The unofficial motto of U.S. Postal Service is, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
Unfortunately, this motto is no longer observed at the U.S. Postal Service, as quality of mail delivery has steadily declined while postal rates are steadily increasing.
The Star Herald last week published a Letter to the Editor detailing staffing concerns at the Luverne Post Office.
We share these concerns and offer our support and encouragement to postal employees working long hours as a result of poor administrative management.
We also share the same frustrations with delivery delays and lack of deliveries that result in real and costly repercussions for the public.
When paychecks, prescriptions, legal notices and many other time sensitive deliveries are delayed, it has disastrous impacts on residents and businesses who consequently waste untold costly hours attempting to locate missing products and documents.
We are especially frustrated with lack of access to Postal Service leadership responsible for the lapses in service and hiring.
If the Star Herald makes an error in a story, we respond promptly to complaints with a correction and sincere apology. If an error occurs in advertising, a refund is issued, or a corrected version is republished — also with a sincere apology. That’s how to conduct business with integrity.
The Postal Service has clearly lost sight of the business integrity touted in its motto. Yet, postal rates have increased more than 20 percent in recent years with the most recent increase going into effect last month.
And it’s putting the Star Herald and many others in costly and uncomfortable predicaments.
We receive weekly if not daily complaints from subscribers who haven’t received the Star Herald and Luverne Announcer in the mail.
We are continually apologizing to subscribers and advertisers for the Post Service’s shortcomings in delivering the mail. And, unfortunately, it’s costing us money in the form of dropped subscriptions and discontinued advertising.
And it’s understandable. Readers and advertisers are paying for something they’re not receiving. And it’s because we are paying the Postal Service for deliveries that aren’t arriving on time (if at all).
Meanwhile, as we apologize to our customers, we have yet to hear a satisfactory response from the Postal Service — or much response at all for that matter.
One silver lining in the news business is that we offer a quality online option for our publications at www.star-herald.com, and it’s the best way to get our product guaranteed a day early. Not all businesses have this alternative to postal delivery nightmares.
Again, we empathize with our local Post Office employees and carriers. They are the unfortunate frontline workers in a sadly inept Postal Service under inept leadership.
Darial Bass is the regional supervisor for southwest Minnesota, and we encourage you, our readers, to contact her with your concerns at 507-828-7699 and darial.l.bass@usps.gov.