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I work as the Shipping Manager for my company. As such, I get to deal with lots of corner cases and exception cases. Yesterday, I got one that ended up being a huge problem case.
This order was for a couple of video cards, going to Russia. International orders aren't usually a problem, but all of the countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union have a special block put on them - you can't process orders that are going to any of them through the USPS Click-N-Ship site, you have to take them in to the Post Offices. So, I packed the cards in a box, filled out all of the forms by hand, and gave it to my manager. She had volunteered to take the mail to the Post Office first thing today (since USPS wasn't picking up at all yesterday).
Now, international orders normally require a Form 2976-A Customs Declaration. Under certain circumstances, you can use the 2976, which is a short-form version of the Customs Declaration. I had filled out a 2976-A, figuring that it's ALWAYS correct, while the 2976 is only SOMETIMES correct.
At 8:45 this morning, my manager comes back in with the paperwork and package, going on about how the post office said this and that, and gave her a new 2976 short form. Apparently, it was revised two months ago, and the price that they wanted to charge her was notably more than the customer had paid.
So we went a few rounds arguing between her, me, and our eBay Manager (who is located in another state). He insisted that the two video cards could fit safely in a Small Flat-Rate Box (SFRB), which is what the customer had been charged for. I said that they could fit, but not safely. My manager took the video cards, unpacked them fully, repackaged them in a SFRB, and handed it to me. The box is noticeably bulging, and I point out that it's unlikely that this packaging will see the products safely to their destination. She insists that it's fine, and we'll ship it that way.
Fine; she made an executive decision, I'll go with it. I don't like it, but the buck has been effectively passed, and the decision is out of my hands. I take the paperwork and the box, and go to the post office.
I'm pretty sure I've complained here about the Compton post office before. This visit turns out to be no different. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, I finally get to the window, and put the box and paperwork in the Safety Box Turnstile. He takes them all, gets about 2 lines in, and stops. "You can't use this paperwork, you need the BIG one," he declares. I explain to him that another post office had refused the big Customs form, and insisted that this was the right one. He declares, "We won't argue - I'll check the computer." He does so, and immediately declares that he's right, it needs the big form. I protest further, and he again says, "We won't argue - you'll talk to my manager."
So the Manager and I go aside to discuss the matter. I explain the situation, and she replies, "The window clerk knows what he's doing, it's his job." I explain again about having been to another post office that told us the exact opposite. She starts to hand back the paperwork, so I grab the new 2976 form, and start reading aloud from it. I get about halfway down, stop, and pass the paper back to her, since I've covered why I'm right. She gets this poleaxed look on her face, goes back to the clerk, and starts discussing it with him. She then comes back, and meekly says, "But this isn't a flat-rate envelope.." I pointed out that the very next paragraph covers the SFRB. She goes back to him. After a bit of discussion, they call me over to resume the transaction.
And all goes well... until it comes time to separate and apply the form. Since he's never seen the new form, he doesn't know where it all goes. I've read the form, so I have to slowly walk him through it. "Those two copies are yours, the last page gets attached..." Finally on track, he finishes, "And you get the stub." Got it, finally.
All of this, over a pair of video cards and a new(ish) version of an old form. It's been in circulation for two months. By postal regulations, he's supposed to acquaint himself with new forms when they come out, but he's never seen it.
*sigh* I wish I could say that it'll get better, but this post office has been this bad for years.
This order was for a couple of video cards, going to Russia. International orders aren't usually a problem, but all of the countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union have a special block put on them - you can't process orders that are going to any of them through the USPS Click-N-Ship site, you have to take them in to the Post Offices. So, I packed the cards in a box, filled out all of the forms by hand, and gave it to my manager. She had volunteered to take the mail to the Post Office first thing today (since USPS wasn't picking up at all yesterday).
Now, international orders normally require a Form 2976-A Customs Declaration. Under certain circumstances, you can use the 2976, which is a short-form version of the Customs Declaration. I had filled out a 2976-A, figuring that it's ALWAYS correct, while the 2976 is only SOMETIMES correct.
At 8:45 this morning, my manager comes back in with the paperwork and package, going on about how the post office said this and that, and gave her a new 2976 short form. Apparently, it was revised two months ago, and the price that they wanted to charge her was notably more than the customer had paid.
So we went a few rounds arguing between her, me, and our eBay Manager (who is located in another state). He insisted that the two video cards could fit safely in a Small Flat-Rate Box (SFRB), which is what the customer had been charged for. I said that they could fit, but not safely. My manager took the video cards, unpacked them fully, repackaged them in a SFRB, and handed it to me. The box is noticeably bulging, and I point out that it's unlikely that this packaging will see the products safely to their destination. She insists that it's fine, and we'll ship it that way.
Fine; she made an executive decision, I'll go with it. I don't like it, but the buck has been effectively passed, and the decision is out of my hands. I take the paperwork and the box, and go to the post office.
I'm pretty sure I've complained here about the Compton post office before. This visit turns out to be no different. After waiting in line for 30 minutes, I finally get to the window, and put the box and paperwork in the Safety Box Turnstile. He takes them all, gets about 2 lines in, and stops. "You can't use this paperwork, you need the BIG one," he declares. I explain to him that another post office had refused the big Customs form, and insisted that this was the right one. He declares, "We won't argue - I'll check the computer." He does so, and immediately declares that he's right, it needs the big form. I protest further, and he again says, "We won't argue - you'll talk to my manager."
So the Manager and I go aside to discuss the matter. I explain the situation, and she replies, "The window clerk knows what he's doing, it's his job." I explain again about having been to another post office that told us the exact opposite. She starts to hand back the paperwork, so I grab the new 2976 form, and start reading aloud from it. I get about halfway down, stop, and pass the paper back to her, since I've covered why I'm right. She gets this poleaxed look on her face, goes back to the clerk, and starts discussing it with him. She then comes back, and meekly says, "But this isn't a flat-rate envelope.." I pointed out that the very next paragraph covers the SFRB. She goes back to him. After a bit of discussion, they call me over to resume the transaction.
And all goes well... until it comes time to separate and apply the form. Since he's never seen the new form, he doesn't know where it all goes. I've read the form, so I have to slowly walk him through it. "Those two copies are yours, the last page gets attached..." Finally on track, he finishes, "And you get the stub." Got it, finally.
All of this, over a pair of video cards and a new(ish) version of an old form. It's been in circulation for two months. By postal regulations, he's supposed to acquaint himself with new forms when they come out, but he's never seen it.
*sigh* I wish I could say that it'll get better, but this post office has been this bad for years.