This story would be utterly hillarious if it were not true! However, today I had an amazing experience at my local post office that I must share with my readers.The story starts over the weekend while searching for jobs on the internet. I have been looking for jobs in North Carolina where I intend to move in a short period of time. Finally, after weeks of searching I found the perfect job (the job itself is unimportant to the story). Yet, to my dismay I noticed that they only accept applications that are mailed through the United States Postal Service (USPS). No faxing, no FedEx, No UPS! "No problem," I say to myself as I fill out the application and come up with a cover letter. I was slightly worried though because come Monday I had only four days to get the application in.
Anyways, come Monday afternoon I walked into my local post office and strolled right up to the counter. Now, its been years since I have actually mailed something besides an e-mail and used USPS. So, I was a bit worried about mailing it via the regular service and having it take more than four days to get to North Carolina. "No problem!", I said again to myself, "I'll just pay a few bucks extra." Now to be fair, the lady behind the counter was amazing and extremely nice to me. She put in the zip code into the computer and showed me the rates. To send it through the mail and have it take the normal 3-5 days it would have just cost me a $0.44 stamp. The next option was a two day delivery for $4.95 (or about 11.25 times the normal rate to get it there a day earlier). The final option was for $17.99 (40.8 times the regular amount) to get it there by noon the next day (mind you this is just a regular letter in an envelope not a package). "Five bucks is steep, but no big deal," I said. I pulled out my money when the lady quickly excused herself. Now, I had told her that the letter was a job application and she went above and beyond to check something for me. She came back and told me that the USPS could not guarantee that the letter would get there in time, even if I paid the two day rate!
Yes, you read that right! I was paying extra for two day delivery, yet, the government could not "guarantee" that my letter would get there in TWO DAYS! WAIT WTF! I looked at the lady took my letter and told her "No Thanks!" and left. Now, I will commend her because she could have just screwed me over and took my money, but she was honest. However, this raises a big concern to me. The government is wondering why the USPS is losing money (and by losing I mean hemorrhaging) and yet it doesn't know about incidents such as this. How would you feel if you ordered a large pizza and had it delivered, you paid with your credit card up front, and they promised that it would be there in 30 minutes; yet, you end up receiving it in 90 minutes and it turns out to be only a medium? You would never buy from that place again.
However, this is a problem with government. First, off your taxes pay for the USPS. Therefore, you are paying for ineptitude such as this. Second, it proves that government can't run a business. I think that this is a perfect example to explain why I am upset that the government now controls 60% of GM. GM is going to end up like the USPS. A company with an inferior product, which can't compete, and will hemorrhage money. All the while you and I will be paying for it. Another great example in this region of governmental failure is that of AMTRAK. Government has proven that it can't compete against private interests and business. So, it should just stop trying.
As for the job the application didn't get sent out! So, I would like to extend a big thank you to my government which keeps promising me help in finding a job, yet stopping me in one form or another from getting it!
First, you've edited what she told you, I guarantee you that she didn't tell you that you could get "two day delivery" for $4.95, because that product doesn't even exist. Priority mail is 2-3 days, and not guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteSecond, if you REALLY wanted a job, you'd have paid the express mail price to guarantee the application made it to its destination. Although I have to point out the obvious irony. All you'd get if the express mail DIDN'T make it to it's destination on time is your money back. You still would be home, unemployed, and playing on the computer all day, instead of looking for a job.