Mail Delivery
 

Finally got my notifications from Meredith Deputy Tax Clerk via email. Never did get notifications via regular mail.

I mailed my check to her on 12/8, but she reports not received yet. Friends say the mail service has been all over the place, sometimes slow, sometimes not.

Anybody else having this problem?

Yes the mail has been slow probably due to the holidays, I sent my check on 12/9 and it has not cleared the bank yet and I mailed it from Meredith.

You got mail, that’s good. Here in the outskirts of Laconia, no mail Saturday. Mail Monday no mail Tuesday. Wednesday?? Guessing with storm none Thursday


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Mine has been coming late like 5 or 6 pm.

I'm sure you know this but the Laconia post office is horrendous to say the least. It has nothing to do with holidays, covid, or weather. They just plain suck and deliver mail when they feel like it. It's been that way for years...

Dan

Unfortunately, I can’t disagree with you. The gentleman who does deliver to this area is very kind.


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So is my carrier but some of the stories she has told me are unreal...for example Amazon packages which are not delivered on time are marked as "no access to property" or "no one home to sign" even though a delivery attempt was never ever made!

Dan

Yes, we have a security system that begins recording as you enter the driveway. We get the same excuses. As they say in sports “let’s go to the video”. No attempt was made. The best one is “bad weather in the area”. Convinced they just don’t want to complete the route. We receive it the next day.


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Being home due to Covid I have been ordering alot from Amazon and the packages are never on time tracking says "out for delivery" and they show up two days later.

summer mail
 

Big bonus in Glendale: First class mail only, no junk, no campaign flyers. Timely delivery when I send mail to my grandchildren at a Glendale address.
I'd hate to have problems if I were relying on timely service for medical supplies. Could be dangerous.

The USPS team in Melvin Village is awesome. They have gone out of their way for me more than once. There is all sorts of news on how the USPS has been starved for resources at the national level; that is bound to affect us locally.

I’m just learning this as a new full timer. Laconia mail is miserable. I even have a PO Box for my business and that’s no better.

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From what I understand, a lot of USPS staff around the Country is ill with Covid-19 and needless to say it's causing all sorts of issues and delays everywhere.

Also, UPS and Fed Ex have their own issues right now, plus, they are tasked with moving the Covid-19 Vaccines around the Country.

Best we as customers can do right now is to chill, be patient, and let them do their jobs under the difficult working conditions they are in right now (Covid-19 exposure risks).

Wishing all the Forum readers Happy Holidays! Let's stay safe out there....

Not just the Lakes region...
 

Tremendous backlog/slowdown here on the seacoast as well. I have four Amazon deliveries that made it across the country in two days only to be sitting (according to the USPS tracking system) in the Dover post office awaiting final transfer since last Sunday. My UPS and Fedex stuff is still coming through normally although I expect delays over the next week or so.....:confused:

Just received the following today from USPS here in Texas:

"Notice of Delivery Service Impacts"

"USPS is experiencing unprecedented volume increases and limited employee availability due to the impact of COVID-19.

We appreciate your patience and remain committed to delivering the holiday to you"

It's pitiful
 

We mailed approximately 90 notices in envelopes to members of an organization I belong to on Dec 5 th around 115pm. As of yesterday, I still have not received my copy. Most of us live in Alton, New Durham, Gilmanton, and Barnstead.

Mailed in Alton. Of course, it leaves Alton and goes to Manchester to be sorted and then comes back to Alton (for Alton and Alton Bay mall).

The only good thing about mail in Alton is that at the Alton Bay PO, Prudence is excellent in her service, once the mail arrives in her office. She is old school; customers first.

Dave

I am surprised that the Moultonboro post office hasn’t been mentioned. There have been so many problems there in the past. One experience I had with them was unreal: I chaired the scholarship committee for our organization for years, and one time a package with scholarship applications , mailed from Moultonboro to me at the Center Harbor post office, turned up FIVE months late, long after scholarships had been awarded, so two applicants had their efforts totally unrecognized. We all felt terrible about it, but all we received from the postmaster was a dismissive shrug.

