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if this happens, will this eventually mean the end of hand made cards as a viable medium? most of mine get mailed out.. either to friends or the troops although I do admit that most of my everyday communication is done electronically.
I'd rather they Kill Mondays if anything.. they already take it off all federal holidays anyway.
I don't think it means the end of handmade cards, even eventually.
My brother is a mail carrier, and we were discussing this topic, and I asked why the USPS hadn't considered simply going to a M-F delivery schedule. He rarely ever gets a "weekend" (2 days sequentially) off due to the current system.
He agreed it would be a logical move, but of course, it's not his call. ;)
The most significant reduction in mail volume he's seen is the bulk mailing of things like credit card offers, etc. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing--less junk mail makes me happy, that's for sure.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Actually this doesn't surprise me. The postal system has talked about stopping mail delivery on Saturdays before. This won't stop me from my regular mailing items. I'll just have to mail them during the week.
For me, the sad part about this is that somewhere along the lines people may be laid off (although the article did say that half of their employees will be eligible to retire in 10 years) so who knows?
I think it really means little to us, besides the fact that if something doesn't arrive on Friday, I gotta be patient for 3 days instead of just two.
For the most part, I don't think it means a lot less jobs, or at least less of a cut compared to many other companies out there. Think of the expense they can save just not running mail vehicles and offices one day a week...it could save the USPS rates from being hiked too much, too soon.
One less mail day would not change the amount of mail I send or recieve in the slightest...it sure wouldn't alter the number of cards I send. Even if Saturday was the ONLY day I could send them, well then, they sit in the box with the flag up an extra 24 hours.
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
We haven't had Saturday delivery in as long as I can remember. Did we ever have it? 5 day delivery certainly isn't the end of the world, though I always feel a pang of not-quite-envy when I read of all you over there getting your mail on Saturdays.
We can still post from the Post Office on Saturday mornings, and up till last year they still collected on Saturdays from the on-street post boxes, so Friday post was pretty much sure to arrive Monday morning. It still does, mostly, to be honest .
I don't know about over there, here one issue is that for many older people living in rural areas, the postman is an important part of their lives, regular contact. So the whole social aspect comes up every time cuts are proposed here. Sorry, I didn't mean such a lengthy reply.
Recently they put a self-service unit into the shopping centre where I shop. The post office is only across the road, but the queues can be half an hour, so the self-service is wonderful for smaller packages. It only takes up to an inch deep, but that's a good proportion of my stuff.
As a retired Postal employee, I can tell you that this talk has been around since before I hired in in 1972! Yes, the mail volume is down tremendously...because of e-mail, twitter, facebook, text messaging. No body makes phone calls to their parents any more either....all e-mails. It is bad in teh PO right now, but I don't think you are going to see the end of it all. Just less service, longer delivery days for carriers and probably no Saturday delivery by the end of this year!
Didn't the USPS "talk" about this last year?? If it must happen then I wil work with it.
I have noticed change in operation hours though. At Hickam AFB in Hawaii, the PO on base, changed thier hours to 8:30am to 4pm and they closed one hour for lunch and closed Sat. On base here at Scott in Illinois PO is opened from 8:30am to 4pm , but do not close for lunch, and closed Sat.
Just remember "when" PO was open to 5pm weekly and opened on Saturdays!! Showing my age!!!
__________________ The quickest way for a parent to get a child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable. Practice safe eating always use condiments
We have never had Saturday delivery as far back as I remember, in Canada - except maybe at Christmas, when I was a kid. (a long time ago LOL) I can see that with email communication, the post office is suffering. It won't stop me sending my cards, though.
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In my little town in Canada, our post office is open Saturday mornings and there is a delivery (we get mail at the office, not house to house). Mondays the Post Office is open, but there is only local delivery- the mail trucks from out of town come Tuesday-Saturday.
In my city in Canada - there has never been 5 day mail delivery in my life. and I'm 49. But - our post offices are open both Saturday and Sunday if you need to post something more than can simply go out in a community mailbox. I guess it's what you are used too.
I'm very spoilied. I live in Los Angeles and the post office near LAX used to be open 24 hours. In the past two or three years they changed the hours to 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. They are opened on Saturdays and Sundays and many holidays.
