<p>Son and I got to the PO at 3:40 this past Friday to pick up his packages. Stated hours are until 4:00. It took us 2 minutes to get the slips from his box. Tried to get into the building at 3:42 but the doors were locked. There was a female student there also trying to get in. She was on her phone talking to someone but stopped to tell me that another person said the lady behind the counter announced a bit earlier that everyone in line should enter the building and that she was locking the doors behind them. People had to come out the side (employee) entrance. The student was making a bit of a scene and was not acting in a way that was going to help in any way. I decided to enter in the way people were coming out and ask nicely if there was any way we just get the one package we really needed. The lady behind the counter screamed (yes, screamed) that she was “not paid any overtime” and that “enough was enough” and other not helpful comments. I kept cool and just stayed in line and had my son and the girl student come in with me. The girl student kept ranting on how unpleasant the people who worked in the PO always were (she was a returning student). I told her to shut up or neither of us wouldn’t get our stuff and tried to give her a talk about how she would have to behave if she wanted her packages that day. Then the male PO clerk came out to help us. He was very nice and we were all out of there by 4:00. </p>
<p>Let this serve as a warning that if you are planning to pick up PO packages don’t assume that because they say they are open until a certain time they really will be open until that time. We were very lucky. The male clerk actually helped someone else who came with a slip after us but if it was up to the lady clerk we would have been unsuccessful.</p>
<p>The postal clerk must have been completely overwhelmed and having a really bad day. She is usually very pleasant as I have found all of the Post Office employees to be in our dealings. I’m sorry you had an unpleasant experience. This shouldn’t have happened to anyone.</p>
<p>Since there is rumor that they may be losing their jobs next semester/year, that may be part of the frustration. And this is the first year that they are accepting packages from all companies, not just usps, so I am sure that the workload is higher. If this post office is like our local one, they do not add staff during peak use.</p>
<p>Maybe they are just suggested hours of operation?</p>
<p>In the end we got our packages and the man was very nice (even lent us a cart) so it turned out ok. Just wanted to warn others who may be in the same situation and not get as lucky.</p>
<p>One other thing. We had ordered my son a package from Amazon which was delivered according to tracking on Friday at 10:01 am but we didn’t have a slip for it in the box. It wasn’t anything we needed that day and I didn’t even think we didn’t get that package until later, so I didn’t ask when we were there, but I don’t think you can count on picking up something the same day it’s delivered.</p>
<p>Class of 2012Mom… at this time of year you probably can’t pick up a package without the slip. The packages are separated by the last two numbers on the slip. With the hundreds of packages probably coming in at this time of year, it would take forever to find one particular box without it.</p>
<p>There is still a package that was suposedly delivered on 8/2 that my son has not received notification for. He is in OA all week, and not likely to be able to figure it out until next week sometime.</p>
<p>We didn’t ask to pick up the package without the slip. I didn’t even realize we didn’t get that package until Saturday or Sunday. Just wanted to warn that if you think you can ship something with Amazon prime 2 day service you probably won’t get the slip to pick it up the day it’s delivered.</p>
<p>The USPS employees can be fined or otherwise penalized by USPS for working unapproved overtime, so they will occasionally close early once they have as many people in the office as they can serve by 4:00 pm. This has happened to me a couple times, though I have been allowed to drop off a prepaid package (which involves literally 2 seconds of work for the USPS employee). The situation is similar to a grocery store checkout line where one person’s card has the lane closed sign on it as they are the last person that the cashier can serve before the cashier has to clock out. For the record, there are many UA departments that start closing down at 4:35-4:40 pm so everyone can be out by 4:45 pm as few, if any, employees are scheduled to work after closing.</p>
<p>Everyone has their bad days and while it does not excuse the comments, the USPS employees are usually very nice, knowledgeable, and helpful people. USPS will reassign them to other post offices once the Ferguson Center post office closes in May, though they also have the option to become UA employees.</p>
<p>Thanks. I understand - just wish I would have known that could happen as we would have gone straight there when we got to town instead of eating lunch first. Where I live, the post office doors are open until the posted time, regardless of the line length.</p>
<p>Is it definite that the post office will be closing in May? I know my D was only able to rent her box thru November and I wasn’t sure what was happening after that.</p>
<p>UA is taking over the mail service after May. Prices and service levels are TBD.</p>
<p>At this time, it is still fine to get a PO Box at the Ferg. While USPS has not announced charges for the time between the 6-month renewal being due and the post office closure in May, something will be worked out.</p>
<p>SeaTide, do you have any idea how UA will be doing mail service? Are they going to provide mail service to all students, or will students who want it continue to pay for a mail box like they do now? I assume students who already have boxes won’t be able to keep the same PO box address.</p>
<p>D got one over at the UPS store by Publix. It cost about $90 with deposit and tax for a year. They receive packages from all carriers and will text D when one comes in. As long as she renews on time, she can keep the same address all four years. This just seemed easier.</p>