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USPS Redesign

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Re: USPS Redesign

#21

Post by VLM »

toxican wrote: post #15
zomg wrote: post #13

in my humble opinion, the "look" of the usps isn't their problem on the retail side. it's the fact that it's a complete and total PITA to ship with them, coupled with the wrong incentive structure for their employees. 1. streamline the process - one form to ship something, a letter, a package, whatever. one sticker goes on the package to indicate the shipping class (certified, etc). none of this a sticker here, a red…

#2 is the #1 reason why I don't like dealing with the USPS for packages. It's easier for me to run to the post office and have them walk me through the process of the more complicated shipping (non-domestic primarily), but the people there are ass holes. Between the post office where I live and the office where I work (in two different states), I've never had a good experience. There's always some pissed off, rude mi…

The most polite way to put it is people who willfully refuse to learn any market, are only given the alternatives of being frustrated or ripped off, often without understanding which is about to happen to them. So in this individual concrete example, basically you're saying that for a willfully uninformed customer, the USPS has made a policy decision at a high level to frustrate you instead of ripping you off, and you'd like to do business with someone who will rip you off instead of frustrating you. I donno if that's a huge win or if most people would really prefer that, especially if the alternative were explained to you.

I've shipped exotic electronics prototypes to Canada, all by myself, gettin it right the first time, about as exotic as you can get without involving ITAR, with only minimal and brief research. If you get ITAR involved, then I do feel your pain, but ITAR isn't the USPS's fault, even if they're the easiest people to lash out at.

Re: USPS Redesign

#22

Post by coldcode »

Having worked on web projects for the USPS before 2000, I remember they had the design sense of a rock at that time. One web app I worked on was for internal use, I had to work with IE 2.X since they had actually paid MS for a license and shipped it to PO locations on a CD. They wouldn't consider supporting Netscape which actually functioned even though it was free. I guess "Welcome to the 21st century".

Re: USPS Redesign

#23

Post by imajes »

tonywebster wrote: post #10

The two main typefaces are Knockout and Gotham, both being fonts from Hoefler & Co. — formerly Hoefler & Frere-Jones (H&FJ), until Jonathan Hoefler allegedly never gave Tobias Frere-Jones the equity stake he promised, eventually calling him just an employee[1]. Not only do I think is Hoefler & Co. a terrible company under Hoefler's leadership for that unethical move, the company has refused for the longest time to su…

ideologically, i agree, except that HFJ/H&C produce some amazing timeless typefaces and it's really hard to ignore that.

Re: USPS Redesign

#25

Post by dublinben »

VLM wrote: post #17
zomg wrote: post #13

in my humble opinion, the "look" of the usps isn't their problem on the retail side. it's the fact that it's a complete and total PITA to ship with them, coupled with the wrong incentive structure for their employees. 1. streamline the process - one form to ship something, a letter, a package, whatever. one sticker goes on the package to indicate the shipping class (certified, etc). none of this a sticker here, a red…

2 isn't an employee problem, its a system problem. They feel the big brother need to authenticate the heck out of you and your money and manually handle packages all at the same time, so a transaction takes 5 minutes and you get a fabulous line that takes an entire lunch hour to navigate. The way it should work is vaguely like the automated checkouts at my public library, one human being who does virtually nothing ot…

Literally all of your problems could by solved by buying your postage online ahead of time. The post office encourages this, and sells it through their own website, as well as resellers like Stamps.com.

Once you've attached a prepaid shipping label to a package, you can simply drop it off at any office, and they'll ship it. No personal interaction necessary. You don't even have to wait in line.

Re: USPS Redesign

#26

Post by sbhere »

zomg wrote: post #13

in my humble opinion, the "look" of the usps isn't their problem on the retail side. it's the fact that it's a complete and total PITA to ship with them, coupled with the wrong incentive structure for their employees. 1. streamline the process - one form to ship something, a letter, a package, whatever. one sticker goes on the package to indicate the shipping class (certified, etc). none of this a sticker here, a red…

This. Fix the service (and system). Not the branding.

Plus, it's really every US tax payer paying for the problems...

Re: USPS Redesign

#27

Post by danielnaab »

sbhere wrote: post #26
zomg wrote: post #13

in my humble opinion, the "look" of the usps isn't their problem on the retail side. it's the fact that it's a complete and total PITA to ship with them, coupled with the wrong incentive structure for their employees. 1. streamline the process - one form to ship something, a letter, a package, whatever. one sticker goes on the package to indicate the shipping class (certified, etc). none of this a sticker here, a red…

This. Fix the service (and system). Not the branding. Plus, it's really every US tax payer paying for the problems...

The USPS doesn't cost the taxpayer a dime.

Re: USPS Redesign

#29

Post by cdr »

zomg wrote: post #13

in my humble opinion, the "look" of the usps isn't their problem on the retail side. it's the fact that it's a complete and total PITA to ship with them, coupled with the wrong incentive structure for their employees. 1. streamline the process - one form to ship something, a letter, a package, whatever. one sticker goes on the package to indicate the shipping class (certified, etc). none of this a sticker here, a red…

Your experience is alien to me. I'm probably in the thousands of USPS packages shipped.

- Use electronic shipping whenever possible. With label sticker paper, it's less than 5 minutes for me to create, pay and print a label on usps.com and have it on the package. Then in most cases you can just drop it in the package slot at the post office or have your mail carrier pick it up, no interaction at the post office required.

- If you're making a little side money off of eBay, eBay or PayPal shipping couldn't be easier (and the price for First Class Package, if you're In the rare cases I have to interact with clerks - international, SCAN forms - they've been quite efficient everywhere I've been.

Basically, you can largely avoid having to ever stand in line. If you can't, I'd suggest not going in during peak times. Lines are slow because people who stand in lines largely don't know what they want and don't know how to work the post office.

Re: USPS Redesign

#30

Post by o0-0o »

Not many people realize that the USPS is the ONLY federal government department authorized and mentioned in The Constitution. Cut the other departments, and give it all to the USPS because constitution.
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