too much packing tape on envelope = rejection?

[jools&jim]

 

My wife and I were talking about this very thing this morning, and I have a stupid question to ask - why does our stuff get treated like that? It's not like we get this service for free - we pay plenty for it.

 

The simple answer is: time and volume. Take a tour of any big metropolitan post office, and you'll see what I mean: the sheer number of packages, etc., is simply astounding. And it's all gotta move -- the faster, the better.

 

To be fair, most of the clerks I worked with tried to be careful, but at the end of the day "productivity" is the bottom line. It's simply impractical to treat every single item like it's the only one on the sorting floor. What I find truly amazing is that most packages and letters arrive at their destination on-time and un-damaged...

[Ringfinger]

My wife and I were talking about this very thing this morning, and I have a stupid question to ask - why does our stuff get treated like that? It's not like we get this service for free - we pay plenty for it.

 

The simple answer is: time and volume. Take a tour of any big metropolitan post office, and you'll see what I mean: the sheer number of packages, etc., is simply astounding. And it's all gotta move -- the faster, the better.

 

To be fair, most of the clerks I worked with tried to be careful, but at the end of the day "productivity" is the bottom line. It's simply impractical to treat every single item like it's the only one on the sorting floor. What I find truly amazing is that most packages and letters arrive at their destination on-time and un-damaged...

 

Nice to know.

[InvstmntComcSuply]

Mikeyriffhard,

 

Are Priority Flat Rate envelopes sorted separately from Priority packages?

 

I can see where a comic book in a lightweight box shipping with other 30-50 lb boxes might fare better in a Priority envelope shipping with other 1-3 lb flats.

[jools&jim]

 

Mikeyriffhard,

 

Are Priority Flat Rate envelopes sorted separately from Priority packages?

 

I can see where a comic book in a lightweight box shipping with other 30-50 lb boxes might fare better in a Priority envelope shipping with other 1-3 lb flats.

 

I'm not really sure--I've been out of the PO for a long time. But if I had to guess, I'd say that it all depends on size and weight -- so a thicker Flat Rate envelope could still end up in a raw sort with bigger packages. Things might be different at the big processing and distribution centers, but I really can't say...

[cheetah]

My PO says the postal service doesn't make large shipping boxes, only small and medium.

 

How do you argue with that?

[BorderlineHoarder]

As a former USPS employee, I know from firsthand experience how envelopes and packages are handled, so I've taped the living mess out of every Priority Mail envelope I've ever sent, and (so far at least) have never had a problem.

 

I temped during college at USPS during Christmas time. If you aren't comfortable with your package taking a long dive or being thrown a distance by hand, you haven't packaged it well enough.

 

While this was many years ago, imagine your package getting thrown across a warehouse floor football style into a sorting bin.

 

You mean like this?

[Big Dip]

As a former USPS employee, I know from firsthand experience how envelopes and packages are handled, so I've taped the living mess out of every Priority Mail envelope I've ever sent, and (so far at least) have never had a problem.

 

I temped during college at USPS during Christmas time. If you aren't comfortable with your package taking a long dive or being thrown a distance by hand, you haven't packaged it well enough.

 

While this was many years ago, imagine your package getting thrown across a warehouse floor football style into a sorting bin.

 

You mean like this?