In yesterday's post I talked about why I was a huge fan of Amazon.com. Today I want to share why I am a raving fan of the United States Postal Service.
Before 2004, I used to make comments along with many others around me about the US Postal Service. They weren't complimentary. We used to call their service the Snail Mail. We made fun of postal employees, talked about the terrible service, standing in long lines at the Post Office and just generally put them down. The truth is that I didn't do very much with the Post Office and didn't have a lot of experience with them, except that they brought my mail every day--that is, until I went into business selling books, video and music on eBay--then I really found out what the Post Office was like.
Since April of 2004, I have become a raving fan of the US Postal Service. I spent over $15,000 in postage in 2007. Most of that was through Media Mail which is the one people make the most fun about. In reality, Media Mail is a bit misunderstood. Media Mail doesn't necessarily mean slow. Matter of fact, it could arrive at the same speed as Priority Mail under good conditions. It's just that it doesn't have to. It just doesn't have the priority; however, the Post Office does an awesome job of keeping it all moving effectively.
I have raving fans about the speed of my service and since most of my mailings go via Media Mail, that speaks very highly of the Postal Service! I do try to ship daily and that helps, but once the Post Office receives it, the rest is on them. They rarely miss in my experience now of shipping thousands of packages.
I also sell some guitars. You might think I would ship via UPS, but you would be wrong. I ship most of them via US Postal Service Priority Mail. On overseas shipments, I ship guitars exclusively with the US Postal Service and either use Priority International or Express Mail International. Since 2004, I have not had one problem with a shipment overseas. The only problem I had anywhere in the world was one shipment of a book to Mexico. That's amazing service considering all the logistics involved.
Damage is always a concern. I package my items so well that I don't think there could be an issue. Since 2004, I have had two damaged items. That makes the percentage so small that it is insignificant.
Lost shipments? None. Long delays. A handful. Just imagine the volume of mail and packages the US Postal Service deals with on a daily basis. It is mind boggling. To deal with that volume and the logistics of every address in the United States along with worldly shipments to other postal services is an incredible task. My hat is off to the Post Office and all their dedicated employees at making this happen every day including Sunday. They may only deliver Monday through Saturday, but the mail is moving 24/7. Speaking of Monday through Saturday. How about Saturday. You won't find that with UPS or FedEx unless you pay a fee.
I tell you this that media type sellers should be standing and cheering every day for the US Postal Service. The low cost Media Mail is what keeps books moving. Take that away and there will be problems in bookdom.
Counter employees. I have seen a lot of counter employees. Some are so tired of their jobs, they should be moved elsewhere in the company, but generally, I find the counter people to be incredibly patient and kind and efficient. There is a lot to know and do and there are a lot of unhappy people to deal with at the counter. Of course, if they knew what I now have learned, they would have a different attitude.
How are customers perceiving you and your service. Are they making fun or raving about your service? Make sure the occasional customers have as high an experience as your long term friends. And, one last thing: Lighten up!
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