Eleanor Lawrie, Author

Pretty much tearing my hair out, but this morning a friendly clerk at the Thorold Post Office solved a mystery for me.

Here’s the story:  I decided to reroute my brother’s mail because the house will be sold, it is currently empty, and we need to pay utilities and other bills that come due, as well as banking and personal affairs.

We live in a high rise, with a similar building facing us. Much too often, we receive mail that should have gone to the other building, or to another unit here.

So for safety, knowing I will get everything without any worries, I forwarded the mail to a PO Box.

Then I mailed an envelope to my brother’s house the day after buying the forwarding service and the PO Box.

Stressed individuals don’t react well when such good planning backfires!! I saw red yesterday when I checked the PO Box. Another person’s mail was in it, and no sign of the ‘test letter’ I had sent.

It turns out the person who sold me the services on November 9, labeled the wrong box on the side they get loaded from!!  So at least I know the mail should be put in MY slot from now on. My number had been put on the box above mine from the ‘loading’ side of the wall.

Now here’s my question:  Why in the world are the numbers not already on the backs of the boxes?  On the front, there are proper permanent numbers.

Someone, please explain the logic that would make it necessary for the PO clerk to tape labels on at the back !!  That just escapes my over-worked brain.

Hmm, just realized that one should insist on seeing the back of the box just rented, to verify it’s done right!  A price reduction would help as well.

Canada Post: your inquiry system is not user-friendly! Menu after menu, finally an operator who has to type in all the information, and call it a ticket.  8:00 am phone call this morning to say everything is working at the house end and that’s all they found out!!  They didn’t even call the PO Box end.  Didn’t have a phone number for one of their own outlets. What??

Initiative: zero. The mark given by me: zero

I wonder if the next months will see them exonerate themselves.