Note taped in the window of the downtown Post Office on Friday, June 23, telling people about technical difficulties and delays.
If you’re thinking about heading to the downtown Grand Junction Post Office, you might want to think again.
If you do decide to go, bring cash or checks for your transaction.
About six weeks ago the Post Office changed their internet provider to Verizon, and now their internet is frequently down. When it does work, it is extremely slow, according to postal workers. Lines are long and the bogged-down computer systems are causing lost revenue and angry customers.
It is also causing supervisors, managers and clerks problems in doing their jobs. The Passport Clerk at the downtown Post Office can’t accept anything but cash or check payments because credit cards won’t process.
One postal worker said, “Most customers just leave.”
Just a heads-up, if you are planning to try the Fruitvale Post Office instead, that office may be closed because of recent staffing issues.
Line at the downtown Post Office on Friday, around 12:30 p.m.
The Post Office’s previous internet provider worked well, workers said.
The new internet provider appears to be part of a new nationwide program the Post Office is engaged in with the Verizon corporation.
On March 31, 2023, Verizon boasted on their website that they landed a 10-year, $145.7 million “digital modernization contract” with the United States Postal Service in which “Verizon will be tasked with upgrading and digitizing USPS customer support infrastructure.”
The description of what Verizon is supposed to be doing for the Post Office reads like a bunch of high-tech gobbledy-gook:
“Verizon will deliver a number of infrastructure upgrades, including a transition to cloud solutions supported by real-time reporting, monitoring and administration, as well as ongoing physical infrastructure enhancements for host servers, storage arrays, and other equipment. Verizon’s solutions will help eliminate the need for premise infrastructure, software licenses, or hardware, thereby reducing the burden on USPS’ IT personnel and lowering operational costs. Verizon’s technology solutions will deliver an agile, robust, scalable, and flexible infrastructure that will provide significant business value in the near term and prepare USPS strategically for the future.”
Whatever it is they’re doing, it has led to long lines, delays and inconvenience for postal customers and employees alike.
The changes harming the Post Office have been happening under United States Postmaster Louis DeJoy, who was appointed under the Donald Trump administration.
The problem seems to have been with Verizon, and also seems to be over. I was at the post office earlier this week and they had no trouble processing my credit card.
As much as I dislike DeJoy, this was Verizon. Changes to networks can be troublesome.
Thanks for the update!
Perhaps a heads-up precursor of problems for next year’s presidential elections for those who mail in their ballots. Better plan to use drop boxes or stand in line and vote in person.
You can bet DeJoy has his nose in this.
The GOP has had the Post Office in their sites for some time. This is simply a political strategy for profiteering from the Public sector. Undermine the services so that they can then tell the public that the private sector can so much better, they tried it with budget shortfalls in funding PO retirements too. Remember the mail sorters they took down here and how that interrupted services. I worked in the Federal system and it happened to my sector. It has become pervasive and alarming. Currently there are 2.6 Xs as many federal contractors as government employees. Erosion of public services this way leaves us vulnerable to the predatory corporations that dominate our lives. This always costs us more and our taxes seep away with no accountability. Private interest strip public goods of their power and diminish Democracy. Thank U for bringing this theft to light. A good read; The Privatization of Everything”.(Cohen, Mikaelian)
The Clifton annex is really good, but road construction (that has been going on for 4-6 months) makes it a challenge to get in and out.
That is utility work. There is probably another 6-12 months of road construction there.