Where's my certified letter? My telephone conversation from hell with a postal supervisor

No date...no notice as to when it can be picked up...

Mrs. Marathon Pundit just returned home from work for a short break. She brought in a notice that someone sent me a certified letter I promptly called the Morton Grove post office to see if I could get that letter right now.

I've been home all day today, by the way, no one rang our doorbell.

My call was transferred to a supervisor, "Mr. J," who was drippingly sarcastic with me. I repeatedly asked him, "Why wasn't the door bell rung" The supervisor, who is also a union member, said that it is "quite unusual" not to be informed of the delivery of a certified letter. But my wife says this same situation has happened before when she was home.

I asked him if I could pick up the letter from the carrier or if I could pick it up later at the post office. He didn't know when the carrier would return. I've gone to the Morton Grove post office at the end of business to pick up certified letters--and I'm usually told, "Well, it's not here now."

Then I asked Mr. J about the certified letter and why I wasn't notified it was here for me. "Oh," he derisively replied, "we're back to that again."

Finally, I informed him that I was a popular political blogger and that I feel compelled to write about this incident, his retort was, "Blog away, baby." Truth be told, I hadn't planned on doing that, but since he called my bluff, I have no other recourse than to respond accordingly.

Most of my jobs have involved working directly with the public--I'd be fired if I acted that way with a customer. Oh, Mr. J. didn't like the way I spoke to him--fine, he doesn't have to. But I'm the customer--he's the service provider.

No wonder the US Postal Service is facing declining volume--it's not just technology that ails it--it's some of the people working for it--such as Mr. J.

Let's see--perhaps with technology I can find that where that letter is...wait, the tracking number the carrier wrote down does not appear on usps.com.

Oh, speaking of unions, the National Association of Letter Carriers just retained the services of Ron Bloom, the onetime "car-czar" who was the mastermind of the General Motors and Chrysler bailout.

"Blog away, baby."

Oh, I plan to email the USPS about this episode.

And guess what...postage stamp rates are going up. Again.

As for the postal bailout, the House Oversight Commiteee has an idea for preventing it.

UPDATE October 19: I debated my choice in regards to posting this episode, but after I picked up the certified letter--which was in regards to an extremely minor legal involving Mrs. Marathon Pundit--I learned from the helpful Morton Grove postal clerk who handed me the letter that Mr. J's last name is not Johnson. "Are you sure you got that right?" she asked. His real surname is much different. Yes, I heard correctly.

And finally, the ZIP Code on the return address was entered incorrectly

Public servant.

Related posts:

Issa: Reform, don't bailout the US Postal Service

Issa launches postal reform website: SavingThePostalService.com

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