Letter: No luck with customer service at USPS in Vail
No luck with customer service at USPS
I am writing on behalf of all of the missing mail of Vail in regard to our town’s branch of the U.S. Postal Service. We must work together to solve the problem that is our post office.
I am considered one of the lucky ones in town. What I mean by this is that my neighborhood receives (or is supposed to receive) mail delivery. However, as many of you know firsthand, the inconsistent and negligent postal practices often leave residents in the dark when it comes to mail delivery.
In the past 12 months alone, seven packages scheduled for delivery to my home via USPS have gone missing. Quick tracking searches show them as received at the Vail postal facility. From there, though, it is anyone’s guess. Sometimes, I have been told that they were delivered and must have been stolen in the neighborhood. I work from home and monitor deliveries closely and have never found this to be accurate.
Another time, the problem was blamed on an outgoing mail delivery person. I was assured that once she was relocated to a less stressful position, the problem would be alleviated. No such luck.
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Multiple trips to the post office are fruitless and even disheartening. On Saturday morning, a postal clerk expressed his inability to solve the chronic problem, told me with expletives that he hates his job and informed me that it will only get worse, as the branch is short staffed and the holidays are on the way. I sincerely hope he finds his calling because he seems very dissatisfied and angry as an employee of the USPS.
I always try to use UPS in lieu of USPS, but many companies (Amazon included) have agreements with USPS. Many of my neighbors are afraid to speak out for fear that the mail they do receive will be held hostage by slighted postal employees.
The pay rates published for USPS are much higher than many service positions in the valley and include benefits, making USPS employment a reasonable choice for those who would like to transition out of the resort hospitality industry that governs much of our employment base in town. Sadly, similar issues have been reported in surrounding mountain towns.
Please join me in working toward a solution that is amenable to all. #FreeTheMailOfVail
Dana Dance-Schissel
Vail