Yup, Moultonborough PO blows. Normally, I assume issues are systemic—that there's a hiccup preventing people from doing their best—but after interacting with, and receiving answers from, some of the workers, it is not the system.

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Mail Delivery
 

I probably will ask the Meredith tax clerk to look for a priority mail check we plan to send Friday 12/17 and to destroy the check we mailed on 12/8 whenever or if it arrives.

its all over the country. Nothing beast a conversation i had with the clerk in Phoenix few years ago. I had an important letter i was sending back east. It hadn't got there . i went to Post Office to check and the clerk said " we handle billions of letters and we cant get them all right " next person in line

Recently purchased a bumble bee whirley-gig for about $13.50, shipping included, from someone in Texas www.ebay.com/str/thebirdbizortrltranch on E-bay ........ don't you know that bumble bee must have been buzz'n 'round some post office in Dallas, Texas for two weeks before it got sent on its way, here, to Meredith, NH.

They should have just let that dang bumble bee fly itself, all the way, from Texas to NH! ....... buzzz - buzzz - buzzz! ......real good quality, home wood-worker and paint crafted, small whirley-gigs for a reasonable price!

For just $13.50, shipping included, you can get an artistic LOON whirley-gig that recites Katherine Hepburn's character, Ethel Thayer from On Golden Pond, whenever its propellers are turning .... 'hey, Norman, what are we going to do, today?'

Less and less
 

USPS is mostly now for undated stuff. Less and less mail, more and more online transactions. For me, most bills are auto pay, most income is direct deposit. A board I was on that had oversight of N H agencies, sent out legal notices via email, with a hard copy to follow. Print, wet sign, scan and return before the actual letter is ever mailed/delivered.
How much of your mail do you recycle without even a glance? LOTS.
If it's important, go overnight delivery or internet. USPS is for Christmas cards and Amazon (at less than cost?)

BTW, our local PO is set up for more workers, but they can't fit in and maintain distancing, so fewer people, same volume.

I totally disagree. In the roughly 30 years I've been using the post office, I can't ever remember having something lost. For $.52 I can send a letter across the country in a couple days. For a few bucks, I can send a package across the country and be told when it'll be there. I think the post office is an amazing institution...when it is funded and postal workers have what they need.

There is a distinct different, however, between the amazing Post Office and the crappy workers.

Case in point: I ordered something from Amazon shipped USPS and it arrived today perfectly on time...but it wasn't delivered because my driveway was "inaccessible." I'd snowblowed this morning and it appears 4-5" of snow was too much to traverse to deliver my package.

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WOW!! Little SNOWFLAKES not wanting to walk thru other Little SNOWFLAKES. Typical for these times.

In my personal life as well as my business, if anything of importance needs to be mailed it goes FedEx or UPS. I would never trust USPS with anything of importance. I also have a flag on my Amazon account that all packages are to be shipped via UPS or FedEx whenever possible...again got sick of dealing with the late and lost deliveries of the wonderful US postal service. Have you ever tried calling the post office to inquire about anything?....Good luck!

Dan

Many service companies are having customer satisfaction issues.

Between covid absenteeism, covid precautions and a labor shortage it should be no surprise that the USPS is performing below its usual lack luster level.

I think they should charge more for the parcel deliveries they complete.

I saw an ad on TV for UPS hiring temporary delivery people.

It offered $21/hr and a stipend for personal vehicle use.

The USPS likely has similar labor needs not being met.

Improved management can improve results but staffing shortages are a difficult reality today.

It was just updated on the tracking page, though it appears they never even got here—it was just a blanket problem in the area.

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Yep! I had nearly exactly the same occur last winter with far less snow then that. I repeatedly have received delivery notifications to then have the item actually be delivered the next day. This has happened multiple times.


