Why this Post Office Reminds Me of Why Big Gov't Doesn't Work - Everyday

USPS Post Office - 16825 S Desert Foothills Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85048

You know the place. It's the worst. I'm going to document my daily interactions with them because I go there everyday. I run several small businesses. I need an efficient and effective post office.

Now, I'm not being mean - I'm just documenting the actual experiences. If it leads to an improvement, everybody wins. If it doesn't, well, at least we can chuckle through our tears.

I've been going to this post office for 12 years. The place is legendary in my community. For bad service. Restaurants condemned by the health department have 2 star ratings. So does this place:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/us-post-office-phoenix-23?adjust_creative=bing&utm_campaign=yelp_feed&utm_medium=feed_v2&utm_source=bing

Ongoing complaints. I'm going to stick to 6, not because that's all there is, but because that's all I have time for.

1. Night Deposit Package Drop is always full/broken. Don't go on a Sunday. Ever. Or on a long weekend. Ever. It will be full, which causes it to break/malfunction. Only the post office would struggle managing a hole in the wall. I've actually seen customers jump for joy and yell "Hooray" when they go there at night and the machine is working. Success ratio? 2 out of 5 visits

2. Rainspout is actually over the front door. If you go there during the rain you are going to get drenched. The spouts actually empty onto the patrons entering the building. Kind of like a moat I guess. God bless the desert.

3. Lighting in Parking lot. This place is a rapist's dream at night. Isolated, quiet and badly lit. I don't feel safe going there at night. Ever. The staff are behind locked gates/fences. Us plebeians? Nada. There are actually 4 stops signs WITHIN the parking lot. I guess they want you to go slow. So they feel at home.

4. Postage machine - actually has instructions on it telling you the user how to repair it when it fails. "Labels Don't Always Drop Correctly - Reach in and Try to Get Them" is my favorite hand lettered sign. Machine is down most evening for "updating" and one time I went in it was actually "blue screened" and allowed me to enter into the coding system. I reported it and they got right on it. (Not.)
Success ratio: about 3 out of 5 visits.

5. Staff. This is just a small example of how their training pays off. If you pay by credit card, they ask for ID. They are not allowed to ask for ID unless you buy stamps.(monetary instruments) If your card signature is a little dull from use they say it isn't good enough and send you on your way. They are only allowed to ask for ID in that case if there is NO signature. If you go there "hoping" to get to a fast clerk, abandon hope. There is no fast clerk. I actually fell asleep in line once. As a public service I can tell you the wait times. If there is 4 people ahead of you, count on 15 minutes. If there is 8 people ahead of you - bring a sandwich. My record is 45 minutes in a line of 10 people. We are not customers - we are input parameters. In 12 years and probably a $20,000 spend here - I've been thanked exactly zero times for my business. Success ratio: about 2 out of 5 visits

6. Interior. Now, Ahwatukee is a semi-upscale neighborhood. This place was decorated by the 1980 Russian Politburo. There is NOTHING redeeming, attractive or comfortable in this place. The supply stands are generally out of what you need except for express boxes which are generally stacked 300 deep and scattered on the floor at night. Not a pen after hours, not any tape for a last second repair. Nothing.

There you have it. These are the foundational findings. I'm going there today. I will be reporting on my findings as consistently as I have time for, and I will be fair - I will report on the good things as well. Mostly because that won't take long.

God help us.