Photo courtesy of bettybl via Flickr
A month-long survey of 10 Brooklyn post offices found some surprising horror stories, with long waits, rude agents, and “chaotic” atmospheres.
The survey was conducted by Assemblyman Dov Hikind spurred on by constituent complaints. The sample included Bay Ridge, Blythbourne, Cadman Plaza, Dyker Heights, Kensington, Kings Highway, Midwood, Parkville, Sunset Park, and Van Brunt post offices.
Among the observations Hikind’s staff noted are:
- Dyker Heights and Kings Highway locations regularly have 45-minute waits. The others averaged a 25- to 30-minute wait
- Van Brunt and Dyker Heights open their windows 15 minutes late, causing a line to backup
- Kings Highway was the most chaotic, with curt workers that failed to address consumer needs
- Midwood Post Office’s workers yell at customers for mistakes on forms
- The mailbox isn’t emptied frequently at Blythbourne, causing clients to wait in line to send mail
“It is unconscionable that customers, especially the elderly, are being forced to spend an inordinate amount of time to obtain something as simple as a roll of stamps or a money order,” Hikind said. “The United States Postal Service continuously hikes their rates, but the public is getting nothing in return.”
In addition, Vos Iz Neias’ online coverage of the survey has brought in dozens of complaints about other post offices. In addition to lines, a couple of readers have pointed out that at the Coney Island Avenue and Avenue I location, a “self-hating Jewish person” frequently yells at customers and has even told another Jewish person that the “nazis should have killed him because he did not fill out forms properly.”
Yikes! I don’t use the post office much (thankfully!), so I don’t know how our area locations fare in comparison to those in the study. What do you think? Any horror stories?
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Here’s a real mess of trouble to drive one mad. A few months ago someone from overseas had sent me an air mail package. I discovered that the Postal Service had indication that the package had arrived at Kennedy Airport on September 29th. The post office told me this on October 20th. At that point the package still had not arrived and they had no clue as to where it was. Was it stolen or was it lying in the bottom of a canvas cart unnoticed and not forwarded? My shipper had to use another service to send this again costing him and me time and money. This is why the Post Office is going to pass on the way of the Dodo Bird in about 20 years. Even UPS is better at tracking packages then this dismal excuse for a mail delivery service.
I bought a scale and print my postage online and prevent going to post office altogether. I got disgusted seeing two tellers working half-assed, 7-8 empty windows, and being one of 30 people on line. With your bank card, TD bank allows you to buy stamps at their ATM also if you just need stamps.
anything run by the government is crap.
they should have one clerk standing by the line helping and filtering out the people.
this way questions will be answered and forms be filled out properly before they get to the counter. but nooooo…they all choose to hide behind the counter and eat cock meat sandwiches.
the sheepsheads bay post office is on the bottom of my list. i try to stay out of it but sometimes u have no choice. and the lazy mail delivery people dont even ring my bell, just leave the notice so i have to spend half an hour to pick up a package. i had the pleasure of renewing my passport in a post office in the poconos, it was so pleasant and painless i thought i was dreaming.
The Homecrest office is tolerable, and so is the Gravesend one.
Homecrest is tolerable very early. Otherwise, deliver the mail to the recipient in person. It would get there faster than that line moves.
I always felt that the Federal Government should make an agreement with the private carriers such as UPS and FedEx. They have the means in place to deliver a greater variety of parcels, and track packages far more efficiently than USPS. In addition they are much more customer oriented.
Sheepshead Bay Post Office on E.18th has maybe the rudest manager I’ve ever encountered, an older guy who patrols the lobby in a suit. Last time I was there he spent his time condescending to, patronizing, and loudly discussing an elderly lady who didn’t understand one of the lines on her shipping notice. I have never been there when he HASN’T berated someone. His purported function is to help people, and occasionally he does that; but mostly he seems to be doing his best to act out what it is to be a pompous ass. The clerks, on the other hand, mostly seem to be reasonably competent, if highly unenthusiastic. I’ll take this post-office, though, over the post office where I lived in Kensington–there, packages just disappeared somewhere between the sender and my house–and no one at the actual post office could ever enlighten me as to how they just never made it to my house.
I’ve had great experiences at the Homecrest Office. When the lines are long the manager comes out and helps the folks waiting. Give me Homecrest office any day.
The offices are bad enough. The delivery people are worse.
We have a mailbox in our building. The last time I used it to mail checks for paying credit card builds, etc., it took over two weeks for them to be delivered. Love those fines I had to pay!
When I am supposed to get checks or bonus cards from the credit card folks do you think I get them? Think again. They never get to me.
Curious.
Most of the tellers at the Bay post office are nice although they work at a snails pace. What holds up most lines though is people getting money orders. Why not have a line just for money orders? And that 1st window, closest to the door, is never manned. I’ve heard people screaming out “is anyone at this window” and some time later someone comes strolling over like they can’t be bothered. There’s a reason why there’s 3 inch thick plexiglass between the customers and the workers
.
i’m with gene on that one.
lots of time they just leave a notice of package in my mailbox while
i was home all day. no idiot mail person rang my bell and they have
the nerve to say that an attempt was made. all i have to say is that
over the years i have grown to dislike living in SB. it may be like this
in other parts of the city as well. it’s time to pack up my cm
sandwich cart and move.
I totally agree that this branch is a mess, and the manager is an ass hole! I have troubles there all the time. Waiting for an hour, or just not getting mail and packages, never received notices, other people's mail in my PO BOX, and so on…
And one thing, they are supposed to have their lobby open till 6 pm, but that arrogant manager closes it at 5, because he is lazy to tell people not to get in line (clerks do not serve ppl who came after 5). When I asked aren't they supposed to keep lobby open, so I can check my PO BOX or just drop an envelope, he said “I DON'T TRUST PEOPLE!” What a jerk! So every time I wait till he opens door with his key and argue with him. but seems no effect.
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