U.S. Postal Service Staff Should Be Helpful

I read this letter completely on accident but I then proceeded to read
the comments left by several other people and became a little, hmmm,
dare I say "disgruntled"? See I am a postal employee and I understand
your frustration. At the same time, I understand the clerks standing
as well.

It wouldn't have taken that long for the clerk to help your son, but
then, it wouldn't/shouldn't have taken you that long to do just that
either. And if you were so upset that she/he couldn't look up the
zipcode on their terminal, why didn't you hop on your computer at home
first and go to USPS.com and find the zipcode yourself? Don't you
think that maybe would have saved you and your son some time and
frustration?

As for all the referrals to postal workers being angry gun-wielding
crazies, come on, that's just absolutely insane in itself! Just
because a couple of individual's lost their common sense and went
"postal" as American's so lovingly call it, does not make all of us
crazy!

Take a step back and take some responsibility for your own actions and
for helping your own child instead of completely blaming someone else
when they wouldn't rise to the occasion at your beckoning.

why didnt you just help him look it up, instead of saying your 11 year
old couldnt do it??

Let's raise the prices of stamps so that people who choose not to
educate their own children can have the Post Office do it for them.
Jeesh.

This seems like a legitimate letter. I don't think we should be
bashing parenting skills or questioning a child's abilities.

We need to take this letter for what it is. Obviously the staff was
not very helpful. All the customer wanted was an apology from the
staff. From what I'm reading, the agent did not seem to care at all.
And not having the authority to look up a zip code sounds sketchy to
me. Maybe the agent was lazy, or maybe she did not want to deal with a
child. Either way, turning a cold shoulder is not the answer.

Whenever I go to my post office, the employees are extremely friendly.
I expect a positive atmosphere at every USPS location.

I guess I must have been an exceptional child, b/c I certainly
understood how to use things like a phone book, a dictionary, an
encyclopedia, and even look up zip codes by the age of 11.

Or maybe I just wasn't "innocent"

You better be careful around postal workers. Make ridiculous demands
like that, you end up getting a cap in your--sorry, just kidding.
There is a big book of codes in the post office for a reason. 11 years
is too old to NOT know how to do such things. Why are you holding your
kid back?

Bad parenting! Slap!

Why didn't your son just text message his friend and ask him his ZIP
Code? While most children today can't read reference materials, they
can send messages on their phones.

Also, you might have asked the clerk why she asked if the ZIP Code was
domestic. While other countries have postal codes, only the US has ZIP
Codes - it had to be domestic.

You both flunked your test.

So... I am going against the grain a little on this one...

My son is 10 and while he is very smart (did I mention he got one of
only 5 spots in his district's magnet program, which in his district,
is more elite than the gifted program... not to brag or anything :p...
) he would have a difficult time using this book. They just studied
reference books last year if I remember correctly and the book is no
larger than 100 pages of 4th grade font. While I would have helped my
son use it perhaps the father did not understand how to use the book.


I don't completely agree with the letter but that is my experience
with that age and a book of that magnitude.

You were there and YOU couldn't look it up yourself? Talk about lazy.

I agree with the postal workers.

Our school systems are failing our children. Sadly this father is
contributing to this failure. Seriously.....what did children do
BEFORE technology?

*SIGH*

Another thing, why are you putting the zipcode on line. If the mother
of your son't friend put up your zipcode would you like it?

Then why did the father not help him, after all he was in the post
office with the son, wern't you?

As I read this letter again, it hit me - I'll bet all this fuss and
bluster is due to the fact that DAD has no idea how to use the Zip
Code book, and is directing his anger towards the postal clerk in an
attempt to assuage his embarrassment??

This left me almost speechless. How unfortunate that the school
system (and your parenting) has let your poor son down.

Don't blame the post office if your youngster can't look up something
as simple as a zip code in a book set out to make doing just that
possible. And where were you? Couldn't you use this as a learning
experience (for your son)? Please tell me that you weren't so busy
using your Blackberry or cell phone to lift a hand.

