Holiday shipping crunch time is ON! If you have yet to place that online order, don't delay. I've been shipping packages for my online vintage shop everyday now for weeks and delays are very random but becoming longer. Some customer purchases are not showing on tracking as being scanned. Typically, delivery is taking 5 - 8 days.
I've had to file one missing package search. Luckily the USPS response was excellent and much improved from past years. My package was tracked down and I actually received a call from someone in the field that located my package and got it moving along. They were going to continue to monitor it, making sure it didn't get hung up. Sure enough, 2 days after my case filing, it was gratefully received by my customer. It was described to me that there are so many packages in the system right now, they are sitting in trucks unprocessed!
The virus compounded with people making the hard decision to not travel to visit family during the holiday season has added to the package pile up. Let's all be grateful that the mail system is functioning even if it's a little clogged.
Earlier this year another customer reported to me that their order was missing. I filed a missing package search and another super nice mail clerk somehow found my package. I had not put enough postage on it (the first time that I've ever made that mistake). The clerk told me she would send it on its way without an additional fee charge. I was horrified to think a customer was going to have to pay more to get their package!
We've had some issues in the past with our mail carrier going on vacation and our mail not being picked up by substitute carriers. Our longtime carrier retired last year. We had a great system, I would text her when I was putting out a package to give her a heads up. She was the best of the best. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that our new carriers seem to be really with it and always show up, sometimes late at night after 8 pm. When you have a small business and are shipping packages from your home, the last thing you want to do is drive down to the back of the post office at 9 pm at night to find a lone mail truck where you can offload your packages. I used to have to do this more frequently than was tolerable but always found the nicest mail carriers willing to help.
Running
my small business from home is made so much easier if I can avoid the crowded post office. I hate to end my positivity with a snarl but our main branch post office is insanely backed up this time of year and I would rather have a root canal than get in that line. Earlier this year I accidently dropped off a Fedex package at the USPS by mistake (long story). I went by the next morning and a nice clerk went rummaging around in the back and found my package. I was so relieved because it was a leg brace for a customer that was in pain and needed the it ASAP!
For years the USPS has been given a bad rap but my experience this year is increasingly positive. Put a little sweet treat in your box for your carrier Christmas week. Their job has been harder than usual.
~Rebecca
