Post Office Confusion Plagues Southeast
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
Post offices, businesses, and even The Advance have recently been plagued with lost and delayed mail, as the Southeast adjusts to a new mail sorting system.
Previously, letters and packages sent out from Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler counties were sent to either Macon or Augusta for processing; upon reaching these centers, the mail was sorted and sent to its respective destinations. However, as a part of the U.S. Postal Service’s 10-year Delivering for America plan to invest in the postal net- continued from page
work in Georgia and across the nation, most of the mail throughout the southeast has been routed to the Atlanta Regional Processing & Distributing Center.
In this new center, mail that was originally sorted in Augusta, Macon, North Metro Atlanta, and central Atlanta is now routed to one central location, as the Postal Service plans to renovate the other facilities. While the Service believes that renovating these facilities will help the Postal Service become more effective, strengthen customer service, eliminate longterm maintenance costs, and prepare the service for the future, this change has brought great confusion to customers across the state.
There have been reports of everything from lost newspapers to missing checks and other documents within the postal service. Some customers even report that the mixups are costing them money, as bills and payments are now received later than normal, causing additional late fees to be added to accounts. A local citizen even reported that she is awaiting the arrival of perishable medicine, which must be kept frozen; yet, her USPS tracking shows the package has been sitting in an unmanned drop box for three days.
Upon contacting the local post offices for information on their struggles, administrators referred to a statement issued by USPS Corporate Communications Representative Evelina Ramirez. The statement read, “The Postal Service plays an important role in the community, and we are committed to providing the best service possible. While a significant portion of mail and packages in the Atlanta service area, which includes Toombs, Montgomery, and Wheeler Counties, is being delivered in a timely manner, management is aware of the concerns of some local customers regarding their mail and package delivery and are working quickly to resolve any issues. Operations are improving as we continue to make significant investments in the Atlanta area, including new sorting machines, upgraded facilities and more efficient transportation, that will help ensure our organization can provide reliable delivery services for years to come. We sincerely express our apologies to our customers who may have experienced a deviation from our normal dependable service and appreciate their patience.”
Ramirez also reminded customers that any concerns regarding the postal services should be shared with managers and supervisors at the local Post Office, by calling the USPS toll-free line, or by visiting the USPS website.
The completion date for the renovation of the previous facilities has not been set, nor has there been any indication by the Postal Service on when they believe any issues will be solved.
