Mashable - The Social Media Guide - Latest Comments in Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Dave — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 16:02:40 -0000

if people read the postal report it points out these are recommendations that haven't been accepted by the post office management either. Netflix isn't on the wrong side of an ultimatum. the USPS hasn't actually "extended two options" as the article writes.

What scares me is I've only seen one article
that says that. The rest, including this one here on a site I like a lot, make this seem like a pressing issue. Even blog posts should at least check their facts not just pick the parts that will grab the biggest headline at the expense of being accurate.

The postal report is online. People should read it themselves.
http://www.uspsoig.gov/ and look at audit reports from the last 30days.

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Guest — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:52:47 -0000

I whine about the post office as well, but I'm glad I don't have to pay ground UPS rates for Christmas cards. It seems USPS can't do anything right for anyone. But let me play the glass-is-half-full devil's advocate:

It handles a greater volume of mail more efficiently and at a lower relative cost than any other postal system in the world. Postal rates have consistently grown more slowly than the inflation rate.

The market for USPS isn't exactly all college-educated professionals either; USPS has to deal quite a bit with people who can't read, can't write clearly, and simply can't learn how to address a letter properly. Postal workers aren't given the best working conditions either. I would hate life too if I had to work in a transactional, error-prone job like they have. Their working environments are a bit like prisons, gray, fluorescent-lit, windowless, space-less, and crowded with other people's stuff.

There is no incentive offered by USPS for working faster or for offering better service. Most all the customers they get are in bad moods, frustrated, and late for some other appointment, so the employees get jaded quickly. And they aren't responsible for how badly the sorting machines behave, so save that complaint for the administration.

And as in many other cases, you can get better service if you offer the smile and greeting first.

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Matthew Stevens — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:47:58 -0000

You guys missed part of the article that said usps doesn't have the same problem with blockbuster's envelopes, which are sturdier than netflix's. I also dislike netflix's poor envelopes, they tear far too easily.

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Sobchak — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:05:42 -0000

seems like someone @ nflx or USPS could come up w/a new envelope design, but digi-distribution is the future anyway.

will the USPS even exist in 50 yrs???

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Corey — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:52:12 -0000

I agree ajaD, the post office is still a very successful business and why should Netflix have to adjust there whole business when the issue sounds like a problem with USPS' machines. They should be able to accommodate all types of sizes of mail for bulk processing.

On the other side...I'd love to see Netflix put all of the rentals online for rental. Currently their online download selection is pretty lame.

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

thepete — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:41:33 -0000

I'll happily accept a hiked fee for Netflix just so long as the USPS is charging the same to Blockbuster. I like the services and don't mind paying for them.

However, the USPS is full of it. They're "struggling" to make money--hiking the price of stamps every so often, they've made doing business on eBay almost impossible by hiking their Priority Mail rates and making them inconsistent, and when I go in there, there's never enough tellers and they're generally rude.

I'm not surprised they're having all of their problems. The USPS needs some serious new management.

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

Wil — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 13:29:27 -0000

No matter what route Netflix goes, the USPS will get less business because of it:

1. Netflix encourages online rentals = less mailings

2. Netflix raises prices = slight drop in business, corresponding drop in mailings

3. Netflix eats the cost in the sort term = motivation for them to make option #1 succeed long term

Way to be forward-thinking, USPS!

Re: Netflix is a Pain in the A** for the Post Office

AjaD — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:55:50 -0000

First!

First the USPS whines about the decrease in mail because of the Internet, now the USPS has a cry-fest about the quality of the mail FROM the Internet. Can we say "catch-22"?