Jessica, do you know why USPS customer service is so bad? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.
Sending and receiving mail is an essential service for everyday living. From paying bills, renewing identification and subscriptions, and receiving packages, the mail is a very important part of our ability to get things done on time.
But what do we do when the mail is not efficient? It impacts our ability to get things done on the timeline and can even cost us additional fees as a result.
It seems like the postal service continues to get worse and worse. Here are 4 Reasons why USPS customer service is so bad:
1. Poor In-Store Service
If you’ve been to both a USPS location and a UPS or FedEx location recently, you’ll notice that the differences between them are staggering.
At the core, it comes down to the quality of the service. Below, you will find a brief summary of two of my own personal experiences. One with USPS, and the other with UPS.
I walk into each location with only my item, I have no box and no tape.
USPS: I walk in and make my way through the line (if there is one) to the service desk. I am told, upon explaining I’d like to ship my item, that I will need to purchase a box for it.
I am sent across the store to the box display to pick one out myself, doing my best to judge what size of the box I will need.
I return to the desk (after standing in line again, if needed) and am now told I will also need tape in order to seal the box. (note, some boxes come with adhesive strips on them already). I am not allowed to use the tape the USPS worker has on hand, and must go and purchase my own from another display.
After making my way to the worker again, the box freshly taped, I am now able to proceed with shipping my package. Throughout the experience, the worker is reluctant to do anything more than the bare minimum.
I exit the USPS location with a roll of packing tape I have no other use for, having potentially used up a lot of time waiting if lines are long.
UPS: I walk in and make my way through the line (if there is one) to the service desk. I explain to the worker that I would like to ship my item.
As we speak, the worker takes my item, finds a box best suited to it’s size, packs it accordingly and tapes it shut, all at the desk. I am then told the total cost for the shipping and box.
I exit the UPS location after the quick exchange with no additional items.
As you can see, there is no mystery as to why the service at the USPS seems so terrible by comparison.
Going to one of the competing shipping services looks to be the more ideal way to send your mail.
2. Lack of Consistency of Service Quality
Now the service quality at your local USPS Office may be vastly different, and that’s great! But the fact that the quality of service can change so drastically from place to place is not a good thing.
It could be one bad mail handler, an unfriendly and unhelpful cashier, or even an unreliable delivery person. It doesn’t take a lot to drive down the quality at a specific location.
In comparison, UPS and FedEx usually have consistent service regardless of the specific location or region. You should get the exact same experience in one part of the country as the other.
This further put the USPS in an unfavorable light, as there seems to be no system of quality assurance or responsibility to keep each location up to standards.
3. Poor Tracking and Package Assistance
Along the lines of service quality, the experience many get after their package has been handed off to USPS is also subpar.
The customer service phone lines are incredibly inconvenient, being put through a gauntlet of automated responses before being able to make any selections.
The only thing more difficult to do is to get to a real person on the phone. But even this is a disappointment, as they are often unable to help with any issues you may be calling about. The major thing many call in to inquire about is the status of their packages.
Tracking on the USPS site is less than ideal, and the customer service associates on the phone are equally as unhelpful.
Many have, in recent times, faced a myriad of shipping delays and issues. Throughout this, the USPS has struggled to keep up with even the meager standards they held originally.
For many whose packages have been lost somewhere in transit, or the tracking has not been updated in a week, or some other issue, their best option is just to wait and hope the overworked mail carrier manages to fumble their package or letter to the right address.
4. “Oh Well” attitude
Going hand in hand with the previous section, the USPS customer service associate seems completely aware of how terrible the service is.
When expressing their frustration and worry over the status of their mail, many concerned customers were told, effectively, “Oh well.”
Conclusion
In essence, there are many factors that cause the USPS to be inefficient, causing problems for Americans everywhere.
Some of these include poor in-store service, lack of consistency in service quality, poor tracking and package assistance, and an “oh well” attitude.
So what can we do? In the meantime, while USPS works on making their services more efficient, use UPS or alternative services whenever possible.
When you must use USPS, plan for the extended wait times and decrease in quality service.
References
https://www.uspsoig.gov/service-performance
https://www.uspsoig.gov/blog/shedding-light-usps-service-performance