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Community Corner

Evanston's Postmaster Addresses Delivery Complaints

Benny J. Green, Evanston's Postmaster, talks to Patch columnist Christine Wolf about residents' frustrations with inconsistent mail service.

After hearing several neighbors complain about mail delivery in Evanston, I called the Main Post Office last Friday with questions, explaining that I’m an Evanston resident and an opinion columnist for Patch.com. Anita Shields fielded the call, introducing herself as a Supervisor of Customer Service. Shields explained that the Postmaster, Benny Green, wasn't available.

“Okay, then maybe you can help me," I said. "What I’m trying to figure out is why so many people seem to be complaining about their mail service being slow and inconsistent. Has something changed?”

Earlier: What's Going On With Mail Delivery in Evanston?

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“The whole postal system is changing,” she said. “The economy is causing everyone to change their plans. Our job is to do what’s best for the customer.”

When I asked what those changes were, Shields said she was not at liberty to share. “We’re a government agency,” she said. “I can’t disclose that information.”

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“Okay,” I said. “So, is there anything you’d want Evanston residents to know, just so we’re not all calling you and the Postmaster to complain? You’ve got some frustrated people, some of whom don’t receive their mail until 7pm – or at all.”

“Carriers are supposed to go out by 9:00 or 9:30 and have all mail delivered by 4:00 or 5:00,” she said. “Our priority is efficient mail delivery, but we’re making a lot of changes.”

“So, have you had a lot of cutbacks?” I asked.

“We’ve had no staffing cutbacks,” Shields explained, “but we’ve hired a lot of new employees [to replace staffers] retiring. Everything’s changing, and when you’re making changes, you’ll have bumps in the road. But we’re working toward great service and consistency. Sometimes it’s difficult.”

Kind of as difficult as getting a straight answer about why mail service is so inconsistent, right?

According to Shields, Evanston has approximately 110 mail carriers covering 83 delivery routes. Ideally, customers should see the same carrier 5 days a week with a regular substitute on the route’s sixth delivery day (carriers’ days off vary).

I asked if carriers ever hesitate or request not to deliver to areas with histories of violence, but Shields insisted it’s not a problem.

“We emphasize safety first with our carriers,” Shields said, “but if something’s happened in a neighborhood, there’s usually a police presence and mail service continues. In a case where we’re not allowed to get near a residence, we’ll hold the customer’s mail for them.”

On Monday, I left a message with Evanston Postmaster Benny J. Green, who called me back that same afternoon. Although Green initially stressed that local postmasters don’t usually give interviews to the media, he nevertheless took the time to answer all of my questions.

Green explained that the United States Postal Service policy generally adheres to a policy of delivering mail to businesses by noon and to residences by 5:00 p.m. I him who’d argue that, for many of us, that policy isn’t  followed in Evanston.

Green explained that the Evanston postal service has hired several new carriers as a result of a new national union agreement with the National Association of Letter Carriers. “There’s a learning curve, but we aim to provide customer satisfaction” he said. He also stressed that delivery issues can and should be addressed in a timely fashion through a variety of ways. Customers can report problems by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS or by going online to www.usps.com. Another way to direct concerns, Green said, is by dropping a letter in the mail. “At forty-six cents for a first class letter, it’s still an affordable way to communicate.” Regardless of the way problems are addressed, Green says problems will linger if they’re not addressed immediately to postal management. Responding to some of the complaints listed in my first column on this topic, Green said, “It’s hard to address delivery concerns in the abstract,” and suggests residents report complaints as soon as possible.

Aside from training new carriers, is there anything else contributing to delivery issues lately? Green offered a few thoughts:

  1. Carriers tend to take vacation at this time of year, so more routes are split up among the remaining carriers who deliver to their own routes first, then cover a vacationing carrier’s route afterward.
  2. While the U.S. Postal Service is a $69 billion dollar a year business, concern exists over how to match revenues with expenses. “With the help of Congress,” Green said, “we’ll resolve our issues. There will be a postal service for the foreseeable future. With 500,000+ employees, we’ll continue to strive to offer customers quality service.
  3. The USPS has some serious competition. “We’re the best,” Green says, “but we’re not the only game in town.”
  4. If and when problems in other areas of the nation impede the delivery system (for instance, a major storm on the East Coast), the efficiency of the local postal system will, in turn, suffer delays.

While the history of the United States Postal Service goes back 231 years, few can argue it’s facing its worst financial crisis yet.  Still, Green mentioned new programs rolling out by USPS to bring in revenue, including Every Door Direct. Green describes it as “…a valuable tool that businesses can use to target mail all the way down to a specific delivery route.” According to Green, “It’s a good medium to touch a particular part of town,” and stresses that it’s more affordable than handbills (I don’t know about you, but I had to Google “handbills,” only to realize they’re those annoying slips of paper rubber-banded to my door handle that go straight into the trash).

As the powers-that-be continue the financial wrangling and new-product brainstorms, all I request is consistent mail delivery by a reliable carrier who takes the job seriously. I plan to report problems to 1-800-ASK-USPS as they happen, and I’ll follow this advice from Evanston writer Mayre Press to eliminate reams of junkmail burdening carriers and the environment.

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