DISQUS

MS · 5 months ago

Just out of curiosity - why didn't you recommend that market research be done for the services in demand, and the operations be streamlined accordingly ? (I mean, this question is born of my beef that too often many MBAs jump to a recommendation of selling out rather than staying with the mess and correcting it)

Thanks and have a nice day !

Steven · 5 months ago

Not that I don't empathize, but the argument for a government mail service rests on its obligation to provide universal service to the country at what is theoretically below the market cost of the delivery - a position that can leave it somewhat hamstrung with being able to offer certain services comprable with private companies that can operate on a much more consolidated basis (something like the obligations of the military, where requirements neccesitate ignoring certain economic efficacies). I'll also say that most PO's I've been to do sell document envelopes and/or single postage-paid envelopes; unfortuneate that your's didn't. In any case, dissolving the USPS as a practical matter runs into the Constitutionally delegated power of the Congress over postal matters, and the fact that companies like FedEx and UPS are only even allowed to exist through a narrow monopoly exemption that is granted by the USPS itself.

Bradley Lautenbach · 5 months ago

I like that the most interesting comments I've ever gotten are on a post about the post office. :)

@MS - I know your sentiment about MBAs but think it's probably an unfair generalization. I don't tend to err on the side of sell it, and I love solving a problem as much as the next guy. But I tend to think that the government probably shouldn't be in the operations business... that's what led to my interest in getting rid of the usps.

@Steven - understand the legality. But why not challenge it? I wish my post office experience had been more pleasant, but really I just like ranting about things, so this probably made it sound worse than actually was.

Amal Dorai · 5 months ago

I, unlike you, am a huge fan of the US Postal Service. For 44 cents, they will come to your house, pick up your most-likely inconsequential piece of ephemera, and haul it to any other part of this vast country right to the doorstep of your addressee. Furthermore, their commitment to getting the mail to the destination is unparelleled -- once, a letter of ours on very thin paper got torn in half, and the part with the destination address was sent to the destination, the part with the return address back to the sender, each in an envelope apologizing for the mishap.

I do agree that they should sell single envelopes and stamps -- they often have envelopes for priority mail, or mailing CDs, but not regular envelopes. One trick: they usually sell pre-stamped envelopes behind the counter, so ask for one of those if you just need one envelope and one stamp.