My neighborhood's mail delivery mistakes have skyrocket

[kenny]

My neighbors have all been complaining.
Starting several months ago we've suddenly all had to redeliver mail maybe 3 times a week to the correct house.
I think I just figured out why.

My mail was just delivered and I noticed the delivery woman was talking on her cellphone, clearly to a friend.

Hmm.

Should I get her name and report her poor job performance and tell them she's making personal calls while she is supposed to be working?

Or, has the world changed, and now we should we just let workers not do the job WE are paying for because smartphone distractions take priority over doing one's job?

 

[lyra]

You can just call the post office and complain that you're not getting the correct mail, and that it has become a chronic problem. The less confrontational you are, the better. Kill them with sweetness. If nothing happens, then escalate.

 

[Snowdrop13]

If you always have the same delivery woman and she’s always on her phone when she walks up your street, then yes, I’d report her. Otherwise I’d just make a general complaint about the poor service to the mail company and see if that gets you anywhere. Very annoying for you, though!

 

[monarch64]

Was it actually a smartphone or a flip phone? Because as far as I know, they function the same when it comes to using them to make phone calls.
Get her fired. She totally deserves it!
Sorry, I just find myself getting irked over everything seeming to be about the demise of life as we know it caused by smartphones...
What else affects job performance that employees do frequently? Talking to co-workers? Instant messaging all day? Playing on the internet, watching Netflix or youtube videos while they're supposed to be working? Flirting with co-workers or participating in workplace gossip? Hiding in the bathroom? Taking smoke breaks? Time theft like long lunches? Personal things like making doctor appointments and the like?

I mean, you could just approach her and say hey, the whole neighborhood is getting their mail misdelivered and I see that you're on your phone all the time. Either fix the problem or I'll report you to your supervisor. There's that human to human contact we're all missing, amirite?

 

[sonnyjane]

Or, has the world changed, and now we should we just let workers not do the job WE are paying for because smartphone distractions take priority over doing one's job?

Was it actually a smartphone or a flip phone? Because as far as I know, they function the same when it comes to using them to make phone calls.
Get her fired. She totally deserves it!
Sorry, I just find myself getting irked over everything seeming to be about the demise of life as we know it caused by smartphones...

This. If someone is a crummy employee, they'll find a way to be a crummy employee. Kenny's extremely vocal hatred of smartphones is getting to be more irritating than people overusing their cellphones. We get it, you're not a fan. No need to condemn 2+ billion people that choose to use them. If there's a problem with your mail service, no matter the cause, complain.

 

[kenny]

... Kenny's extremely vocal hatred of smartphones is getting to be more irritating than people overusing their cellphones. We get it, you're not a fan. No need to condemn 2+ billion people that choose to use them. ...

"Kenny's extremely vocal hatred of smartphones is getting to be more irritating than people overusing their cellphones."

Opinion, stated as fact.
Even if 214 rush in to agree, 215 opinions are still not fact.

I'm not condemning those (numbers are irrelevant) who use "smart"phones.
I'm condemning those who abuse them.
(McDonald's is the world's most popular restaurant ... so much for your reasoning that billions-of-users-means-something-must-be-good )
Besides, I've already gone on record conceding the upside of smartphones.

If a post of mine has broken a PS rule, report that post.
If not, I welcome you to put me on ignore.
Trying to censor ain't cool.

I have a legit point.
You are taking potshots at a messenger with a legit message.
This mail deliverer's large volume of mistakes may very well be the result of her paying more attention to her fvcking phone than doing her job.
Yes, I said

 

[Bron357]

I’m with Kenny on this one. I’m sick and tired of people with their head into their phones instead of paying attention to what they are doing. Like the idiot that was walking towards my car in the car park, stationary and in a queue to exit, and as I watched he walked “smack” into my car. “Hullo, wake up, open your eyes”. Or the curious (to me anyway) group of friends sitting around having a coffee BUT no one is doing anything except sit head down checking messages, updating status or what have you. Not much of a social interaction if no one is talking or looking at each other.
Or the one that kills people..... talking / checking your phone while driving.

