[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Beginning in July, the Hiram Post Office will only be open a few hours each day and ALL of its mail carriers will report to and bring their loots to the Dallas Post Office and its Head Postmonster.
This happens July 19th (was to be June but has been postponed).

I ship a lot of packages and this is tragic news. I would rather bring my 50+ boxes per week to Hiram before they close at noon or whenever than have them handled by Dallas Post Office. I could write a book about all the shocking ways they've messed up business for me and my mail carrier says EVERYBODY feels that way about Dallas post office.
Any thoughts?
Wish I could stop the move, but even having spent $10,000 there at the Hiram post office this year gives me no voice in the matter, so it seems.

[NC-17]

UPS.

[Riograce]

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 11 May 2012 - 09:28 PM, said:

Beginning in July, the Hiram Post Office will only be open a few hours each day and ALL of its mail carriers will report to and bring their loots to the Dallas Post Office and its Head Postmonster.
This happens July 19th (was to be June but has been postponed).

I ship a lot of packages and this is tragic news. I would rather bring my 50+ boxes per week to Hiram before they close at noon or whenever than have them handled by Dallas Post Office. I could write a book about all the shocking ways they've messed up business for me and my mail carrier says EVERYBODY feels that way about Dallas post office.
Any thoughts?
Wish I could stop the move, but even having spent $10,000 there at the Hiram post office this year gives me no voice in the matter, so it seems.

Your mail carrier would be wrong. My experience has been exactly the opposite: numerous problems with the Hiram PO and none with Dallas. In fact, when I have an important package or letter and I want to be reasonably sure it will be handled correctly, I drive waaay out of my way to go to the Dallas PO rather than go the two miles to the Hiram PO. If I want to be *absolutely* sure, I use UPS.

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Riograce, on 11 May 2012 - 09:36 PM, said:

Your mail carrier would be wrong. My experience has been exactly the opposite: numerous problems with the Hiram PO and none with Dallas. In fact, when I have an important package or letter and I want to be reasonably sure it will be handled correctly, I drive waaay out of my way to go to the Dallas PO rather than go the two miles to the Hiram PO. If I want to be *absolutely* sure, I use UPS.

With me it's the opposite. 4 out of 10 will be late or will be held back for more postage, but "oops it seems you DID pay enough postage, nevermind" after they send a postcard saying they have my package of perishables (instead of calling the number on the label). My partner brought 8 to Dallas last week and we have had to refund and/or replace 3 of them. 2 still haven't arrived at their destination after 9 days (priority mail, too). And rude? Wow...shipzilla is a mean one.

Hiram, however, has been 100% right on. They are friendly and warm and deserve baked goods. They'll open the door at 5:10 to take my packages if I'm running late, while Dallas post office yells through the door, "will you PLEASE stop ringing the BELL!!! We are closed...GO AWAY!!!" as they leer at me through the peephole while I hold a baby with one arm and 3 postage-paid packages in the other arm.
Just saying...

[smb90]

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 11 May 2012 - 09:28 PM, said:

Beginning in July, the Hiram Post Office will only be open a few hours each day and ALL of its mail carriers will report to and bring their loots to the Dallas Post Office and its Head Postmonster.
This happens July 19th (was to be June but has been postponed).

I ship a lot of packages and this is tragic news. I would rather bring my 50+ boxes per week to Hiram before they close at noon or whenever than have them handled by Dallas Post Office. I could write a book about all the shocking ways they've messed up business for me and my mail carrier says EVERYBODY feels that way about Dallas post office.
Any thoughts?
Wish I could stop the move, but even having spent $10,000 there at the Hiram post office this year gives me no voice in the matter, so it seems.

The Powder Spring post office is not to much further away.

[Riograce]

I thought USPS would pick up packages at your home ... if you have a good relationship with your carrier, have you considered doing that?

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Riograce, on 11 May 2012 - 10:17 PM, said:

I thought USPS would pick up packages at your home ... if you have a good relationship with your carrier, have you considered doing that?

