Do you know why the USPS had to raise prices?
I have the answer to that puzzler right here.As you no doubt read, I had a bit of trouble at the Post Office yesterday pursuant to their recent rate change and how it seemingly caught the local post office here by surprise. Specifically, they didn't get the new rates downloaded into their system and were unable to ship my boxes. They were unable, it should be pointed out, to figure out a way to do it manually without the use of their computer.
I was pissed. They let me stand in line. They didn't post a sign. They were unapologetic.
Of course, I was also (and still am) pretty frustrated with the Passport Debacle and the folks at the State Department, so that didn't help. Today, I returned to the same post office that had rebuffed my boxes yesterday, thinking that they'd be able to ship the boxes.
I should have known. I really should have foreseen this given the tall pile of government bullshit I've been shoveling through: they still haven't downloaded the new rates.
Excuse me for a moment:
WHAT THE F***?!?
Just had to get that out.
They didn't offer to ship my boxes at the old rate. They didn't offer an apology. They didn't even seem remorseful. The bastards just pronounced it in the same way that Sesame Street announces that today has been brought to you by the letters "J" and "V" and the number "6".
Bastards. Of course, this all lead me to discover the real reason that USPS keeps having to raise their rates: It is a failing business model.
They raise rates because their costs increase.
Their costs increase because they are losing business.
They are losing business, at least in part, because they are unable to service their customers when the rates change.
Classic Catch-22.
And their customer service? Never heard of it. I might have to turn one customer away once in a while. But if I turned the same customer away two days in a row? I'd lose my job. At the very least they could put a note on the post office entrances so that people would be warned and not bother carrying their boxes through the rain for a second day to learn that the stupid m-fers still couldn't figure out how their software worked. And, if I were the postmaster in this zip code, I'd find a way - a manual way - to make sure my customers' needs were met.
But then, I have a freakin' work ethic...
Stupid bastards...