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Best to read up on industrial safety.

All delivery people are told not to delivery in unsafe conditions.

Do some deliver with snow. Sure. But some do not if the walking conditions are unknown or potentially unsafe.

They have no idea if there is ice under that snow.

Industrial accidents cost money. An injured employee because of ice or snow is not advantageous to any entity.

Wouldn't it be better for all to keep driveways and walkways cleared of ice and snow ?

Georgia, my mail lady, does a great job.
On the other hand, I find it ironic that they deliver for the price of a stamp, and the cost of a truck, but they charge $75 for a PO box which has almost no delivery expense.

I asked about that and they claim the charge for the Post Office Box is for "early" delivery. So if you need your mail by 9:30 am each day then a P.O. Box may be the answer.....

You might be partially correct; however, we need to pay for a box because we are unwilling to have a rural mailbox placed in a group along route 109. We cannot have delivery to our house, so the alternative is a $75 post office box. It has nothing to do with needing early delivery.

Ha!! My box was for a non-profit organization. If we don't pay taxes, shouldn't the PO give us a free box? (Different story: We file electronic postcard to the IRS, free. The state of NH charges $75/year to file "free" tax return. 7000 non-profits X $75, and that's how the Attorney General funds that part of the agency. So you have to run a bake sale just to exist as "Friends of the Library" whatever. File with the IRS, free. (DDDD" Different Dispute, Different Day)

i have even had mail that i paid registered that never got there or was returned. Just disappeared( more then once). I also believe if its important i use UPS or fedex and have never had one not get delivered

Mail Delivery
 

Meredith tax clerk finally got my check mailed from SE GA on 12/8. Usually takes four days instead of 10.

Mail Delivery
 

I’ll be sure to read up on that during my off hours from working as a Safety Director. I have my OSHA 10 & 30 certifications which cover the basics of what we’re talking about here. This is about managing acceptable risk. No one is asking the delivery person to venture into a situation requiring any special safety accommodation or equipment to prevent their harm. Using your logic, they can refuse to deliver mail on any given day of the week because their delivery vehicle may have a hidden safety defect much like your ice hidden under snow argument or the chance that they might be involved in a serious motor vehicle crash even during the summer on dry roads. Heck, they can twist their ankle on a step in July. That doesn’t mean the step poses an unacceptable risk that should negate their ability to perform their required job task.

Today, I again received notification that they were not delivering to my home because my driveway is inaccesible. My driveway is plowed and I have personally walked it’s length this morning looking for any ice spots. There is no hazard posed by my driveway other than that which is normal and customary for anyone living in New Hampshire in the winter months. The USPS would not be in violation of the OSH Act of 1970 or its general duty clause by asking a mail delivery person to drive up my driveway and deliver my mail. Nor does my driveway create an unreasonable safety risk any more so than any other roadway in the town. No one wants to see anyone get injured but we also don’t want to see false elevation of risk in order to reduce required and expected productivity. Nothing is worse to Safety culture than having risk misused to cover for other inadequacies. Those inadequacies are often systemic rather than an individual failure. Be well!

P.S. UPS delivered to my home today without difficulty.


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Yesterday, during the heat of the storm, I got a notification that my packages were delivered. The details we found online said they were left in the mailbox.

Well the mailbox was of course empty.

The two feet of snow on my street were unblemished.

It is understandable that I would get no mail during a blizzard.

What I question is the declaration of a delivery made good when it was not.

Could there be an economic disincentive to simply tell the truth?

Anyone who has worked with delivery vehicles knows that a safety check is done before driving vehicle. If there are safety defects in the vehicle - then that vehicle is not used until all safety items are repaired.

If a safety issue occurs during the delivery driving - that vehicle is taken off the road and another is provided.

That is common knowledge in the delivery business.

Department of Transportation.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
OHSA.