Yes, they do and we love it. Our carrier (based in Hiram) gets a bonus for all the click-n-ship items she picks up. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however, we are still packing well after the 1:00 carrier pickup.
She is a dream, and so is her backup carrier, and so are the Hiram counter clerks. So sweet, yet so upset that they will have to operate to and from Dallas beginning in July.


Unless....things change. And man, things do change.

[Riograce]

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 11 May 2012 - 10:22 PM, said:

Yes, they do and we love it. Our carrier (based in Hiram) gets a bonus for all the click-n-ship items she picks up. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, however, we are still packing well after the 1:00 carrier pickup.
She is a dream, and so is her backup carrier, and so are the Hiram counter clerks. So sweet, yet so upset that they will have to operate to and from Dallas beginning in July.

You're lucky. The first carrier we had here was *great*, but the one (or ones) who replaced her have been sub-par, to say the least. Packages crammed in the box when they should have been brought to the porch, leaving notes for registered packages with NO attempt made to bring them to the door, NOT leaving notes for registered packages (thank goodness for Internet tracking, or I wouldn't have known they were waiting for pick-up!), and mis-delivering packages. This last caused me to call the national USPS number and start an investigation.

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Riograce, on 11 May 2012 - 10:38 PM, said:

You're lucky. The first carrier we had here was *great*, but the one (or ones) who replaced her have been sub-par, to say the least. Packages crammed in the box when they should have been brought to the porch, leaving notes for registered packages with NO attempt made to bring them to the door, NOT leaving notes for registered packages (thank goodness for Internet tracking, or I wouldn't have known they were waiting for pick-up!), and mis-delivering packages. This last caused me to call the national USPS number and start an investigation.

Oh Gee, that's awful.
Hey, I just had an idea...
We could buy some good hand-held radios, package one (while power is on and volume is on HIGH) and address the package back to ourselves (um, with insurance I guess), then use the other one to yell things into it so the package "talks" while at the post office. LMBO We could be sitting in a nearby car yelling things like "let me out of this box!" or "I see you over there!"

what else? hmmm...

[brown*eyed*girl]

When we moved from Woodstock to Dallas 10 years ago I was shocked at the lack of customer service at the Dallas PO compared to the one in Woodstock.

I come from a family of postal workers~my Dad is a retired Post Master and I have an uncle and a cousin who both have worked for the postal service for years. I even spent a summer working for them back when I was in college (not the one my Dad worked at though). This was up in Michigan. Anyway, I have never been a fan of the Post Office here in Dallas.

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

brown*eyed*girl, on 11 May 2012 - 11:03 PM, said:

When we moved from Woodstock to Dallas 10 years ago I was shocked at the lack of customer service at the Dallas PO compared to the one in Woodstock.

I come from a family of postal workers~my Dad is a retired Post Master and I have an uncle and a cousin who both have worked for the postal service for years. I even spent a summer working for them back when I was in college (not the one my Dad worked at though). This was up in Michigan. Anyway, I have never been a fan of the Post Office here in Dallas.

Thank you

[PUBBY]

what is really sad is that this whole thing with the post office is avoidable.

Seems the GOP Congress, just before it left majority status after losing in 2006, decided to punish the postal service, I guess because they have a union and we know how the current GOP hates unions.

So, they passed a law requiring the postal service pre-fund the medical benefits won by the unions to be paid over the next 75 years in something like seven years. Of course that required that the USPS sock away tremendous amounts of money - over $5 billion a year - to a bank account it can't touch until the 75 year estimated liability is fully funded.

Even with rate increases and massive layoffs, the service will not be able to meet the requirements of the law and so, the postal service, a constitutional service established as a specific power of congress, is effectively being privatized.

This, of course, helps Wall Street and hurts Main Street. It helps Wall Street because they make the money from the existing privatized services like FEDEX, UPS, etc. and they just look at the billions handled by the USPS with envy. By killing the postal service, they can even kill the potential of the Postman in the movie.

It is a bad idea for Main Street, as the folks here have expressed.

Ben Franklin, one of the greatest founders, is turning over in his grave.

