MAYBE THIS MESSAGE HASN'T BEEN
DELIVERED YET TO THE
COLOGNE POST OFFICE :
Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers
from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Herodotus - 500 B. C.
On June 20, 2007, I sent a letter to the Cologne City Clerk. For as long as we've lived here, the Cologne City Hall has always been located at 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322. No Post Office Box Number is given. The local telephone directory also lists that address as the correct address for the Cologne City Hall, you can do a search on-line at www.dexonline.com and, if that isn't enough 'proof' for you, you can drive, walk or bike to 110 Louis Street West and look at the Cologne City Hall. So it would seem logical that if a letter is mailed at the Cologne Post Office and addressed to the Cologne City Clerk in care of the Cologne City Hall at 110 Louis Street West in Cologne, Minnesota 55322, that the Cologne City Clerk would receive that letter. Right ?? WRONG !!
A day or two after I mailed it, I received the letter back in my Post Office Box marked "RETURN TO SENDER, INSUFFICIENT ADDRESS, UNABLE TO FORWARD". Additionally, there was another 'sticker' placed across the address window of the envelope I used which stated "Return to Sender; Not Deliverable as Addressed; Must Include PO Box # ". In addition to an Elvis Presley song going through my mind, I asked myself, "What kind of lunacy is this? The Cologne City Hall at 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 has been the OFFICIAL ADDRESS for the City of Cologne's 'administrative offices' since former Postmaster Judy Luth welcomed us to Cologne eighteen years ago !! Suddenly, because there's "A new Postmasterette in town" the City of Cologne can't (and won't) received mail that's addressed to them at 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 because it doesn't have a Post Office Box number ??" This was waaaay toooo much for even me to accept.
I showed the letter that I mailed to the City of Cologne, 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 that was returned to me to the new Cologne Postmasterette. I asked her what it wasn't (and could be) delivered. She told me in very abrupt, rude, condescending manner with vocal, obvious indifference intertwined in her response, that my letter was returned because it didn't have the Post Office Box number for the City of Cologne !! When I told her that I didn't have a clue what the Post Office Box number was for the city of Cologne, the arrogant Cologne Postmasterette indignantly told me that I SHOULD KNOW what their Post Office Box number was because of the mail that they send me !!
Excuse me; I don't EVER recall the City of Cologne, 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 (NO Post Office Box number given) EVER sending me ANY mail on which a Post Office Box number MIGHT be affixed !! That didn't make any difference to the new Cologne Postmasterette!! It was MY FAULT that I didn't know the Post Office Box number for the City of Cologne and without the Post Office Box number, my piece of mail (and presumably any other piece of mail addressed to the City of Cologne at 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322), the City of Cologne isn't going to receive their mail; all mail will be marked 'RETURN TO SENDER" (there goes that 'Elvis song' again!) and that's how our United States Postal Service operates !! And the United States Postal Service just recently raised their postal rates AGAIN !!
In total exasperation as a result of this entire experience that the new Cologne Postmasterette initiated, I purchased, ON THE SPOT, a pre-stamped #10 business size envelope. I then again, ON THE SPOT, re-addressed my letter to the City of Cologne. Because I didn't know the Post Office Box number for the City of Cologne (only the street address where you can actually go look at the city owned building at 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322) I asked the new Cologne Postmasterette if she could provide me with the correct Post Office Box number so that my letter to them would be delivered. While giving me the 'look' of "Everybody KNOWS what the Post Office Box number for the City of Cologne is; you idiot", she advised me what it was. I put the Post Office Box number on my envelope; this time omitting "110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 and gave my newly addressed letter to her to ensure its delivery.
Now, I'll agree that the City of Cologne DID move to their new offices in the last six months or so. (In addition to not knowing the city's Post Office Box number, I haven't got a clue what their new 'street address' is). Plus, the United States Postal Service is supposed to forward mail to a new address for something like 12-18 months. Finding 'city hall' isn't a problem. Unless you're receiving your mail from the Cologne Post Office. Just go to the building that says 'City Hall'. Or, if you're the lazy and incompetent Cologne Postmasterette, simply put mail addressed to the City of Cologne, in the Post Office Box labeled 'City of Cologne!' The Cologne Postmasterette KNOWS (and now so do I,) that their Post Office Box is 120 !! Couldn't the Cologne Postmasterette simply put the letter addressed to 110 Louis Street West, Cologne, Minnesota 55322 in its proper Post Office Box instead of returning it to MY Post Office Box? Or is she trying to prove (to herself, most likely), how arrogant and self-serving she can be (and really is)?