 

[minousbijoux]

Honestly, be careful what you wish for. There have been articles in the last year about how f--ked up the mail service is in the Bay Area. Many of us have been getting our mail delivered (if at all) in the middle of the night. There was an article about a mail carrier who was nearly accosted by a property owner because they were delivering the mail at 2:00 am and the property owner thought it was a burglar. There are so many days here where I either don't get mail, its delivered in the middle of the night, or its chucked on my steps/walkway and not even put in my mailbox! My neighbors and I have gotten used to delivering each other's mail when its incorrectly delivered. When all this was happening all over the area, there were articles interviewing the regional postal reps, who basically shrugged it off, stating they were unable to hire competent professionals, or there was a huge shortage in being able to fill positions. They even had some of these folks interviewed on the news, and I was blown away at how cavalier they appeared to be about the problems in the PO. All our postal carriers deliver while on phones - I wouldn't necessarily blame it on the phones. I am pleased they deliver at all.

Since there appears to be little in the way of consequences for less than ideal actions of postal employees, I would at least appeal to your mail carrier first, explaining that you have sometimes been receiving someone else's mail and asking them to see what they can do to assist you. Better than alienating them by complaining about them.

 

[Phoenix]

Hey, Kenny, I suspect mail men/women are shortly being replaced by drones and eventually may be all replaced by drones. No more talking-on-cellphone problems! Presto!! Dunno what time-frames though.

(I am wondering though about a lot of human jobs being totally/ or nearly totally automated. What will happen to those people, esp if they don't re-train?)

 

[Alexiszoe]

I agree something needs to be done given her unprofessional behavior, but getting someone fired may have drastic consequences for her and her family.

We know just how hard it can be when we are made redundant / unemployed and the attendant stresses of trying to pay the bills, trying to find a new job, paying the mortgage under time pressure. Or knows of other family and friends who have been through severe financial hardships when this happens.

I would suggest speaking to her first, directly, or as @lyra said, kill them with sweetness. Give the lady and the PO a chance to get things right. If not, then escalate.

 

[Phoenix]

My post above was tongue-in-cheek, though it'll be a reality soon...prob sooner than later.

I would agree re talking to the mail person directly first. Clearly, she must not be aware of the problem. Give her a chance to fix it.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Sorry, I just find myself getting irked over everything seeming to be about the demise of life as we know it caused by smartphones...
What else affects job performance that employees do frequently? Talking to co-workers? Instant messaging all day?

Posting on PS...

 

[tkyasx78]

I wouldnt complain because i saw one postal worker on a phone one time. I would however next time you get someone elses mail or they get yours notify the post office for any mixed up mail.
Informed delivery now shows pictures of all the mail you should be getting. Check it to be sure you are getting all your mail! If you see you are getting mail and they are processing it wrong- it may be someone elses error and she /he needs to get it fixed at the sorting place.
Quite a few times in the past I have had other addresses packages delivered to me. I have returned them to the post office as they were coded to the wrong address ( addressed correctly and when run through the machine it coded to my address instead of the one listed) It is frustrating for sure but I let the post office know and they know to double check when sorting the last time so i dont keep getting the other addresses mail.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

Anytime I notice an ongoing issue with the mail service I just call the PO and ask to speak to the supervisor. They use my neighborhood to train new employees so ours is always getting screwed up. If we don't report it they don't know to address it with the carrier. I wouldn't personally mention the phone, not yet anyway, just that the deliveries are all off. If it continues I might mention the phone. FWIW I have one carrier who is on her headset chatting away the entire time she delivers and she never screws up.

 

[missy]

Interesting thoughts shared here, thanks.

Our mail has been screwed up where we live Brooklyn for at least 6 months. Not just mail getting mixed up with our neighbor's mail (we live in an apartment building) but getting our mail days and days sometimes weeks late (or not getting it at all). And not just our experience. All our neighbors too. We haven't complained to the post office because (and YMMV) where we live it is a high density population and I am confident nothing will be improved or changed for the better so not wasting our energy.