I'm sick about it because it is so destructive ... and avoidable.

pubby

[Georgia Dawg]

There may be some things employees at the Hiram PO do well, but there are a LOT of things they don't do well. I can't count the number of times I've had to file complaints about my mail carrier. Then the Hiram Post Master started covering up and trying to explain away the definciencies of the employees. So I've had complaints filed against the Post Master. They had the Post Master call me multiple times, with the manager on the conference call, to apologize for not doing something correctly or for not correcting the mail carrier. (Complaining to my mother about their service, got me the proper way to get things corrected. She worked for and had retired from the Postal Service and hated to see inferior service)

They either need to close the Hiram PO or change the Post Master.

[gonefromhere]

PUBBY, on 11 May 2012 - 11:11 PM, said:

what is really sad is that this whole thing with the post office is avoidable.

Seems the GOP Congress, just before it left majority status after losing in 2006, decided to punish the postal service, I guess because they have a union and we know how the current GOP hates unions.

So, they passed a law requiring the postal service pre-fund the medical benefits won by the unions to be paid over the next 75 years in something like seven years. Of course that required that the USPS sock away tremendous amounts of money - over $5 billion a year - to a bank account it can't touch until the 75 year estimated liability is fully funded.

Even with rate increases and massive layoffs, the service will not be able to meet the requirements of the law and so, the postal service, a constitutional service established as a specific power of congress, is effectively being privatized.

This, of course, helps Wall Street and hurts Main Street. It helps Wall Street because they make the money from the existing privatized services like FEDEX, UPS, etc. and they just look at the billions handled by the USPS with envy. By killing the postal service, they can even kill the potential of the Postman in the movie.

It is a bad idea for Main Street, as the folks here have expressed.

Ben Franklin, one of the greatest founders, is turning over in his grave.

I'm sick about it because it is so destructive ... and avoidable.

pubby

Was waiting on this....never miss a chance......

[Just thinkin' hard]

I HATE Hiram Post Office. They are constantly losing overnight shipments (documents that NEEDED to be at a meeting on the west coast the next day). I find their staff to just be lackadaisical and uncaring. I just can't stand using that post office. I much prefer the Dallas PO.

But, a truly bad post office - Powder Springs - they have even eclipsed Hiram's bad service. Lines out the door and folks go on break - not emptying the bins under the self service drop boxes. I could go on and on.

Yeah - Cut Hiram's hour - close it. Maybe that will be a wake up call to the Post Office folks that seem to think that customer service and performance of duties are inconsequential.

This post has been edited by Just thinkin' hard: 12 May 2012 - 06:35 AM

[Marteen-J]

I sell & ship college text books and they have lost 5 in the past 12 months -- i always got reimbursed from the insurance. In my opinion, it seems as if the media mail takes longer to leave the hiram post office than when i ship out of dallas or powder springs (via tracking)

[markdavd]

The first thing that needs to happen is the rates need to be brought in line with what it really costs to move that letter or package from one address to another. Quit subsidizing it with taxpayer money.

Next the employees need to be held to the same standard as the competition. Do not allow the union to protect workers who are unwilling to do the work the job requires.

Finally, the entire organization needs to be held accountable for the number of lost or damaged packages.

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Just thinkin, on 12 May 2012 - 06:33 AM, said:

But, a truly bad post office - Powder Springs - they have even eclipsed Hiram's bad service. Lines out the door and folks go on break - not emptying the bins under the self service drop boxes. I could go on and on.

Yes! I've encountered their Shipzillas and Mailnazis! I got the feeling (3 years ago when I vowed to NEVER go there again) that those people do some REALLY naughty things.

Pubby has an excellent point...how can any organization focus on quality when suffocated by that unreasonable law from Congress? I think I'll give them all more leeway now, knowing that.

