Valley post office could use a tune up

The Valley’s U.S. Post Office near Sprague and Bowdish leaves a lot to be desired.

It used to be around the holidays that you could expect a long line, but now it’s a given that on any day of the week (except Sundays, of course) that anytime during the day, most assuredly, a long line will be awaiting you.

It doesn’t matter whether you just want to mail a package, buy a book of stamps, pick up mail or buy a money order, you’ll have to wait in a long line. Everybody is equal, too, whether you are using a cane, on crutches, pushing a walker or in a wheelchair; no favoritism here, you’re still in store for a long wait.

Now you are finally up at the counter and no wonder you had to wait in a long line, there is only one clerk, and if you were lucky maybe two clerks.

If you look beyond the clerk, don’t be surprised if you see the supervisors and station manager lollygagging.

There’s an old saying, “Actions speak louder than words,” and obviously their actions, or more appropriately their nonactions, are they don’t give one iota about their clerks, or for that matter their customers. Otherwise, they’d roll up their sleeves, come forward and help out their clerk and show the customers that they care about them.

It’s no wonder that there is talk that the U.S. Postal Service is considering being privatized. Should that happen, it would improve customer relations at the counter, for they would be in a competitive environment. Of course, as with any kind of change, there are pros and cons to consider but at least it affords the thought of improving the service given to the customer.

As a concerned citizen, I would just like to go to my post office without having to search for a parking space and without having to wait in a long line to simply buy a book of stamps or whatever.

There has to be better way.