I don't see a problem with stopping Saturday mail delivery. If they leave the PO open to mail stuff even for just a couple of hours on Saturday morning, that's fine. If not, ok, that's a little more difficult but I could manage as I'm sure others could as we got used to the change.
We'll see what happens. I wonder how many people will complain. I wonder how many post people they'll have to lay off and how many branches they'll close.
__________________ It always feels like somebody's watching me. Hey, is it YOU?
I'm very spoilied. I live in Los Angeles and the post office near LAX used to be open 24 hours. In the past two or three years they changed the hours to 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. They are opened on Saturdays and Sundays and many holidays.
Wow! I live near a very little town...the PO is open 9-10:15am on Saturdays. During the week it's only open 8:30-4:30 with an HOUR AND A HALF lunch break. I think it's hilarious because the person that works there stays in for lunch...but of course I get there 2 minutes after 12 every time I go.
Not so handy...but I rarely have to go...I have a postal scale and do nearly everything online now anyway.
__________________ Cher No longer stamping...on to bigger things.
i'm perfectly okay with reduced delivery days. my only gripe is if they take away saturday, it's just more hassle for those of us that work 8-5 M-F. i already have a list of errands for my lunch hour...
I have never had Saturday delivery, or at home pick up of mail.
In Canada we have Monday to Friday delivery (sometimes less if you live in a very small community) and we are able to do drop offs at post offices on Saturdays. I guess it might be an adjustment, but I don't think it's a big deal.
i'm perfectly okay with reduced delivery days. my only gripe is if they take away saturday, it's just more hassle for those of us that work 8-5 M-F. i already have a list of errands for my lunch hour...
My sister works for the PO and says that it will be Saturday delivery, not office hours. I had said pretty much the same thing to her, that it would be very inconvenient for people who worked M-F, and that is what she told me. Although she did say that some of the really small towns might close on Saturdays.
:You know.....I firmly believe they could retire their deficit if they just charged the same rate for junk mail that they do for my loverly cards.....Yesterday we received 7 first class mail items but not one of them paid 44 cents to mail....the least was 16 adn the closest was 33........the difference would make a dent in their deficit if they would only do it. and yes I fully realize that many non-profits depend on the bulk mail prices to solict donations..........but maybe I wouldn't get hit with 24--that is right 24-- solictations for the same children's hospital if they had to work with a budget and pay 44 cents to mail each one of them.........
and it really bums me out that I have to stand in line at the PO to buy a book of stamps that was once available to me via a machine in the lobby--or else go to the grocery store and buy them there.
__________________ c-mouse-If you can't say nuttin nice--don't say nuttin at all. Thumper. Pansy
Card Sketch Challenge 1-227 done only 396+ to go to be caught up!!!!!
I'm in Canada where I only have M-F delivery so I can't see it causing a problem.
I'm not sure why the PO being closed on the weekend would prevent mailing a letter. Do you not have drop slots for mail? In Canada, as long as you have postage stamps, you don't need a person/post office to mail a letter. Just slide it in the slot at the Shopper's Drug Mart or in the actual red mail boxes that are at many places.
The post office places in the stores here are open Saturdays, but at reduced hours. And you can buy postage stamps at the main check out counter even if the P.O. is closed.
You know I have to say that I'm not surprised by the post office having a deficit, and I understand that email, texting, and such is most likely the main cause, but you would think have sites like ebay would have helped the USPS. Can you imagine all of those ebay packages being mailed as a result from winning an auction? (Of course I know that not everything is mailed via USPS).
I just buy my postage online now, and in fact will 98% of the time do the same thing when I am mailing package.. just figure it out online then arrange for pick up.
what gets me is they have been crying about how broke they are for decades.. all they have done is cut services and raise prices.. but the whingeing goes on. used to be the mail man delivered house to house.. now 3/4 of the time there is a set of boxes at the end of the block and they don't even deliver packages any more, just stuff them in the larger boxes.
I could live with one less day.. but why can't it be on Mondays? still get pair of days off in a row plus since they already take Mondays off every time there is a federal holiday anyway it isn't like they'd be backed up any.