[GreenThumbsnButterfingers]

Hiram post office lets me ring the bell at 6 am to pick up the one-day-old baby chickens when I order them. We open the box there together and marvel at the little yellow beauties. (a favorite memory).
BTW, I had 100% survival rate every time with over 300 birds. (Am on a break from chickens thanks to coyotes)

[Just thinkin' hard]

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 12 May 2012 - 07:38 AM, said:

Hiram post office lets me ring the bell at 6 am to pick up the one-day-old baby chickens when I order them. We open the box there together and marvel at the little yellow beauties. (a favorite memory).
BTW, I had 100% survival rate every time with over 300 birds. (Am on a break from chickens thanks to coyotes)

I think what we're seeing is that you gettiing the "big shipper" treatment. And I get that. When you're doing the kind of busy that you say you are doing with them - there should be some benefits. But, for the rest of us mere mortals - it can be a nightmare there.

For example - I shipped two paper boxes full of documents to the west coast for a meeting the next day. I did the work to generate those two boxes of documents in less than 24 hours. If I remember correctly, it was 8 copies of the documents. I shipped it out early one morning to be there early the next morning. Guaranteed by 12 pm. They are 3 hours behind us so it should have been no problem. The boxes didn't show up for a week. I didn't have happy clients. I've never shipped overnight with the USPS again. It didn't matter that I got my almost $200 back. The packages didn't get delivered.

[dallasbrowneyes]

This is dallasbrowneyes hubby here. The Hiram PO has a slot for Hiram mail and if I mail something with the local address I put it in that slot it gets there the next day. The Dallas PO doesn't have the slot for their mail. I asked about it and they said their local mail goes to Atlanta and comes back the next day. That seems like a waste of money and a chance to loose the mail to me.

[mojo413]

It always amazes me how much an opinion on any subject varies on Paulding.com from something being great all the way to the same thing being terrible.

I've had very little interaction with the Hiram Post Office during the past 25+ years. I've dropped off letters a few times when it was convenient for me.

During the same period I have lived in the Dallas zip code. First served at the uptown post office that 1st Baptist now occupies and then at the new post office. My experiance with Dallas for 25+ years has been excellent. I've always found the carrier and counter staff to be friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and concerned. I've never had the first problem.

I did have some concerns about Hiram when the carrier was arrested and sentenced for mail fraud. If I remember correctly that person turned up to be other than who they said they were. I've got no idea if the local staff or management had any input as too checking out or verifing the identity of the applicant who became an employee. It did make me wonder if this person stoled any mail or ID of my friends serviced by the Hiram post office.

[Garden Girl]

Georgia Dawg, on 12 May 2012 - 06:18 AM, said:

There may be some things employees at the Hiram PO do well, but there are a LOT of things they don't do well. I can't count the number of times I've had to file complaints about my mail carrier. Then the Hiram Post Master started covering up and trying to explain away the definciencies of the employees. So I've had complaints filed against the Post Master. They had the Post Master call me multiple times, with the manager on the conference call, to apologize for not doing something correctly or for not correcting the mail carrier. (Complaining to my mother about their service, got me the proper way to get things corrected. She worked for and had retired from the Postal Service and hated to see inferior service)

They either need to close the Hiram PO or change the Post Master.

I do not know when your incidents happened in Hiram, but I know personally the new Postmaster and she has in a short time really turned things around there, I would say she has been there a year. F.Y.I. The carriers and mail is being moved to Dallas for distribution.Retail will remain.

[halo 2]

I use the Dallas UPS store for everything. They are the greatest ever. I ship very expensive stuff and they have never messed up anything.

[Oh No Its Me]

I use the Villa Rica post office the most

[justgettingby]

I still miss my carrier, Perry, from the Dallas PO. He was awesome at his job and a great person as well. The carrier at my home in Acworth is so blah and obviously hates her job.

[Paulding Yankee]

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 11 May 2012 - 09:48 PM, said:

With me it's the opposite. 4 out of 10 will be late or will be held back for more postage, but "oops it seems you DID pay enough postage, nevermind" after they send a postcard saying they have my package of perishables (instead of calling the number on the label). My partner brought 8 to Dallas last week and we have had to refund and/or replace 3 of them. 2 still haven't arrived at their destination after 9 days (priority mail, too). And rude? Wow...shipzilla is a mean one.

