The Post Office is not up to speed.

According to a recent report issued by the Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA) of the Postal Rate Commission, the performance and business practices of the U.S. Postal Service leave much to be desired when compared to FedEx and UPS. The biggest problem according to the report is the Priority service offered by the Post Office. The report says, "the Postal Service is not providing the priority service promised to a high enough percentage of the pieces handled. In addition, and more troubling, is that the Postal Service appears to be withholding information from consumers, leaving them unequipped to make an informed choice between First Class and Priority…OCA determined that the Postal Service is misleading the public about the quality of service it is likely to receive upon purchase of Priority Mail."

The report also cites extraordinarily long lines at local post office branches, poorly trained telephone customer service representatives, lengthy processes for insurance claims and unreliable delivery times, even on guaranteed shipments. The report was issued only a week before the Post Office announced a rate hike in late March.

dhannon@cahners.com