I could care less if I get saturday delivery. I would be bummed if my local branch closed services on Saturdays though. I live just down the street from a hub office and the line for mailing things is out the door on saturdays. I also have access to a self service kiosk which is great for when i need to send stamp sets I've sold. I can go and weigh stuff to get the cost of shipping and not have to wait in line and then after i receive payment i can go back and actually get it posted without standing in that line that goes out the door.
I also agree with a previous poster that everyone should pay regular first class postage with the exception of true non-profits...rather than an extreme discount for them though i would say maybe a 5 cent discount would be okay. I think it would make a huge difference in the USPS deficit. My sister worked for the USPS for 35 years and when i asked her what her advice is for someone that wants to work for the PO she said "Don't". She said it just wasn't a good place to work anymore.
__________________ Shellie G
Aspire to be a better person than you were yesterday
In my little town our PO is only open 9:00-9:30 on Sat. mornings! I can't quite imagine any of this will mean the end of mailing homemade cards!
WOW! A 1/2 hour on Saturdays? I've stood in line for that long on a weekday in the middle of the day....I see you did say "in my little town" though. (I think I'd like a little town like that!)
I think I would be fine with no Saturday delivery. I do understand the thought-process behind Mondays, but they will still get the paid holiday somewhere else, so I think Saturdays work. The only time I think it would bother me is when I place that "all important order" and know it could be in my mailbox on a Saturday....but I am sure I'd live (or suck it up and pay for expedited shipping! ;) but I think we'd all adjust.
I used to work Tuesday thru Sunday....not having weekends off was difficult at best. I am sure the postal workers would appreciate the weekend off...and to staff the Post Office for a few hours, I am sure they could work out a fair system for everyone to work a few hours each month but still retain the bulk of their weekend off.
__________________ KC
What if the Hokey Pokey is what it is all about?!
I don't understand why anyone would think going to a 5 day delivery would mean you couldn't mail handmade cards?? How could the amount of delivery days effect particular pieces of mail? Mail is still mail.
It wouldn't really matter to me going to 5 days other than I would be more careful to only place internet orders (not that I do very many now) on a Monday so that I could have it by the end of the week. I don't order from places that take longer than 3-4 days now for that matter.
For me it wouldn't make much difference since I pay my bills on-line or have automatic payment from my account.
I do not get mail delivered on Saturday or Sunday. The Post Office is shut.
You can pay bills and do banking at our Post Offices as well.
So, no, this is will not affect you that much really. Just a matter of getting used to. See, that has been the way of it all my life, so I know no different.
Sometimes I wish that Aussie Post Offices would open...but then I think those people who work there need time off too.
if this happens, will this eventually mean the end of hand made cards as a viable medium? most of mine get mailed out.. either to friends or the troops although I do admit that most of my everyday communication is done electronically.
I'd rather they Kill Mondays if anything.. they already take it off all federal holidays anyway.
I don't understand why anyone would think going to a 5 day delivery would mean you couldn't mail handmade cards?? How could the amount of delivery days effect particular pieces of mail? Mail is still mail.
Patti
my concern is.. if they went to a 5 days system, what is to prevent them from dropping down to a 3 day.. or completely going belly up and not functioning at all any more.. or raising 1st class postage so high as to make it too expensive to make a hand made card which more often than not takes extra postage as it is now.
:You know.....I firmly believe they could retire their deficit if they just charged the same rate for junk mail that they do for my loverly cards.....Yesterday we received 7 first class mail items but not one of them paid 44 cents to mail....the least was 16 adn the closest was 33........the difference would make a dent in their deficit if they would only do it. and yes I fully realize that many non-profits depend on the bulk mail prices to solict donations..........but maybe I wouldn't get hit with 24--that is right 24-- solictations for the same children's hospital if they had to work with a budget and pay 44 cents to mail each one of them.........
and it really bums me out that I have to stand in line at the PO to buy a book of stamps that was once available to me via a machine in the lobby--or else go to the grocery store and buy them there.
I agree.
But I think they fear that if they raise their prices on junk mail, the backlash from companies will be much more harmful and WILL put the post office even more in debt. Junk mail accounts for a huge whopping percentage (my impression only) of the mail volume, and then business mail (from business to business or business to individuals and vice versa) is the next biggest percentage. I think personal mail (individual to individual) is only a teensy tiny fraction of the mail volume. So I THINK the post office wants to keep its biggest customers (businesses who use junk mail extensively) happy and is too afraid to raise postal rates to anything approaching what individuals pay.