I have never heard of a post office employee using their terminal to
look up a zip code. It sounds like a reasonable request, honestly.
However, I would not expect them to do it. You pretty much are
supposed to know where you are sending stuff. And if you don't know a
zip, there is a book that will get you at least into the right town.
I used that book when I was 10 years old, as I recall.

Do you know the reputation of the post office employees? You're lucky
your son got out of there without being harmed.

You know, I went into a McDonalds the other day and asked for boiled
lobster. Do you know they wouldn't make it? McDonalds staff should
be more helpful and prepare such special requests when they roll in.

You related to Paris Hilton? You her Mother? You sure seem like it.
What makes you think you're entitled to special treatment? Do you
want the General Postmaster to do your son's homework too?
Wow......you are setting a terribe example for your son. He might
just end up getting terminated like the other letter in these posts
and then need help writing it to post on this site too, where it
doesn't belong.

Wow........what a trip. I actually feel very sorry for you. Wake up!

Wow. just wow.

Give your son more credit. Eleven year olds are actually somewhat
educated and intelligent. Unless you are homeschooling your child. But
I know when I was eleven (in sixth grade) I knew how to look up things
in a book, because my school required us to know. Do you remember what
kids did before spell checks? We had to use dictionaries and libraries
and stuff. Man life was SO hard back then.

You have some nerve calling an employee lazy when clearly YOU are
being the lazy one. Trying to avoid having to look in a book. I hope
you aren't homeschooling your son.

NEXT TIME USE : http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

It should read something like:

We are happy that you have a business card.
However, we are not happy that you have not taken the time to teach an
eleven year old how to use resource books.

My 11 year old has no problem looking up a zip code. In fact if it
were me, I would INSIST on it, how else is he going to learn to do
things on his own? Shame on you for not giving your son more credit.

He who abdicates responsibility abdicates control. I'd hate to find
out what happens if the OP's son is ever directed to a dictionary.

The laziness of the American consumer knows no bounds. Now they don't
even want to address their own mail.

Can your "innocent 11 year old child" not read? Are our school
systems really that bad? Your kid can't look up a zip code when he
already knows the city and state? I was reading adult fiction and the
classics at that age. Seriously?

That's pathetic, and the Postal Service is not there to hold your
hand. Mailing addresses are not rocket science and you even could
have, you know, turned that into a learning moment for your kid. Of
course you didn't do that, though. Why in the world should we learn
anything if we can just bully service workers into taking care of it
all?

We're talking about the United States Postal Service. They provide a
book to look-up zip codes and that's just the way it is - - and it
doesn't matter if an "innocent 11 year old child" wants it or not. So
your son was discourgaged because he had to follow the procedures set
forth for all patrons of the USPS, huh? Tough.

I can't believe how pompous you were to give a USPS employee your
business card and demand to be contacted by the Postmaster. Who in
the world do you think you are?

You need to teach your son that rules are made for everyone and that
includes him (and you).

You are the one that need to write a letter of apology.

Then you wonder where the term "going Postal" started.

"I tried to explain to him that an 11 year old child cannot look up a
zip code," Why?

How about an 11 year old child's father helps him and actually teaches
him something? That way, you can preserve his "innocence".

What a waste of time.

This was the perfect time to teach your son how to look things up in a
book. The books are actually very user friendly, as I have to look
things up in them constantly. (My husband transposes numbers:) I
don't think this is that big of an issue, and your comment that USPS
is a public service and they can't just be busy is not very accurate.
I think they are in fact very busy, and while it might have been a
nice thing for them to do for your son they weren't obligated to do
so. Chalk it up to a lesson learned for your son.

I fail to understand why people use this site to complain about
government run agencies, politicians, etc. There are much better
avenues to take when you have a beef with this sort of entity.
However, this scenario is just ridiculous. Oh heavens, your son had
to look up a zip code. Better call up the postmaster.

Clerks should have the option of dropping these sort of customers into
a bottomless pit like Mr. Burns. Here is how this scenario should
go:

Cust: "Look up this zip code NOW!!"
Clerk: "You will have to use the book over there"
Cust: "No! You do it!"
Clerk: "Next in line!" (Pulls Lever)

Problem Solved.

they shouldn't lower the proficiency standards any further.

