Post Office Hours In Berlin, Grafton and Cherry Plain To Be Cut Back – But Not Right Away
by David Flint
As reported in this paper last week, the Petersburgh Post Office, as part of a cost-cutting review of local post offices will have its window hours cut by 15 minutes. This is not a very big change for Petersburgh customers, but what about other post offices in the area?
Stephentown And New Lebanon POs Keep Hours
[private]Maureen Marion, Postal Service Public Affairs Coordinator for the Northeast, said that Stephentown is not scheduled for any cutback in hours. She also could find no indication that New Lebanon would be cut back.
Grafton and Cherry Plain, however, listed as 8 hour per day facilities, will be reduced to four hours per day. Berlin, too, will be cut back, from eight hours to four hours. It is not likely any of these changes will be made in the near future. Marion said they have two years to make such changes to some 13,000 post offices nationwide. The policy is to start with those offices that have a vacancy in the Postmaster or other positions where new part time or reduced hours people might be hired with the least impact on current employees. According to Marion, the Postal Service in this cost saving process wants to do right not only for the Postal Service and taxpayers but also for its employees and its customers.
People Will Be Polled
To do right by its customers, Marion said, offices that will suffer an imminent reduction in hours will send out a letter to customers, as was done in Petersburgh, explaining the work load study that was done, the need and reasons for the reduction and asking for feedback on what hours they would prefer to have the window open. Customers will also be polled as to their opinion on whether another option might be feasible such as closing the office altogether and just having mail delivery or converting the office to a “village” post office with minimal service, perhaps operated by another business in town. Customers are then invited to attend a presentation of findings and be informed of the changes that have been decided upon.
Marion noted that there has been a drastic decline in post office usage in recent years. Part of that is by design. The Postal Service made efforts, for example, to accommodate customers with options like buying stamps in grocery stores and drug stores. Part is by default. People don’t send out letters or greeting cards as much and online bill payment means a lot less mail traffic. Package mail is up, but a lot of people take advantage of flat rate postal boxes that can be given to their letter carrier. All this makes for a lot less traffic at the post offices. Thus the Postal Service has been working on changing window hours without diminishing needed service to customers. There will be no reduction to Saturday hours though, Marion said, because the Postal Service recognizes that it is a very important day for customers.
Town Of Hoosick And Village Post Offices
by Bea Peterson
A meeting was held at the North Hoosick Post Office on December 4. It was announced that hours would be reduced to two hours a day, Monday through Friday. The Post Office will be open from 10 am to 12 pm those days. Saturday remains the same, 11:15 am to 2:45 pm.
The Hoosick Post Office has not yet scheduled a meeting and, at this point, it is unknown if the hours will change. Hours are currently 7:30 am to noon and 1:30 to 4:45 pm Monday through Friday and 8:30 to 11:30 am on Saturday.
The Hoosick Falls Post Office will not hold a meeting as the hours are not changing there due to the amount of business at that facility.[/private]