Apparently some reading here have never worked in an industrial environment.
Apparently some reading here have never given or listened to a weekly safety talk.

My dog doesn't bite. Well, sorry, this is the first time.
My walkway/driveway is clear. I walked on it to prove that. Opps. sorry you fell down. Maybe I should have put some sand on the driveway. Sorry.

Tough job, goo process
 

Had a delivery scheduled for today, and got an email saying "Delivered". Amazon, not USPS. Checked all the usual places and could not find the package (flat envelope). The email had a picture of the envelope in the snow by the garage door. Great help, good process. We would see the package, if driving in and if no snow fell off the roof. Downside is, the car was in the garage and would have driven over the package, unseen, while backing out. This is a tough one for the driver who may be reluctant (trained?) to not leave stuff on the front door step. On the other hand, both USPS and Amazon left packages on the front steps yesterday. Some jobs that seem simple are not always so simple. Give these folks credit for the effort when they make the effort.

Fed Ex brought my wife a new floor cleaning tool and they were kind enough to just leave the package on its side in the middle of my driveway by the road. I almost ran over it when I turned in the driveway. Apparently they are all sucking lately.... the Amazon guy did a good job today though.....

Ha! Yes indeed! A safety check identifies all potential safety defects on a vehicle? It identifies those that are deemed as unacceptable risk for the company operating the vehicle. Other occult issues may exist that are not identified in a vehicle safety check. Walking a driveway to check for ice or other dangerous conditions is a hazard assessment. It’s not to say someone can’t fall and be injured. Again, its about managing risk to an acceptable level. Your pious indignation about what fields some people have worked in and have not is quite humorous. Also....never given or listened to a weekly safety talk? I honestly appreciate anyone with a passion for safety. So, I applaud your intent. I probably have no idea what I’m talking about while I’m working as a Senior Director of Safety for a billion dollar air transportation company. God bless and have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!


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Update on my post #16
 

Well, I went to the post office today and my long awaited notice had arrived. Good, job USPS. Not!!!!!

As noted above, the envelope was mailed on 12-5. Lo and behold, it was postmarked in Manchester on 7 Dec. So what took 11 days to make it back to Alton Bay?

How about a return trip to the Manchester facility. You see, there is a second postmark on the envelope on 15 Dec in Manchester!!!

In my PO box in Alton Bay on Dec 18th. So now the question is "Where the hell was it for those 8 days between postmarks"?

You can't make this crap up.

Dave

Delayed Mail
 

Tonight the news said that the USPS is receiving tons more packages each day versus one year ago (due to Covid-19). That, plus the fact that 30% of the USPS employees are ill with Covid leaves a recipe for a lot of delayed mail this year so it is what it is.

The news article further went on to say that the Postal Service will continue working the backlog and anticipate getting all the December delayed mail delivered by the middle of January....

I myself am waiting for two Priority Packages mailed 10 days ago. I am not happy about it but there really isn't a lot I can do about it.

My advice to anyone is to just hang in there!

LDS article
 

Article today in Laconia Daily Sun regarding postal deliveries and delays pg 4

https://edition.pagesuite-profession...4-f3c1ee69f46e

It is interesting that the article mentions the calls to the Laconia Postmaster were not returned. I have called that office at least 15 times over the past year and never got through to anyone. I stopped at the downtown Laconia office to see the Postmaster and they were "not available".

Laconia Postmaster appears to be a part time job at best, although I am sure it comes with a full time salary and benefits.

Based on all of the complaints it appears that it is time for a big shake up at the Post Office but I doubt that will happen.

Strange....all the excuses from the USPO about why they can't deliver but all our packages with FEDEX arrived within 2 or 3 days

Post office is a financial drain and should have been privatized years ago. Fed Ex and ups do a much better job with delivery time, tracking and customer service.


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Mail forwarded South - no mail yet ?
 

