Mail delays cause flock to Maryv

I think we've all seen our home mail deliveries delayed. Here on Ford Road, we've been going several days between mail deliveries. From what I hear, that's getting to be common all around the county. I know some have gone to the post office only to be told their mail is at the postal annex on Adesa Boulevard and given a number to call. Problem is, no one answers the phone. Some who have gone to the annex have been told their mail can't be retrieved.

I'm sure the postal service has been hit with the same problems as every other business, Covid, lack of help and so on, but you may remember back in October, the postal service announced just such a slow down as we're seeing now.

Not sure what the problem is, but it's something we've never seen before.

See stories below.

Mail delivery slowdown: USPS to slow delivery starting October 1

CBSNEWS.COM-Mail delivery for many Americans will slow starting on Friday, part of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy's blueprint for overhauling the U.S. Postal Service in order to slash costs. But critics say the slower delivery standards could cause problems such as late bill delivery while more broadly undermining the public's faith in the USPS.

Almost 4 of 10 pieces of first-class mail will see slower delivery, according to Paul Steidler, senior fellow at the Lexington Institute and an expert on the postal service. That "means mail delivery will be slower than in the 1970s," he said, calling DeJoy's plan "disastrous."

Starting on October 1, the postal service's current three-day delivery standard for first-class mail — letters, bills, tax documents and the like — will drop to delivery anywhere within the U.S. within five days. In other words, Americans should now expect that letters and other mail could take up to five days to reach their destinations, and vice versa.

The USPS will continue to have a two-day delivery standard for single-piece first-class mail traveling within a local area, a USPS spokeswoman said, adding that the postal service has improved its delivery standards in 2021.

"The postal service has shown steady improvements for all first-class mail, marketing and periodical mail categories over the last seven months," she said in an email to CBS MoneyWatch. "We have worked tirelessly to overcome challenges from recent storms and continue to recruit thousands of employees for the upcoming holiday peak season."

But critics like Steidler say people in rural areas, the disabled and the elderly will feel the effects of the new mail delivery standards. "It's the least fortunate who will be hurt hardest by this," he said. "Everything in American society is getting faster, it seems, except for the mail delivery — which is now going to get slower."

It's possible that people who are paying their bills by mail and not prepared for the change could incur late fees, for instance, if their checks don't arrive on time. Others may face longer delivery times for important documents such as tax forms or passports. The change could further undermine customers' faith in the U.S. Postal Service, which took a hit in 2020 when delivery delays snarled everything from prescription medication to election ballots, experts say.

The USPS contends that its 10-year plan is necessary to erase a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade. The effort aims to boost revenue through expanded parcel delivery and postage hikes, with the latest postage increase having gone into effect in August.

But the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), the federal regulator that oversees the USPS, earlier this year questioned if the postal service's plan to slow delivery standards would save money.

"Reducing service will only discourage use of the U.S. Mail, which is not a formula for long-term financial health and stability," said Christopher W. Shaw, the author of the forthcoming book "First Class: The U.S. Postal Service, Democracy and the Corporate Threat," in an emailed statement.

On Friday, a bipartisan group of 40 lawmakers asked Postmaster DeJoy for more information about the consolidation of 18 mail-processing facilities, part of his 10-year plan. In the October 1 letter, the lawmakers raise concerns about whether closing the facilities would "further degrade mail service heading into the busy holiday season," as well as lead to job losses.

"We believe that at a minimum, these consolidations should be paused until further information about the justification and impact is made public," representatives including Suzan DelBene, a Democrat from Washington, and Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho, wrote in the letter.

Mail delays cause flock to Maryville postal hub

Officials with the postal service said local management has been made aware and is taking steps to address concerns.

MARYVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - In Maryville, residents told WVLT News that they haven’t received their mail for a week or longer.

They said this is putting a strain on business owners and people who need their medications and checks.

People are now forced to wait in a long line to get ahold of their mail.

Tifni Boruff and her husband own Boruff Auto Body and Repairs.

“A ton of mail is back there in piles, that hasn’t been sorted in days. We have bills to pay, we have bills in the pile that haven’t made it to their destination,” said Boruff.

Officials with the United States Postal Service said their workforce has been impacted by the pandemic and winter storms have created longer delays. The Postal Service said in a statement they are aware of the issue and apologize for any inconvenience.

They’re looking at ways to spread out their resources to resolve the issue.

“We depend on those payments coming in to keep going along. It could be devastating for us if this doesn’t get resolved quickly,” said Boruff.

Officials said they urge customers with concerns or questions about their mail delivery service to contact their local Postal Office, so they can look into and resolve their concerns promptly.

Unacceptable' post office issues reported in East Tennessee
Several people said they aren't getting their mail on time and can't find stamps at some locations. Rep. Tim Burchett said someone needs to be fired

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After several reports of mail delays, post offices without stamps, and offices that closed when they should be open, Knox County Rep. Tim Burchett said the U.S. Postal Service's management in East Tennessee is "unacceptable."

In Knoxville, Suzan Bowman said she does not get her mail everyday. Several of her neighbors reported not getting mail on Tuesday.

Also in Knoxville, signs posted outside at least two post offices said the office would change its hours. The post office in West Knoxville said it would only be open from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. because of "staffing shortages."

In an email, U.S. Postal Service Spokesperson Albert Ruiz said the sign was "inadvertently posted," but he did not say who posted the sign.

Ruiz said all Knoxville post offices were open at regular hours, but when 10News visited one of the Post Offices with one of the signs out front outside the hours of 12-3 p.m., it was closed.

"Local management has been made aware and the sign was removed," Ruiz said.

In Maryville, Congressman Tim Burchett's office said they received a "spike" in calls about significant mail delays.

"We've had numerous complaints," said Burchett. "To be honest with you, we're not getting a satisfactory response."

Rep. Burchett said he heard from one constituent who said he hadn't gotten mail in more than a week and a half.

"They're not paying attention to their customers or their employees," Rep. Burchett said. "It's management, and dadgummit, they better straighten it up."

Similarly, in Knoxville, Suzan Bowman and her neighbors said they don't get their mail everyday. On Tuesday, Bowman said she and her neighbors didn't get any mail.

"You come outside, you go to your mailbox, and there's nothing there," Bowman said. "It's also my business address, so I'm not getting my business mail as well."

Ruiz sent a statement addressing both of those issues to 10News.

“The Postal Service plays an important role in the community and we are committed to providing the best service possible. We apologize for any inconvenience that may have been experienced by customers living in the Knoxville and Maryville, TN, area. Local management has been made aware and is taking steps to address the concerns...

We can confirm that our workforce, like others, is not immune to the human impacts of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Ongoing industrywide delays in ground and air transportation network and recent winter storms across Tennessee have also created challenges for the Postal Service."

Last month, the Post Office in Lenoir City posted a sign outside their front door that said they didn't have any stamps. Ruiz said that was a "temporary shortage" of stamps.

After 10News asked about the issue, stamps returned to the Lenoir City Post Office.

In regards to all of the issues with the Postal Service in East Tennessee, Congressman Burchett said his office is in touch with the Postal Service in Nashville to get answers.

Rep. Burchett said his issue is not with the people who sort mail or deliver mail, it's with the management.

"They better straighten it up," Burchett said. "Somebody needs to be at the very least fired."

For now, the USPS is asking people to contact their local post office.

"We urge any customers with concerns or questions about their mail delivery service to contact their local Postal Office, so that we can look into and resolve their concerns promptly. Customers may also visit our website at www.usps.com/help."