United States Postal Service — Local services in Houston

2 stars only because a previous visit was decent. Today was -10 stars. I am not surprised by all these low ratings. We need better processes and training in the USPS. Either the government fixes it or we need a new private company to handle basic US mail service. I have been to this location 2 times. Both were to pick up a package that would not fit in my small mailbox (no idea why they will not use the larger boxes at the complex for this reason - 1 of the 2 deliveries would have fit in these boxes.)

Anyways, last time (a few weeks ago), got in the regular line, stood there for 5 min until an older gentleman walked in and went right to this closed door and rang the bell. I did not realize this was open because the door was closed. Was helped by someone quickly, within a couple minutes.

Today walked in and rang the bell. Waited a few minutes, 3 to 5. In the meantime, people were being helped in the regular line. People who came in after me were helped. I asked the employee closest to me could he help me and he said ring the bell. So I rang it again. He was helping the same lady for at least 5 to 10 min. She had come in after me; she was also very nice and understood my frustration (as did everyone else waiting in the regular line.)

After I rang the bell 3 times, people in line were starting to laugh at how silly this was. I was waiting 1-2 min to ring the bell. After the 5th time, a gentleman who I had seen walk by earlier on the phone opened the door and told me I "just had to wait" after ringing the bell (it had been about 15 min since I rang the bell first.) I told him the employee at the counter told me to keep ringing it. He told me to go wait in the regular line next time. Then he closed the door window again.

The first person in line let me in front of them but the lady counter employee said sorry you cannot get a package in the regular line. I said but the guy at the window just told me I could. I went back to the line and at this point everyone in the post office is rolling their eyes with me. Another lady got in the package line. She came at noon and no one answered the bell for 15 min so she left and came back (I arrived about 4:40, thinking it might be slow.)

About 5 min later, the guy comes back and takes my slip and brings the pkg in another couple min. 30 min for pickup time (remember at this point about 5 to 7 customers came and shipped, not dropped off only, packages at the counter but I had to wait for this door window to open.)

Why did I write all this? To show how incredibly backwards the post office is. I have had a few good experiences at post offices across the country and also some terrible ones like this. With no one really seeming to hold anyone to professional service beyond the guy who probably talked to me at the door window.

If you think I am just another Debbie Downer, look at my other reviews. I primarily call out excellent service. The best part about this terrible experience was the camaraderie among the other customers. Men, women, white, Black, Asian, etc. They all felt bad for me and understood my frustration in a poorly defined/executed process. The employees were also mixed races - it was frustrating talking to them all except the younger Black lady.

Suggested solutions: if you have no one to do package pickup at your "quick" window, allow customers to pick up packages via the front counter (also put up a sign that the service is unavailable - like the poor lady who went there twice today.) If you hear the bell but you cannot get there for a few min, put in a light or a screen that indicates to the customer the request has been seen and someone will show up at some point OR come get the customer slip and explain you are in the middle of something and will be back with the pkg in a few min. Waiting 30 min for a package pickup when the line was only 4 or 5 deep the entire time is pretty stupid. I have issues with Chick Fil-A's political stances but one cannot argue their operational processes are probably the best out there. Learn from those who execute...

Are postal service is a joke and then they wonder why they are losing out on money people: I sell a lot of eBay and I sold a laptop but my husband didn't cover up the name dell so we had to refund $600 to the buyer because we learned that we never knew is" those drop boxes that you can use to drop off postage paid labels don't all get scanned before it leaves they only scan a few here and there I am not sure how they pick to see what gets scanned or not so anyway the pkg. Never got scanned and so it was our word against the post office they refused to watch the footage to see if anyone in their location so the mgr. I spoke to was completely useless and her customer service was horrible as well.I hate the Fleetwood location on hwy 6 & I-10, and the Whittington location in both of these places they almost have a god like complex I got to the Whittington location a minute AFTER 5 there were a couple at the counter mailing a package all I need was a proof of drop off @ the post office basically your proof that they took possession of the item which covers you with ebay somewhat but she told me I couldn't hurry up and get the receipt I could leave it at the end of the counter and it might get scanned in before it goes to the downtown official location and I left and went to my favorite friendly town & country location, everyone is nice there no problems I get my pkg.'s scanned and go on about my day.... Also heads up if you stamp, write, or put a post office sticker on a pkg. It is the cost for you to mail it off but to just put those that cost an extra $10.95 I was like y you asked me was it fragile and I told you yes so she stamped it and $10.95 came up if that is not one of the biggest scams the government is pulling then I don't know what is so she tells me all of the shipping companies charge fees I told her she was a lie cause ups (brown trucks) does not any such fee that I have seen when I sent off a pkg. Just a week ago. And then she goes on to tell me then that should be my shipper of choices and I told her I guess so cause you guys can't even get regular mail to me on time or the pkg.'s partially ripped to see what's inside but then I told her that's you you guys are losing out on money cause you don't know how to treat people and told her just wait you won't have your job much longer. I hate the post office then they say they want to hear from you the customers and they know they don't that's why when you ask for a call back from the corp. Office they never ever call. So get everything scanned and protect yourself cause the post office is a complete...

By far the worst USPS site I've ever visited (and it's been that way for well over 15 years). [Or it was in 2019]. Then manager Bethany seems to have improved the front desk experience slightly as the employees are bit nicer now. But , if you have to ring the bell pick up a held package, hold on for a while. You may not be seen for 20 minutes or more. (Unacceptable) If you ring multiple times, you'll be berated by a back office employee. Sometimes those employees show up with earbuds, which pretty much answers the question of why no one is answering that door. As others have mentioned here, they almost NEVER answer the phone so you cannot call to check. Even if you state in a nice tone of voice that 20 minutes is too long to wait outside the door with a bell, you'll treated as if you are the one being rude. The problem is management, Ms. Bradford. It starts with you and goes all the way down.

UPDATE, 3 years later. A minor back-office issue seemed to occur with my held mail. This was important, but the new manager did a really nice thing. I had to send another complaint, and she really got on this. It got taken care of same night (and fairly late that night). This is really much appreciated and showed a real commitment. I really like the commitment and understanding she showed. A great step forward for this particular location.

FURTHER UPDATE: 2023 - 6 lost packages this year (5 shipping out, 1 receiving). This location continues to be almost criminal in how it treats people and in quality of service. How Bethany still has a job is utterly beyond me. A big step backwards this year.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: mid-2024. They miss the delivery of four days of held mail . . . again! And they are more than two days late with that. Add to this that they mis-delivered our mail to wrong houses at least three times in the last two months. One of those was a replacement bank card for my son so it was important. Flat out: people need to lose their jobs over there.

STILL ANOTHER UPDATE: late-2024: AGAIN missing delivery of Hold Mail after a week away. The sheer incompetence of this post office is approaching legendary. Truly awe-inspiringly awful. USPS needs to fire the entire building and just start again.

YET ANOTHER: Here we are in December 2024 and yet again they fail to bring held mail on the prescribed day. I even got notices that the mail was out for delivery today and they STILL didn't bring it. The level of failure is off the charts. EVERY single employee of this office should get fired. Start again...