Our USPS Mail Carriers Will Not Scan Our Scan Forms

[holstermartusa]

This is my first post, so forgive me if my issue has already been discussed numerous times.  We sell/ship approximately 50-90 packages a day from our home office/warehouse.  Our settings are on 2-day handling time, even though we usually ship every weekday, and here is why:  Our carriers REFUSE to scan in our forms when they pick up the packages.  It has been going on for years.  Even the newest postmaster will not scan the forms in when he picks up our packages, so there's obviously no sense in complaining to him 🙄. And when you stand there with the form in your hand and show them where it tells the USPS employee to scan the form and leave with the customer, they say, oh, we will scan them in when we get back to the hub.... Well, no, they do not.  Sometimes they do not scan them in for DAYS, and sometimes the items reach the next postal hub approximately 80 miles away before the first scan appears.  So that's why we put our settings on 2-day handling, just to help offset the shipping times that the customers see and so we do not get so many questions about when are we going to ship.  But we shouldn't have to do that! We work hard every day (husband/wife team with 3 eBay stores!) and it is disheartening to see the total lack of respect from USPS.  And if you have ever confronted some of their employees like we have, well, you then have to worry about the retribution.  So... any suggestions? Any horror stories like ours? And, yes, we have already reported them many times to the Postmaster General's office and all they do is send our complaint back to our post office and someone gives me a courtesy call and says, yes, ma'am, we'll get that handled.  Yeah, right! 😆😡

[soh.maryl]

Just to make sure I am understanding correctly, your local POSTMASTER, the person who is in charge of your local USPS facility, refuses to scan your forms?

Am totally confused because the Postmaster, who's basically the supervisor of the local operation, does not usually get involved in doing the day-to-date duties of a postal carrier.

If that's the case, then perhaps go further up the food chain, find out who his/her supervisor is and contact that person about this.  

And, BTW, how, exactly do you confront those employees? 

[wastingtime101]

Keep filing complaints. This is the best place to do so:

https://usps.my.site.com/emailus/s/postal-facility-inquiry

[holstermartusa]

Yes, the newest local postmaster has also left without scanning the form every time.  Sometimes he has to pick up packages when, I'm assuming, they are short of staff.  It does not happen often.  We are a small town, so I guess he has to play back-up sometimes.  By confronting, which may be too strong of a word, I mean handing them the form and asking them to scan it in, and that's in my friendliest of mannerisms so as not to offend 😅.  "Hey, Tia, can you start scanning these in before you leave? We have to show eBay that we are shipping on time."  "Yes, ma'am, I'll get it scanned back at the hub."  Me: "Well, if you can scan it in as picked up now, that'd be great."  So she looks at it like she's never seen one before and says "I'll have to find out what to scan it in as."  And that was months ago, so I guess she never asked.  Another carrier said, "I don't have my scan gun with me."  One lady just looked at me and said "Yes, ma'am," and then turned around and got in her vehicle with the scan form still in her hand!  Some of these women have attitudes! My husband doesn't even like to deal with them! Anyway... we've looked at other carriers, but wow, it's really expensive when you're small potatoes like us.  But we may have to.

[holstermartusa]

Good to know! Thank you!

[martin2001]

It appears to me that they don't know how to scan that sheet. The scanner settings for the form is different from the settings to scan an individual label. I had a new carrier several years ago, he was not familiar with the form. When he tried to scan it, he got the buzzing sound, scan not accepted. I had to explain to him about the form. He did it but for at least a month still unwillingly, he thought this is some kind of scam. Ask them, if they know how to do it.

A few months ago, they hired a new employee at our PO. She had no idea what this form was all about. At least, she was not stubborn,  admitted it and went to ask a colleague what to do.

[soh.maryl]

And, again, move up the food chain.  You have employees at a local facility who are not doing their jobs and apparently a supervisor who's not doing his/hers either. 

[janet9988]

I would consider switching to UPS.

Let the postmaster know that they have lost your business.