I had my mail forwarded from my lake address to winter home. I filled out appropriate forms at Laconia P.O. last week, but have yet to receive any mail here at winter home ?

How long does does this take to re-direct the mail ?
Any other folks in the same scenario ?

Thanks !

It usually does take a few weeks but it is variable in my 17 years of Lake experience.

We had the same experience last year, but we think we got most of it. Be sure to stop the forwarding well in advance of your return. The process seems to take place in MA, not NH, in a typical bureaucratic chain of hits and misses.

Actually, doing it manually (filling out a form with a pen) can cause the forwarding order to be delayed one to two weeks before it actually will "kick" in.

If you do it electronically (on line at the USPS web site) then it can go into effect the next day if that is what you request. There is a fee of $1.05 to do it electronically and that is how they can verify that it is actually you who is requesting the change.

I have done both ways myself over the years and I no longer will use the old fashioned manual method because of the delays. Electronically is now the only way I do it.

I agree!

From what I've understood, though, the USPS has been a drain because of all the "grandfathered benefits" that have existed for decades, and the nepotism.

Has any of this changed?

We all know what competition does for business!

i have had tons of problems with mail forwarding . Never on NH side but often on Az side. What i learned is the process is manual. Your carrier does the sorting and forwards to usually a central area( means in Moultonborough it likely goes to Laconia or somewhere else). i had a carrier go on vacation so the mail did not get forwarded but returned to sender as no known address, This year they continued delivery to my Scottsdale address for a week after i asked( luckily my daughter checked the mail for me . When returning since my forwarding was suppose to stop mail again went nowhere( by the way I did allow a week but that still didn't help until i called). If i was you i would call which ever post office and remind them . That's what happened this summer. The person notified my carrier to again deliver. . Best to not have anything important go thru us mail. I pay 90% of my bills on line or i would be facing late fees

Simple solution for those who go away for Winter or Summer.

Put your mail on HOLD. (stays at post offfice)
Write a document giving person permission to obtain your mail.
Get some large envelopes or empty Priority envelopes.
Put postage stamps on them.
Type out your send to and from on paper. Scotch tape on envelopes.

Have a neighbor, friend, or relative get your mail and send your mail. Have them send on a weekly basis best to pick a day - say every Saturday.

Works good for me. Past 15 years. Never missed any of my mail and my mail always shows up on time.

But, but, but . . . you are PAYING for this? Oh, the horror.

Horror on not. I always get all of my mail and I get it on time. Works fine from my Southern address. Works fine from my Northern addess.

I have no problems getting ALL of my mail on a timely basis.

You got choices. You can get all of your mail on a timely basis or continue to complain about the local forwarding service. Your choice.

Da Capo al Fine
 

This method relies on good local service. The beginning discussion was about poor local service. If you don't get on time local, your neighbor can't pick it up and re-mail it.

Correct. As I wrote the local carrier is a terrific guy. But, will not discuss anything to do with the Laconia Post Office. Just smiles


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Forwarding problems?
 

If the fee doesn't bother you you can get Premium Forwarding Service from the Post Office. Each week they will put all your mail in priority Mail envelopes and mail it to you.

Fees
$20.10 if you enroll online
$21.90 if you enroll at the Post Office
Weekly fees
$21.90 for each week of service whether you enrolled in person or online.

Or you can get "Informed Delivery" for free.

Informed Delivery provides residential consumers with a digital preview of their household's incoming mail scheduled to arrive soon.* Users can view greyscale images of the exterior, address side of incoming letter-sized mailpieces (not the inside contents) via email or an online dashboard.

That way, you will have a nice picture of all the mail you didn't get!

Excellent suggestion. A valid way to get all of ones mail that is available.

In yesterday's Daily Sun...
 

Mail Delivery
 

We always have our neighbors collect our mail and forward it to us in big prepaid mailers.

We've never had any success getting the post office to forward our mail. In fact, the local p.o. would stamp our mail "moved and left no forwarding address."