There is one company (whose product I love) who now refuses to deliver here to us (in our zip code) because the delivery by USPS is so unreliable where we live. So I have to ship it to our house in NJ if I want to continue receiving this product. It is an inconvenience and annoyance and yes it is frustrating that the mail which had once been reliable and something you could count on is becoming more of a you might get it you might not sort of thing. We pay our bills online or else it might be more of an issue but still it is a pain.

I don't think it is due to smart phone usage but due to too much workload for the mail delivery people. Cutbacks and people are expected to do more with less people power and that all equals big mess. That and I will admit there is probably some apathy going on here too. Postal workers might be sick and tired of the workload and probably also sick and tired of not getting what they consider to be fair compensation (just conjecture on my part and I could be completely wrong). Of course it sucks if they are not doing their job right and it affects all of us but there you have it. We are not getting all our mail in a timely nor reasonable fashion.

 

[KaeKae]

Kenny, if this has been going on for months, then the reason really doesn't matter, does it? Having to redeliver mail three days out of six is far too much. I would think a call to the post master is needed. In the four months I've lived here, I've redelivered a neighbor's mail exactly once.
On the other hand, there is the safety issue to consider, as well. Does your carrier walk or deliver straight from her vehicle? If she is driving, she's also breaking the law. I'd be concerned about that. Talk about distracted, as she drives, talks on a hand held device and places mail in boxes. I'm really hoping she isn't driving.

 

[luv2sparkle]

We have had a lot of mail delivery errors as well. Not only with USPS but also with wrong addresses on packages. I have spent many hours trying to figure out who the packages go to. I have met new neighbors, which I usually try to avoid. LOL. Our mail comes to a multi box at the end of our street. If I had a mail carrier that was going house to house and saw that, I would definitely speak to her personally. She is obviously not aware that there is a problem. I would give her a chance to correct her behavior herself before reporting her.

 

[december-fire]

Like @luv2sparkle , there is a multibox to which my mail is delivered. Occasionally, I have received mail which is for a different address and I've taken it to the right address. However, the last time, I took it to the Post Office and was told to please take it to them whenever it happens so that they're aware of and can address the issue. So, while it delays the recipient getting their mail (although the delay shouldn't be more than a couple of days), its the only way the Post Office knows there is a problem. Since informing the Post Office several months ago, I haven't received anyone else's mail.

I'm surprised how common an issue this seems to be in the US, if I'm correct that most of you are US residents.

I consider this a serious issue. Not everyone is honest and some people would open mail received that's meant for someone else, thereby potentially giving them access to a person's confidential financial or medical information.

I'd contact the Post Office. I don't see how talking to the delivery person will help given that this is a regular problem. Sounds like someone who doesn't care about doing their job properly. Why should they if there are no consequences to messing up and they don't appear to value doing a good job.

Perhaps I'm being unfairly harsh, but lately I've wondered if 'competency' has become an optional requirement of some jobs.

 

[doberman]

We had a postman for a while who would nap on our street - my son would see him on his way home from the bus stop. And we got a fair amount of mail, at least twice a week, addressed to our unfriendly neighbors during that time, including I presumed, their kid's SAT scores. I would always just place it in their mailbox. But once I accidentally opened a letter which turned out to be a mortgage statement. In my defense, it was from our bank, I was distracted at the time by explaining some algebra to my panicky daughter, and I just assumed it was ours. Wrong. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the number. Then I was so embarrassed that I read it that I couldn't bring myself to deliver it and just put it in the shredder. We have a new postman now. He brings dog treats, so he's a winner. And we don't get their mail anymore.

 

[Arkteia]

I once complained about my mail to Houston lying in the P.O. for four weeks. What happened next was them sending me a youtube video about North Houston P.O. Very interesting. A Social Security check sent to someone 24 years ago was finally delivered. They found some letter from 1920-es. The problems skyrocketed since they closed some P. Offices in 2012, it seems.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Our mail person delivers OK. But I always know when he's absent. His colleagues just throw everything into our neighbors box. First house in the gated community. Only since the neighbor passed away we've missed two parcels and signed for letters this way .
:roll