Hiram, however, has been 100% right on. They are friendly and warm and deserve baked goods. They'll open the door at 5:10 to take my packages if I'm running late, while Dallas post office yells through the door, "will you PLEASE stop ringing the BELL!!! We are closed...GO AWAY!!!" as they leer at me through the peephole while I hold a baby with one arm and 3 postage-paid packages in the other arm.
Just saying...

The Dallas Post Office hasn't had a working lobby bell in years...

justgettingby, on 12 May 2012 - 08:06 PM, said:

I still miss my carrier, Perry, from the Dallas PO. He was awesome at his job and a great person as well. The carrier at my home in Acworth is so blah and obviously hates her job.

Perry is a great guy!

[Jetasmom]

dallasbrowneyes, on 12 May 2012 - 08:38 AM, said:

This is dallasbrowneyes hubby here. The Hiram PO has a slot for Hiram mail and if I mail something with the local address I put it in that slot it gets there the next day. The Dallas PO doesn't have the slot for their mail. I asked about it and they said their local mail goes to Atlanta and comes back the next day. That seems like a waste of money and a chance to loose the mail to me.

you want to talk about a waste of money --- i shipped a small box (book size) to orlando, and it went to wisconsin first!

really, it went from dallas to atlanta to oak creek, wisconsin, and then finally to orlando, florida

here is the tracking number..... 0311 1660 0001 1221 3950

[cobb transplant]

my relative put a letter in the mail to me on Friday at 2:00 pm in Cumming and it arrived at my house here in Paulding at 11:00 in my mailbox on Saturday. The mail isn't perfect but it's pretty darn good and certainly cheap. I've never understood the screaming about them loosing money - what other gov't services are required to be self sufficient? I'm pretty sure the Marine Corps is deeply in the red, why isn't anyone crying about that service? How effective would the Marines be if we required the next mission to be completed without tax dollars?

[sungoddess]

Bad experiences with Hiram PO also. NEVER go there -- UPS is my friend. Always know when and where my packages go! Personally, I don't need to get all my junk mail but one day a week. That would work for me.

[Georgia Dawg]

cobb transplant, on 13 May 2012 - 06:13 PM, said:

my relative put a letter in the mail to me on Friday at 2:00 pm in Cumming and it arrived at my house here in Paulding at 11:00 in my mailbox on Saturday. The mail isn't perfect but it's pretty darn good and certainly cheap. I've never understood the screaming about them loosing money - what other gov't services are required to be self sufficient? I'm pretty sure the Marine Corps is deeply in the red, why isn't anyone crying about that service? How effective would the Marines be if we required the next mission to be completed without tax dollars?

You hit the nail HIT ON THE HEAD!!! Is there ANY government run program that is efficient and self sufficient? NO!
That's why the government shouldn't be in that business in the first place. The private sector can run any business better and more efficiently than the government can. Why can't we learn from those mistakes???

[feelip]

What about the P.O. boxes?

[Paulding Yankee]

feelip, on 14 May 2012 - 01:05 PM, said:

What about the P.O. boxes?

The only changes so far will be that the Hiram carriers will be operating out of the Dallas Post Office.

[Marteen-J]

PUBBY, on 11 May 2012 - 11:11 PM, said:

what is really sad is that this whole thing with the post office is avoidable.

Seems the GOP Congress, just before it left majority status after losing in 2006, decided to punish the postal service, I guess because they have a union and we know how the current GOP hates unions.

So, they passed a law requiring the postal service pre-fund the medical benefits won by the unions to be paid over the next 75 years in something like seven years. Of course that required that the USPS sock away tremendous amounts of money - over $5 billion a year - to a bank account it can't touch until the 75 year estimated liability is fully funded.

Even with rate increases and massive layoffs, the service will not be able to meet the requirements of the law and so, the postal service, a constitutional service established as a specific power of congress, is effectively being privatized.