Why can't an 11 year old look up a zip code? Does he have some sort
of reading disability? You have a lot of nerve after that comment
calling the staff of USPS lazy! Pot/Kettle = BLACK!

A letter of apology? Uh Oh - I feel another postage increase coming
on!

"How is an innocent 11 year old child supposed to find a zip code in a
book which documents all of the zip codes in the United States of
America?"


This could have been done at home as well using the internet. You
could have looked up the zip code on the USPS website using the
address information. Thus saving time at the post office and having to
look in a big book.

I must be missing something. You went to the post office, with your
son. You asked the agent to look up a zip code, and she directed you
to the book that is provided in the lobby for just such a scenario.
OK. This part is clear to me.

What is not clear is why the combined intellects of you and your son
were not sufficient for you to open the book, find your state and
city, and get the necessary information. You were *right there,* were
you not? You are clearly literate, since you have written this
letter, and while I'm no expert on children I think an eleven year old
could reasonably be expected to use a reference book regardless of
innocence.

I'm with Mr. Helpful on this one. You had a great opportunity to show
your son how to use reference materials to find information, and to
teach him about the zip code system, and you totally blew it.

For those of you who gripe about postal rates:

It costs me 41 cents to mail a thank-you note to my next-door
neighbor. If I actually go next-door to hand-deliver it, I may very
well spent more than 41 cents' worth of time talking to her. And I
like her!

It also costs me 41 cents to mail a bill payment from my home in
Wisconsin to Illinois, Las Vegas, or Wilmington, Delaware. I cannot
drive there for that amount. Even setting up an account online and
monitoring it would cost more than 41 cents per month.

Heck, last week all 3 of my kids had appointments at our local medical
center. I had to pay a co-pay for an ER visit. It was worth 41 cents
to mail the thing in, rather than walk the extra distance and wait
until the payment rep could assist me.

I am one of the people who think that USPS is a bargain. No one in my
family works for USPS. I just think that it's a great deal. They
will pick up at your home for free and drop off at the destination for
only 41 cents. No matter how far away the destination is. Next
door, halfway across the country, coast-to-coast. 41 cents.

I would hope that the Customer Service representatives would shoo you
along. I'm in line, with my check already written out except for the
amount of my package,
or my Certified Mail/Return Receipt Requested forms already filled
out. Or my actual CASH is in hand.

I don't want to wait for you to argue with the clerk about something
as inconsequential as a ZIP Code. Use the brain you were given and
look it up. I order my stamps by mail(which is a free service, BTW)
so I don't have to wait in line behind people like you who can't
figure out how to do most of your postage without making others wait.

I would hope that by age 11, your "innocent" child would know how
alphabetical order works. I would certainly hope that even an
"innocent" child would know the names of all 50 states. My kids'
elementary-school teacher even taught the students "Fifty Nifty United
States", a song listing the states in alphabetical order.

For those who haven't seen this awesome book at your local post
office: Use alphabetical order to find your state's name. In OP's
situation, Massachusetts.

Within the state's listings, use alphabetical order to find the name
of the city. Again, in OP's case, Chestnut Hill.

Here's the cool part: Many "larger" cities have more than one ZIP
Code. So OP may have found that, under "Chestnut Hill", there were
street names that belonged to the designated address but not to other
streets in Chestnut Hill. For example, Milwaukee encompasses many ZIP
Codes. I can look up "Wisconsin", then "Milwaukee", and then the
specific street. I'm guessing that "Wisconsin Avenue" crosses more
than one ZIP Code. I can look in the book, using the specific
address, to find out which ZIP Code serves the exact address I seek.

As another poster suggests, the "innocent" child can use Google to
find out the ZIP as well.

OP should definitely make sure that his child can use basic reference
tools, including the Internet.

Also: Your local Yellow Pages or White Pages most likely includes a
page which lists the ZIP Codes of many "major" cities in your state.
I can look in mine and find out the ZIPS of almost every small town in
the state of Wisconsin. For larger cities like Milwaukee, there's an
asterisk indicating that there's more than one.
It's not hard to use, and since it's in the front of the phone book,
away from any ads, any "innocence" is preserved.

