posted on April 13, 2005 09:35:02 AM
I had to go to the PO today to drop off my packages that I had to ship. I use Endicia so very rarely do I ever have to stand in line to do postage. I take my packages in and if they are busy behind the counter I hand them over and leave. I got out of my car with 3 walmart bags of envelopes to mail and this woman was getting out of her car behind me. I turned around, she looked at my bags and went BOLTING in front of me. Like a full out sprint ~ kind of funny. So I get into the PO and find this big huge long line...with her at the very back. I walked right past everyone, including the sprinter, handed my 3 bag fulls of packages over the counter and said 'have a nice day!' and left.
posted on April 13, 2005 11:27:31 AM
I love it! That happens to me a lot. I know it chaps people, but they should do online postage! The ladies in the post office start chatting with me when I walk in the door. I walk right up put down my packages, turn around to the irritated people standing in line and say "online postage." It really is kinda funny.
posted on April 13, 2005 11:32:03 AM
This happens only very occasionally to me, I think some people though have a heart attack when they see how much I have to ship. Unfortunately, I almost always need to have help as I do a decent amount of international shipping. I ship from a small post office, so there is rarely a line anyway. I see some regulars there who ship a lot without using internet postage, makes no sense to me. Paying for regular delivery confirmation just doesn't make any sense to me, esp. if you have an online business and are online.
posted on April 13, 2005 12:23:55 PM
My husband does our post office runs (when we don't use Carrier Pick-up), and he gets that a LOT.
There's a guy locally who sells vitamins and herbs on the internet, and sometimes he and hubby run into each other at the post office. The guy has the clerks put postage on each and every one of his gazillion packages. He probably ties the line up for a good 20 minutes, and considering that our post office usually only has two lines open MAX, it causes quite a hold-up for other customers.
Hubby's told him about online postage, and even the post office clerks have highly recommended it ("hint hint!" ), but the guy still does it the hard way.
posted on April 13, 2005 12:31:26 PM
What's really funny is when the clerk yells "Hi! Just set it up here" to you when you walk in the door. Talk about getting the evil eye.
Helga, ask for one of those white plastic postal tubs. Those things are great for hauling your small packages back and forth.
posted on April 13, 2005 02:05:47 PM
When I lived in Virginia I had fun with it.
During Christmas the place was standing room only with a tight snake line.
Before I had online postage....... I'd weigh everything write the weight where the stamp would go. I'd then go to the PO and buy about $200 in postage out of the machine, stamp all the packies in the corner and nudge my way through the compacted snake line.
I'd get at least a half dozen "Hey wait in line" and another dozen resentful confused looks.
This was in 2000 so online postage was a rare, unknown, brand new concept.
And of course I smirked as I nudged my way back out of the building past the people who MAYBE moved forward about 3 feet in line.
posted on April 13, 2005 03:58:43 PM
Sheesh!! Why go to the PO? Just call & they will pick them the next day. The only time I go is to buy stamps, which is about every 2 months.
posted on April 13, 2005 04:55:29 PM
Since I do international almost exlusively I'm at the post office every day. I stand there in line listening to my iPod and watching people get so impatient because of the guy at one of the counters with half a dozen packages. Little do they know that that innocuous gym bag hanging off my shoulder has been known to contain up to 100 packages.
Of course I have this down to a science. I know what clerks to go to and what clerks to let the person behind me go to while I wait for someone else. Once I am at the counter, one of my three "Fenix Approved" clerks hands me the Letter Post stamp and cancelation stamp and we go to work. We can knock out 100 packages in under 5 songs leaving plenty of time for a little wandering around for some fresh air before I go back to the grind or to stop off at the dumpiest looking little restaurant that far predates downtown revitalization and that most would avoid like the plague but that I happen to know, early in the morning, is the souce of the best hot from the oven homemade southern cornbread in town.
For me, the post office is an excuse to get away from the computer get out, get some air and move around for a little while and every so often...send carb and sugar counts thru the roof!
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
If it's really "common" sense, why do so few people actually have it?
[ edited by fenix03 on Apr 13, 2005 04:57 PM ]
posted on April 13, 2005 04:55:37 PM
sanmar-why even do that?You can buy stamps
online.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baseball season has started,but they have it all wrong.3 strikes and you're out,4 balls you walk.I can tell you right now a man with 4 balls could not possibly walk
posted on April 13, 2005 06:47:25 PM
You can definitely buy postage below face. I used to do it, but I changed to Endicia because though I was saving good money on postage, the time it took me to process packages was really a problem. Time is money, so although I now pay above face value (if you factor in the monthly fee) I can pack 50 packages now in an hour or so, and before that would have taken me 3 hours
posted on April 14, 2005 10:50:11 AM
I am lucky to piggy back on my brother's post office box daily pick up but on occassion I need to go to the post office.
When I go the post office I encounter the most sour faces from the clerks. For some reason they do not like to process international packages. I always have everything filled out and ready. This bunch of clerks are the most miserable. I am ALWAYS EXTRA SWEET to them. Seems to tick them off even more.
Down the road is another post office that just loves me. So friendly and helpful.