This, of course, helps Wall Street and hurts Main Street. It helps Wall Street because they make the money from the existing privatized services like FEDEX, UPS, etc. and they just look at the billions handled by the USPS with envy. By killing the postal service, they can even kill the potential of the Postman in the movie.

It is a bad idea for Main Street, as the folks here have expressed.

Ben Franklin, one of the greatest founders, is turning over in his grave.

I'm sick about it because it is so destructive ... and avoidable.

pubby

GreenThumbsnButterfingers, on 12 May 2012 - 07:31 AM, said:

Yes! I've encountered their Shipzillas and Mailnazis! I got the feeling (3 years ago when I vowed to NEVER go there again) that those people do some REALLY naughty things.

Pubby has an excellent point...how can any organization focus on quality when suffocated by that unreasonable law from Congress? I think I'll give them all more leeway now, knowing that.

story today from ABC news via yahoo:

"60 House Bills to Name Post Offices, Zero To Fix Mail Service"
&
"In the 18 months the 112 th Congress has been sworn in, the House has introduced 60 bills to rename post offices. Thirty-eight have passed the House and 26 have become law. During those 18 months, the House has produced 151 laws, 17 percent of which have been to rename post offices, according to Congressional Democrats. Not a single bill has come to the House floor aimed at reforming a Postal Service, which is bleeding billions of dollars because of Congressional mandates."


link:
http://news.yahoo.co...s-politics.html

[dirt road]

Riograce, on 11 May 2012 - 10:17 PM, said:

I thought USPS would pick up packages at your home ... if you have a good relationship with your carrier, have you considered doing that?

Good relationship or not...if you go online to usps.com you can put in a carrier pickup request and the office will give it to your carrier the morning your requesting your packages to be picked up and the carrier is required to stop and pick it up. (you must have postage already applied). This way you dont have to go inside any office and stand in any line. You do not even have to be home when they come to pick your package up. On the form you put where you are leaving it at for pickup (such as on your porch, ect.)

[dirt road]

Paulding Yankee, on 12 May 2012 - 09:17 PM, said:

The Dallas Post Office hasn't had a working lobby bell in years...


Perry is a great guy!

I personnally know Perry and agree with you completely. He is an awesome person! Let's hear it for Perry!

[Jetasmom]

PUBBY, on 11 May 2012 - 11:11 PM, said:

what is really sad is that this whole thing with the post office is avoidable.

Seems the GOP Congress, just before it left majority status after losing in 2006, decided to punish the postal service, I guess because they have a union and we know how the current GOP hates unions.

So, they passed a law requiring the postal service pre-fund the medical benefits won by the unions to be paid over the next 75 years in something like seven years. Of course that required that the USPS sock away tremendous amounts of money - over $5 billion a year - to a bank account it can't touch until the 75 year estimated liability is fully funded.

Even with rate increases and massive layoffs, the service will not be able to meet the requirements of the law and so, the postal service, a constitutional service established as a specific power of congress, is effectively being privatized.

This, of course, helps Wall Street and hurts Main Street. It helps Wall Street because they make the money from the existing privatized services like FEDEX, UPS, etc. and they just look at the billions handled by the USPS with envy. By killing the postal service, they can even kill the potential of the Postman in the movie.

It is a bad idea for Main Street, as the folks here have expressed.

Ben Franklin, one of the greatest founders, is turning over in his grave.

I'm sick about it because it is so destructive ... and avoidable.

pubby

It is official now, no more saturday delivery

"Postal Service to end Saturday mail delivery in bid to cut costs
Published February 06, 2013"

link:
http://www.foxnews.c...-to-trim-costs/

and

http://www.usatoday....urdays/1895277/

[lowrider]

It's long overdue.

I did read this:

Under the new plan, mail would be delivered to homes and businesses only from Monday through Friday, but would still be delivered to post office boxes on Saturdays. Post offices now open on Saturdays would remain open on Saturdays.

[CitizenCain]

Post Office ? ........
What's a Post Office ?

[Guard dad]

I burn trash on Saturday. What will I start fires with if I don't get Saturday junk mail?