[buyselljack2016]

@holstermartusa 

They are morons. A few clicks of the handheld scanner. One scan, and they are done. So very simple. 

Away they go. They do not have to scan each one when they get back to the office. Update will happen as it does now at the regional facility.

That scan gives them credit for handling.

Based on the location given in your listings there are many locations near you to ship from.

It would involve you taking the time to transport them to an office, but perhaps there is one that would like to have the financial credit/work credit for simply scanning a piece of paper for 50-90 items a day.

You just change your ship-from ZIP.  Your return can remain the same. 

Not sure how that works with a scan sheet. I usually do not have many going, and my carrier scans as should be done. Mine is a "rural carrier" and is paid for each scan.

[12345jamesstamps]

So, understand, the post office came before eBay. And the post office does what it is suppose to do...not what eBay saids it is suppose to do. And that includes Amazon.

Anyone can bring a package into a post office and wait in line and have it scanned.

I ship every day but do a 5 business day shipping.

I don't think anything is that urgent needs to get shipped unless its for a heart or kidney transplant.

Gee, I wonder if you had doughnuts and drinks waiting the next time the carrier had 50-90 packages to pick up....gosh...I wonder if that person would listen...instead of directing what to pick up?

Our mailman has no problem accepting chocolates and a big bottle of champagne every Christmas.

We actually talk to him and know what days he is off and when he is on vacation....and I live in a big citof a million people plus the tourists.

Never had a problem with our delivery USPS men and women. 

[1786davycrockett]

@holstermartusa 

@wastingtime101 

We've been having similar issues throughout Minnesota -- so much so that one of our representatives in Congress has made it a BIG campaign issue. 

She has visited several of the local post offices which have been the worst offenders, and has conducted "open house" meetings between local residents and their postal officials.  

When those postal officials are suddenly confronted with a roomful of angry customers, it's amazing how things begin to "shape up" at the offending post offices.

It might be worth a shot, @holstermartusa  -- complain to whomever is your representative in the U. S. Congress, and see if they can shake things up -- because this is NOT just a local issue:  according to many eBay threads, it's happening in many areas around the United States.  

And it's not just eBay sellers and buyers -- my local post office only delivers the mail four days a week now, instead of six, even though they have made no announcement of lessened delivery schedules.

Good luck!

[soh.maryl]

It's good that the OP can choose to take his packages to a different facility so they will be handled properly.

But why should a customer have to be inconvenienced because people at his local USPS facility refuse to do their job?  

[buyselljack2016]

---

@soh.maryl wrote:

It's good that the OP can choose to take his packages to a different facility so they will be handled properly.

But why should a customer have to be inconvenienced because people at his local USPS facility refuse to do their job?  

---

They certainly should not need to be inconvenienced by having to do what their PO should be doing 😁

Just presented as an option

[buyselljack2016]

So, understand, the post office came before eBay. And the post office does what it is suppose to do...not what eBay saids it is suppose to do.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The scanning of a "scan sheet" is not something that eBay says that the P.O. (USPS) should do 😁

It is something that USPS says that a P.O. should be doing.

USPS welcomes/encourages the use of a scan sheet as it streamlines the workflow. Scan one thing. The scan sheet, as opposed to 3, 4, 5, 10, 17, 22, 38, 65 individual items.

Scanner workflow now limits scanning to 5 items before having to input and reset to do additional scans, and it is an even more time-consuming workflow at the retail counter where a portable handheld scanner is not used. Scan sheet can be used there as well to simplify.

OP's P.O. up to, and including the Postmaster are in a state of confusion about the proper way of doing their job, and in non-compliance with USPS directives/guidelines.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

gosh...I wonder if that person would listen...instead of directing what to pick up?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

bribing (treating) someone should not be a requirement to get someone to do their job. (I treat my carrier well)

and...............................  the OP has already explained....................  they are "directing" nothing. Just casually...... politely asking ............. in a friendly manner ...............if they would "scan the sheet".

[simba6]

Around here, your lucky if they deliver the mail to the correct address.