I personally think they should stop Saturday Delivery. It would save them alot of money.
Just imagine what the PO would do WITHOUT all of us stampers! We do send quite a bit of mail between swaps, handmade cards and package we get from stores we buy from.
If we stooped then they would really take a hit!LOL
Wow we are lucky in Australia. We don't have mail on a Sat, although the post office is open until lunch time they don't actually deliver mail (only 3 sat's before Chrissy). Post Offices in Australia have lots of side business though, banking, mobile phones, registration for vehicles, passports and more, plus I have lived all over oz and never had to wait more than 15 min's to be served except in Dec leading up to Christmas, but never more than half an hour - wow it's pretty tough over there. Hope it all gets worked out to benefit the workers and the consumers. Best of luck
I don't think that cutting back to a 5-day mail week will stop anyone from making and sending cards, at least not those of us who have mailboxes on the corner close to where we live.
Mrsjvb.....I don't see your fears stated in Post #27 happening at all. The Post Office is a government department and I would seriously doubt that part of the government would ever shut down completely. There are still many pieces of mail that MUST be delivered by a mailman and not via the internet.
Personally, I will still continue to make my cards. The amount of postage needed to me is not an issue. I believe the pleasure the receiver gets from the cards I send far outweighs the amount of postage it costs me. But then again, I am not one to put a bunch of extra stuff on my cards. My cards are not overloaded with heavy/large embellishments.
I personally think they should stop Saturday Delivery. It would save them alot of money.
Just imagine what the PO would do WITHOUT all of us stampers! We do send quite a bit of mail between swaps, handmade cards and package we get from stores we buy from.
If we stooped then they would really take a hit!LOL
I agree! With all the ordering I do online, cards I send and recieve - oh man - the Post Office would take a hit without us stampers. But as I said - in Canada - we've had M- F delivery for as long as I can remember. No problem.
I agree! With all the ordering I do online, cards I send and recieve - oh man - the Post Office would take a hit without us stampers. But as I said - in Canada - we've had M- F delivery for as long as I can remember. No problem.
Funny my husband just said this the other day (before this thread was started). My husband said to me...."The post office must love you guys"
Can you imagine all of the mail that is sent from wish rak, ALL of the pif threads, and us sending our cards?
I'm very spoilied. I live in Los Angeles and the post office near LAX used to be open 24 hours. In the past two or three years they changed the hours to 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. They are opened on Saturdays and Sundays and many holidays.
bringing back a funny memory, when I lived in LA (near that PO) my boyfriend used to ride his bike there at 11:59 on april 14 every year. He didn't believe in giving up his money until the last minute.
Mrsjvb.....I don't see your fears stated in Post #27 happening at all. The Post Office is a government department and I would seriously doubt that part of the government would ever shut down completely. There are still many pieces of mail that MUST be delivered by a mailman and not via the internet.
Personally, I will still continue to make my cards. The amount of postage needed to me is not an issue. I believe the pleasure the receiver gets from the cards I send far outweighs the amount of postage it costs me. But then again, I am not one to put a bunch of extra stuff on my cards. My cards are not overloaded with heavy/large embellishments.
bringing back a funny memory, when I lived in LA (near that PO) my boyfriend used to ride his bike there at 11:59 on april 14 every year. He didn't believe in giving up his money until the last minute.
They still stay open on April 15 until midnight. The line of cars trying to get that PO is crazy. The news channels always show it.
Didn't the USPS "talk" about this last year?? If it must happen then I wil work with it.
I have noticed change in operation hours though. At Hickam AFB in Hawaii, the PO on base, changed thier hours to 8:30am to 4pm and they closed one hour for lunch and closed Sat. On base here at Scott in Illinois PO is opened from 8:30am to 4pm , but do not close for lunch, and closed Sat.
Just remember "when" PO was open to 5pm weekly and opened on Saturdays!! Showing my age!!!
right there with ya on the age thing chickie...
where i live the main po is open m-f 8:30 am -5 pm, then Sat is 9 am - noon.
I don't think a 5 day deliver would be bad but i think they should close on Mondays for all those people who cannot make it to the po monday - fridays..
Is the end Nigh?!