I love point 2, this is exactly why most parents nowadays are screwing
their kids up. Oh well he's only 11...oh well he's only 14...oh well
he's only 20. An 11 year old can read, an 11 year old can understand
the alphabet and therefore an 11 year old can understand how to find a
zip code in a directory. Stop whining about what everyone else should
do for you and showing your kid exactly what a leach to society is,
cause you're making a huge mess for the productive members of society
to fix when your kid comes out as screwed up as you are.

I was thinking, "Your 'innocent' 11 year old is on the verge of
discovering internet porn, if he hasn't already! So much for
'innocence'!"

you turned a chance to teach your son something into a poor old
pitiful me moment. wow.

Take it from someone who knows. These larger Post Offices are
monitored and any time you have a slow moving line or too many lined
up you are called on it. Yes, someone is actually sitting at a
computer monitoring the lines in these offices. The Post Office is
all about efficiency and that's why you're able to look up your own
zip codes, find your own forms, and then come up to the counter when
you're ready.
Since my office doesn't have a computer that can instantly look up a
zip code by magically typing in an address unless you count pulling up
usps.com like anyone else can, I can't speak for the larger offices
but I'd be willing to bet that to even search the internet site for
you the clerk would have had to leave his/her window to do it, leaving
the 2 or 3 others waiting. And that won't happen no matter what Post
Office you go to.

It's ONLY a number. What could possibly offend an eleven year old? Ok,
there's that 90210 one, but I doubt an eleven year old remembers that.


Although it may have inconvenienced YOU, the postal service is only
obligated to have the info available, NOT teach an eleven year old the
ONLY way to get information is to have someone else look it up for
you. If there was nobody in the store and the clerk was biting his
nails and doing sudoku, he STILL dosen't have to do your job OR be a
parent.

What did your child learn from all this?

In around 7 years your son may be on a college campus somewhere with
instructors who expect him to be able to comprehend a syllabus.

He may be on a job somewhere with supervisors who expect him to be
able to figure out his time sheet.

He may find himself very confused one April as he attempts to
understand the instructions on his tax forms.

I've already encountered many young people who can't do any of that,
and who moreover have no clue what to do about the fact that they
can't. (The discovery, at the start of May, that there are people in
their fourth or fifth semesters at the school who haven't read any
books at all yet because they cannot tell from looking at their
syllabi whether they are in fact supposed to read anything is
depressing.) So I'm certainly not saying that he won't have company.


But presumably you, as his father, would like him to succeed in life,
and one of the ways you can do that is to express confidence in his
ability to face challenges and meet them. (If my father had, when I
was 11, made public a letter in which he doubted my ability to figure
out how to look up a zip code I would have been ashamed, and my
parents really didn't think too much of me as it was.) After all, it
would be very depressing if as a young adult he went off and got a job
and couldn't even stand out among peers who had no idea what they
should put down for "start time" and "end time" after a shift,
wouldn't it?

I agree with all the other posters, but I do have one questions:

What is wrong with having your "innocent" 11-year-old child look up
the zip code in the book? Is there something "dirty" in that book you
didn't want him to see?

Letter of apology? for WHAT?? If they looked up every zipcode for
everyone, the lines would be even longer. Agents aren't there to do
everything for you. She was doing her job. It is your son's fault he
didn't have it. Next time, he should write it down. Your making a big
deal out of NOTHING.

Get over yourself. I used one of those books for years at my job
before there were computers and I managed to survive. Of course, I
wasn't an innocent 11 year old. I was probably 18 and didn't have my
mommy hovering over me, but I did manage to survive the horror of it.
I hope no teacher at school asks this child to look up something in an
encyclopedia -- can you imagine that letter?

Had I been behind you in line with my 9 year old son, I would have
been a bit annoyed that you were holding up the line arguing with the
agent to do something that isn't their job, but yours. Then I probably
would have sent my son over to look up the zip code for you 1)because
he'd probably get a kick out of thumbing through the book and 2)he
isn't a lazy, entitled brat who's going to go through life expecting
people to do everything for him.


Your letter is rediculous.

You know, this is a good time as any to point out that since you had
time to write this letter to complain you could have just as easily
gone to the USPS website and did a zip code look up on their site.

