Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Post Office and Competition

I have not blogged in a while because frankly I am sick of the markets in their current state. No, I am not quitting and signalling the top I have always sought. Rather, I have cut back on the activities that make me no money - like blogging.

Sure, I will bare my soul with rants and whines about this and that. But as for a hardcore market post, well, what's the point? The market moves on Syria, on Bernanke, on Mylie Cyrus' upcoming pregnancy, on anything and everything that has nothing to do with capitalism.

But today, I did notice something that gave me hope.Lately, I have been using FedEx to send boxes of stuff to my daughter in her new college apartment. It was a piece of cake and the packages moved across the country in two days. It takes me longer than that to acclimate after a 3-hour plane ride.

Bravo FedEx, you do it right. And I did not even take advantage of their pickup services and personal account.

Today, however, the post office was the closest option and I asked, "why not?"

Don't get me wrong, the post office delivers my customers' book orders in no time and media mail costs almost nothing. Today was different because I was not in my usual hurry. I noticed good customer services with a smile, the offer of add-on sales (stamps, etc..), signs thanking me for my business and a full array of mailing options for the package soon to be on its way to my daughter.

Basically, the post office is starting to get it. It just seems to me that they are being run like a real business and not just a government service where they are the only game in town. You know, like motor vehicles, which, by the way, I find to be much, much better.

Without getting into the politics, the pensions and the restrictions imposed by Washington, I'd say the post office may just make it.

Kudos, post office. And kudos free market.

2 comments:

VN69 said...

Well next time you FEDEX something compare it lb for lb to what Amazon does! Quantity discounts are one thing but this goes far beyond that. Tell me they didn't get this idea of how to make you pay for someone else without realizing it straight from the US government. Only thing is it's the rich guy this time!

patrick neid said...

On a comparative basis Priority Mail beats everything where I live. Just as important is the email tracking that lets me know where the package is in the system. Fears of losing their jobs, pension cutbacks have worked wonders with workers attitudes just as it usually does in the private sector.