# Would it kill the USPS to have public phone numbers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053 "2012-08-10T04:19:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/1 "2012-08-10T04:19:57Z")
I’ve had several issues that were not dumb and couldn’t be handled by the brain dead 800 line. They apparently cannot even look shit up on USPS’s internal system which the employees at local branchs can, any problem they just tell you they will initiate a claim.:rolleyes: Once a package that had a laptop in it was signed for by a different name than the intended receiver in a different zip code, once a package was in some kind of infinite loop bouncing back and forth. Both of these were solved in moments by finding the phone number for the branch online, or when I could not find it online calling the branch it was sent from and talking the guy into giving me the number(he swore me to secrecy and requested I note admit he was the source). Apparently it is USPS policy to hide the individual branch numbers and direct everyone to the 800 number, no matter if the local branch could actually assist you or not. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/2 "2012-08-10T04:40:58Z")
if people at your local office had to handle ‘what is the price of a stamp’ calls then more people would have to be hired or people there would have to wait in line longer while the counter person handled calls. much information asked for is system wide general information or in a database (e.g. what is the latest pickup at the mailbox). ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/3 "2012-08-10T04:45:33Z")
So looking forward to this level of efficiency in health care. ☹ My standby is [gethuman.com](http://gethuman.com) ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/4 "2012-08-10T04:46:19Z")
Your google-fu is weak, grasshopper. I picked the city of Chicago at random, and googled “Chicago post office” without the quotes. The fifth result is [this link](http://local.yahoo.com/IL/Chicago/Government+Community/Post+Offices) which contains a list of multiple post offices in Chicago, along with street addresses and telephone numbers. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/5 "2012-08-10T04:53:21Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Your google-fu is weak, grasshopper. > > I picked the city of Chicago at random, and googled “Chicago post office” without the quotes. > > The fifth result is [this link](http://local.yahoo.com/IL/Chicago/Government+Community/Post+Offices) which contains a list of multiple post offices in Chicago, along with street addresses and telephone numbers. I was able to find one I needed that way, one however was not online anywhere and I confirmed that by searching the number after I got it off the postal employee(it was for a substation in NYC). Also if you call and get someone surly or who puts you on hold, hang up and call again in an hour and try to get someone else. There are wide gaps between employee competence. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/6 "2012-08-10T05:04:23Z")
While we’re at it why in the name of all that’s holy don’t they have a map of the damn mailboxes online? Or why can’t the tell you where they are when you call? I know there must be a mailbox by my house somewhere and I really don’t want to drive the 15 minutes to the post office (and frankly the postman is a bit unreliable). ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/7 "2012-08-10T05:05:26Z")
Government monopolies don’t care, they don’t have to, they don’t have competition so pleasing a customer doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/8 "2012-08-10T06:29:56Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > While we’re at it why in the name of all that’s holy don’t they have a map of the damn mailboxes online? Or why can’t the tell you where they are when you call? I know there must be a mailbox by my house somewhere and I really don’t want to drive the 15 minutes to the post office (and frankly the postman is a bit unreliable). Give this a shot: > **[MailboxMap - Find and locate blue USPS mailbox locations near me - Home Page](http://www.mailboxmap.com/)** > > A map to find the nearest blue USPS mailbox locations with pickup and collection times near me ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/9 "2012-08-10T09:01:54Z")
The USPS has been bleeding customers and money for years now, and everyone understands that the Internet is a major factor: E-mail, on-line billing, on-line bank statements, on-line all-sorts-of-stuff that used to go by snail-mail. The USPS has lost so much first-class mail business. But, with on-line alternatives available, they also lose business by their bad customer service. I was a on-line business Luddite for years and years. Never wanted to touch it. But when I began to get fed up with crappy USPS customer service, then I began to do things like most of my bill paying on-line. Sorry, USPS, ya blew it. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/10 "2012-08-10T11:16:50Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > While we’re at it why in the name of all that’s holy don’t they have a map of the damn mailboxes online? Or why can’t the tell you where they are when you call? I know there must be a mailbox by my house somewhere and I really don’t want to drive the 15 minutes to the post office (and frankly the postman is a bit unreliable). It’s linked right on their homepage, under “Quick Tools: Find Locations”. Go to the full page search option for that, then pick from the drop-down menu “Collection Boxes.” They have this option in their iPhone app as well (dunno if they have an Android app) for those on the go. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/11 "2012-08-10T11:21:19Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Apparently it is USPS policy to hide the individual branch numbers and direct everyone to the 800 number, no matter if the local branch could actually assist you or not. Not really - it takes a little clicking but you can get there pretty easily. Go to the USPS webpage, and use their “Quick Tools: Find Locations” option. Choose “Go to full-page version” for searching, enter a zip code, and then click through the link for the location near you. On the detailed page with info about your local office, they provide the direct number. They give you the 800 number preferentially because, I suspect, most people will call their local post office for every problem even if the package is nowhere near that location. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/12 "2012-08-10T12:19:58Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > So looking forward to this level of efficiency in health care. ☹ > [@Seanette](#): > > Government monopolies don’t care, they don’t have to, they don’t have competition so pleasing a customer doesn’t matter. Oh, brother. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/13 "2012-08-10T13:18:46Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Not really - it takes a little clicking but you can get there pretty easily. Go to the USPS webpage, and use their “Quick Tools: Find Locations” option. Choose “Go to full-page version” for searching, enter a zip code, and then click through the link for the location near you. On the detailed page with info about your local office, they provide the direct number. :eek: THIS ACTUALLY WORKS! Holy crap I had to come back and read your instructions twice, but yes this works as long as you follow it to the letter. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/14 "2012-08-10T14:46:41Z")
> [@grude](#): > > :eek: THIS ACTUALLY WORKS! > > Holy crap I had to come back and read your instructions twice, but yes this works as long as you follow it to the letter. Yup, sorry if I was kinda vague. 🙂 I tried to explain it as best I could. I figured the page for the specific location might have more detail than the 1-800 number, so I tried and it did. ---
**Author:** ![Eliphalet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eliphalet/32/9563_2.png) [@Eliphalet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eliphalet)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/15 "2012-08-10T16:35:10Z")
Amused I am. Yesterday, I got double-billed by the local Post Office for a PO box, and tried to call the local number. It is an unanswered Voice Mail box that will not accept new messages. Even having a local number and calling it doesn’t help… Eli ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-kill-the-usps-to-have-public-phone-numbers/631053/16 "2012-08-10T16:36:15Z")
Wow - great find! Now I just need to tell the folks at the local post office about that so when someone else calls they’ll know.