them I looked up and although I have frequently driven through the area, I did not even know there were post offices. Many are very close together it may be sad to see your regular branch to go, but I would guess, at least in my area, there is another post office around the corner, even with these closures.

I'm for the five day schedule over many of the other potential cuts. I will admit, I like the 24 hour kiosks in the lobby at some branches. I think if more people knew about them, they would be less bothered that the offices would be closed on Saturday.

[Crow]

I've never had an issue with USPS. The APCs are great, and the delivery is fast.

We have an excellent postal system, but the hemmoraging of revenue needs to be addressed in a way that doesn't diminish the quality of service. I could live with 5-day delivery, it sounds perfectly reasonable to me.