Apparently you're more concerned with feeling as if you were wronged
(newsflash: you weren't! everyone is directed to that book!), than
teaching your son the right way to use a website to help.

I feel sorry for him. Apparently you'll be holding his hand for a long
time to come.

You helped your son learn how to look up zip codes in a big, scary
book full of, no, wait for it... EVERY ZIP CODE IN THE COUNTRY.

Did he survive? Did you? What a big complaint over NOTHING. You're
wrong: He absolutely should know how to look it up, either online or
in a big book. It's called life skills, and it's your job to teach
them.

NEXT!

This letter is featured on Mommage!

http://planetfeedback.typepad.com/mommage/2007/07/learning-tools.html

Come take a look!

Why is the USPS responsible because neither you nor your son had the
foresight to look up a zipcode.

Two words.

Personal. Responsibility.

Wow, expecting an 11-year-old child, in the 6th grade, to be able to
use a reference book. How horrid of them. What's it supposed to mean
by an innocent child? Like he's going to see anything unwholesome in a
book of zip codes?

We didn't have Internet in our house until I was thirteen. Therefore,
when I had to do a project, I spent a lot of time thumbing through our
encyclopedia set from the ages of five until thirteen.

I don't think it would kill your son to know how to be able to find a
phone number when the power's out. And as it sounds like you were
there, you could have looked it up for him.

I don't understand why an 11-year old boy can't use a reference book.
That's plenty old enough to be able to comprehend these kinds of
things. Hell, when I was 11 (cough many moons ago cough cough) I knew
how to find the telephone area code and exchange(s) for any town in
the United States. And that was lonnnng before there was an internet,
believe me.

Personally, I'm glad that the Post Office doesn't take time out to
provide that information individually. The resources are available
everywhere, be it online, or in the actual post office. It's already a
pain to have to wait in line at the post office for others who
actually need the help of a postal worker. There's no need to
actually wait on trivial matters which can be resolved on your own
with the resources available right there.

And like someone said below, you just missed a golden opportunity to
teach your son about a valuable resource, and a rather fascinating
system.

Oh, and by the way, what is it with people requesting a "letter of
apology"? What the %@*& are you going to do with a letter of apology?
Will you have it framed and hung on the wall? Do you scan it and turn
it into a PDF file to be posted on your website? Or does one file it
away for future use to be used in case of another dispute with the
same organization? - "You've already apologized once to me, now do as
I say!"

I just don't get it.

Why didn't you just look it up online before heading to the post
office? USPS has a website and you can put in any address and get the
zip plus 4.

What a wonderful opportunity to use a resource in the post office,
independantly, without holding up the line or costing money. Also, not
only can you learn from it but your son will have a resource to use
when he goes there if need be. I would think you could make that book
become fascinating to a young boy, showing him just how many zip codes
there are, and how similar they are to each other in certain areas.
It's a learning and bonding opportunity,you learn together.

I understand you wanted customer service here but this is government
run and they are doing what they can without costing the taxpayers
more money, which is where they get their income from as opposed to
competition which they try to keep up with by spending as little tax
dollars as they can get away with.

I like that book, actually, I think it's fascinating. The first time I
came across one, I spent a good thirty minutes flipping through it and
was late for work. Maybe I should write a letter? :)

Heaven forbid, though, that you actually teach your son how to use a
book and appreciate finding out knowledge for himself instead of
always being spoon fed facts and trivia. Well done.

Could you please explain why your 11 year old was not able to use a
book to look up a zip code, especially with you there to assist. If
it was a 3-4 year old child, certainly, that would be beyond their
skills. An 11 year old would be in 5th or 6th grade, and should be
capable of comprehending basic reference documents. Your child may
need some guidence getting the correct zip code, but there's no reason
that they can't look it up.

Every time I've been to the Post Office, they just type in the zip
code I provide on the item. It is very possible that they don't have
access to look them up.

What a marvelous opportunity to teach your son about how zip codes
work and it was completely wasted.

Why didn't you look it up for him? You obviously have the internet, it
takes 2 seconds to look up a zip code online. You could have looked up
before you got there.

Letter of apology? Give me a break.