Why the Post Office Gives Amazon Special Delivery
wsj.com
wsj.com
Amazon is treated like royalty inside post offices. Some examples in tracking, delivery and accomodation.
- This past prime day, a clerk had to come in at midnight to accept an extra 800 Prime packages from Amazon (normally delivered to PO at 4amish). Amazon barks, the PO acts!. Normally no clerk is required. This meant OT for other clerks as the rate of >$40/hr. there are 32,000 post offices. * BTW, prime this time was a bust... no real uptick in parcels.
- Extra tracking. Regional management often calls the individual offices if any Amazon is not delivered, and wants to know an explanation. This never happens for any other company. Even dumb stuff like "dog interference" or "vacation holds".. Every Amazon has to be delivered each day. Can't miss one. It is all BS.
- Extra effort. So, the package was mis thrown into another hamper, and the carrier has left for the office. Delier it tomorrow, right? Nope. not if it is Amazon. CAll someone back, give them OT, and deliver it today. NEVER happens for other packages, even USPS own Priority.
- Amazon Prime is King Trump. So we get them early. they sit on a pallet. Each as a delivery window: 7-10am or 10am-1pm. Extra OT is always approved. We deviate from the route to make the deliveries. AND we have to take back the empties.
It is not just the price... The entire organization has made every supervisor and postmaster and above Amazon aware...
Amazon is treated the same way, or better. Just their parcels do not go through the mail system as they are brought to the individual post offices.
Given 2 parcels, One has Amazon on it and one Lands End, the Amazon is given extra attention and all others are not.
That is my point.
As far as efficiency goes, getting a piece of paper for less than $.50 is not to bad, IMO. Yes, things can always get better.
Like it sounds pretty high pressure but as a customer, I don't give a rats ass if my package got put in the wrong bin, that's not my problem to solve. Get it here please.
As a customer, you don't expect Lands End EXACT date, but as Amazon you do. Shouldn't the PO get paid MORE for this, instead of less?
We know its all BS.. and somebody greased someones elses palms (NO data, just hunch.. sorry)
When you are locked in a cage with 1 angry 9000 pound gorilla and 9000 angry 1 pound rats, you don't focus on any one rat. You choose to either focus on the gorilla or the group of rats.
You should probably be thankful that Amazon is using the USPS. I've seen lots of Lyft drivers in my neighborhood making Amazon package last mile deliveries all week -- even on Sunday and in the evenings.
I can't imagine the USPS with pensions and their antiquated policies (especially with Congress preventing them from innovating and forcing them to fully fund their previously underfunded pension program) can match Lyft contractors who require no capital investment and no large contracts.
I think the USPS still sees the writing on the wall. Snail mail is increasingly becoming less relevant for paperwork. My USPS SNR is very low these days -- just a few bills that I can't turn electronic, yet. If not for Netflix, I wouldn't check my mail box but once a month.
If I were you, I would find ways to make Amazon's investments in your organization pay dividends to Land's End and the other USPS customers. Without some distinguishing features that beat email + FedEx/UPS/DHL + Lyft/Uber, the USPS will continue to atrophy. Make sure you and your fellow USPS workers encourage a virtuous circle and don't allow it to fall into a downward spiral.
A Trump action could make change occur, but Russia and his ego may never get it on the radar.
When I say there is absolutely 0 organizational memory/ability to think like a for profit organization, that would be an understatement. Or they are quite bad about comminicating such. To find ways to use the investments is logical. To inspire an organization to care about customer service is difficult.
I suggested that the latest budget include a line "deliveries will be made by a human" or some such language; to get it in now so it becomes legacy like 6 day delivery. But nobody even thinks about disruption. Kind of sad, actually.
If driverless cars really do become commonplace, the privitization of now-public roads, IMO, would come quickly. That may be the straw that breaks the Postal back.
As far as pensions, only the old timers have one. Most, like me, have the federal Thrift savings....
Isn't this program available to any company that meets the requirements? Local shops and small-like shippers don't benefit because it's too hard, but Amazon's competition (Newegg, EBay, etc) presumably have access to the same programs.
https://www.usps.com/priorityyou/welcome.htm?ns_campaign=sun...
Which I wouldn't have any issue with, but I've had the experience that USPS postal carriers are, well, less physically able to handle large packages. We order both Amazon Pantry and Subscribe & Save items, meaning we have 40lb boxes of dog food or cat litter coming in, sometimes several times per month.
I get a complaint almost every time from the postal carrier. I don't necessarily blame them, especially when Amazon puts 80lb of goods in one box. At the same time though, I end up feeling guilty just for ordering these types of items online.
If they can't deliver an item that meets their own USPS requirements then that's their own fault not yours.
I know multiple people in different cities who have been told that their particular USPS mail carrier couldn't carry some reasonably-sized packages, so they wouldnt deliver them to the home.
This is not a case of "these packages are above the limits we allow for home delivery" - it was very clearly a matter of the carrier for that particular route not wanting or being able to carry those packages.
Inside the mind of a carriers is part "it pays my job" but most is this:
If you are not an old shut-in or a brand-spanking new mother, then go to the store yourself, dammit! We did.