Oh; by the way, the City of Cologne (for water & sewer billing purposes) as well as the local telephone directory, lists the address for the Cologne Post Office as 509 Paul Avenue South, Cologne, Minnesota 55322. (No Post Office Box number is given). Do a Yahoo! search for the Cologne, Minnesota Post Office. You'll see there is no Post Office Box number given. Same thing happens when you do a Goggle search for the Cologne, Minnesota Post Office. Again; NO Post Office Box number given!)
This is just one example of a horrible, HORRIBLE experience I encountered with the Cologne Post Office and subsequent poor, POOR customer service. But there's even more !! Now, as if this experience wasn't bad enough, a similar situation HAPPENED A SECOND TIME !!
On the 15th of July, I sent a statement to a business customer of mine for whom I maintain (and have for about three years) a Website. I sent the company my initial statement for 'setting up' this company's Website three years ago, as well as sending all statements for renewal of his Website for the last two years, to the 'street address' of this business in the Cologne. Never had a problem with him getting my statements. Until this new Cologne Postmasterette came on the scene and decided to 'make a name' for herself.
THE VERY NEXT DAY after mailing my statement to this company (my customer), I got the envelope back in my Post Office Box marked "RETURN TO SENDER, INSUFFICIENT ADDRESS, UNABLE TO FORWARD". Additionally, there was another 'sticker' placed across the address window of the envelope I used which stated "Return to Sender; Not Deliverable as Addressed; Must Include PO Box #" Sound familiar? It seems that the Cologne Postmasterette had 'struck' again. But, it gets EVEN MORE ironic and bizarre !!
My customers business is located ACROSS THE SAME PARKING LOT (see picture at
right; it was taken from the FRONT ENTRANCE of the business that is one of my Website
customers !!) toward the Cologne Post Office !! Yet, in this case as in the case with my
letter to the City of Cologne, instead of ensuring that 'The mail must get through', the
Cologne Postmasterette, arbitrarily and capriciously chose, instead, to NOT deliver my
piece of mail to my customer because it didn't have (and I didn't know nor did I ever know),
what their Post Office Box number was !!
Without a doubt, these are two very graphic examples of incompetence by a United
States Postal employee at its 'finest'.
When we first 'opened up' our Post Office Box in 1988 even before building our house and
moving to Cologne, we were warmly greeted, as stated earlier, by then Cologne
Postmaster Judy Luth. I can't recall how many Postmasters Cologne has had since then,
but they were all 'top notch' people to do business with and represented the United States
Postal Service admirably. The 'rural letter carriers' are all 'tops' in their business !!
Then, when Deloris (who replaced Doreen); both great U.S. Postal Service employees and
who were a great Postmasters for the Cologne Post Office retired this past January, nobody really knew who would replace her. Eventually, the person whose actions and 'diplomacy' are described above, became the new Cologne Postmasterette. I found out 'early on' in my dealing with her that she couldn't care less about providing quality 'customer service' and was, and is, a rude, impersonal, classless, unpolished, person she really is!! What a poor, POOR choice. It is obvious to me that she apparently couldn't care less about how she represents her employer; the U.S.P.S.
Here's something else to get your 'thought processes' going: A local branch of Klein Bank is located in Cologne. Their street address, according to the local telephone directory and official records of the Carver County Auditors office is 210 Paul Avenue. However, they also have a Post Office box; the number of which I don't have a clue. In the past, I've sent an uncountable number of deposits to our accounts there by mail. But now, with this new Postmaster who's trying to 'make a name' for herself, I wonder what she would do with my, or anybody else's deposit, being mailed to the Klein Bank in Cologne. If she treats a bank deposit sent via mail to the bank at its street address, would she return it to the sender because it doesn't have the Post Office box number on it? Then, can you just imagine the 'repercussions' of that?
I'm glad we've moved and don't have to have much to do with her anymore. She's and awful and terrible person !!
Bald Eagle; Symbol Of The U.S.P.S.
Plaque Posted As You Enter The Cologne Post Office. Maybe The United States Postal Service Should Think About Changing Their 'Slogan' !!
© 2008 DELTA DICK PRODUCTIONS
