Post office readies for Christmas

Monday, November 30, 2009

By Gary Weaver
Staff Writer

Every year around the first week of December, a switch seems to go off, and the United States Postal Service gets slammed with more customers, more letters, cards and packages, and an amazing workload put on mail carriers and clerks working at post office branches throughout the country.

At the London branch, Postmaster Jeff Robertson not only has to deal with the usual rush of business beginning like clockwork in December, but he does so with less than one week on the job. He was named Postmaster last week, after 25 years as a supervisor in Pickerington.

“It has already been busy, and next week, it will get even busier,” Robertson said.

He added that there could be an increase in staffing, but his workers will see a definite increase in the amount of hours on the job.

“We don’t have an automated system here which makes things a lot easier,” Robertson said. He pointed out that an automated system allows customers to take care of a slew of shipping and postal business at any time or after hours and without standing and waiting in line.

The most pressing concern he sees each holiday season is actually the simple things. “You’d be surprised at how people are so busy that they forget to put on a stamp and/or a return address,” Robertson added. “We’ll have these items (cards and packages) and have to send them to the dead letter office, because we have no way to returning them.”

He also wanted to bring attention to postal customers another important aspect of this time of year.

“This is the worse time of year for slips, trips and falls,” Robertson said. “We encourage people to keep their sidewalks cleared to make our carriers job easier, quicker and safer.”

He also offered these other tips to help customers with a smoother mailing experience:

• The earlier you mail your cards and/or packages, the better.

• Those mailing items to family or friends in the military (particularly overseas) should get their items in the mail no later than the first week of December (contact the post office or visit www.usps.com for exact dates and times).

• Domestic mail deadlines vary in dates depending on whether you send first class, priority, express, etc. Again, contact your local post office or www.usps.com for more information.

More than 10,000 post offices nationwide (including London) will have a special CD on sale chock full of holiday classics by Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Michael Buble’, even the Muppets. The CD is titled “Letters to Santa” and features cover art of the 1991 classic holiday stamp named “Letters to Santa,” which pays homage to the “Letters to Santa” program started in 1912. The program has served as a vehicle for individuals and companies to reply to children’s letters to Santa.

There is also a new 2009 Christmas stamp that was released in October. It depicts the 300-year old painting by Sassoferrato and is called Madonna and Sleeping Child. “Sassoferrato’s painting provides a symbol of the endearing and enduring bond of family,” said James Bilbray, member of the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors. “It represents the best of all that is good about Christmas and its traditions — home, family, love and togetherness. It is no small wonder why it was selected.”

Finally, Robertson says that while next week his office will see a huge jump in volume, customer service is still a top priority.

“We’ll have available boxes, tape and labels for those who need them,” Robertson said. “And after cutoff dates, we can still help people out with express mail. It’s a hectic time, but its also exciting.”

Gary Weaver can be contacted at (740) 852-1616, ext. 14 or by e-mail at news4@madison-press.com