Another Post Office Shop Issue
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Yeah between the slow or at least unpredictable response times from the schedulers and the photo renaming business these are just not as attractive as they once were. I might just take a break from them for awhile.
I've been doing largely far flung nobody-else-ever-goes-here-to-MS locations for these. I can't wait until 10 minutes before the day starts to finalize a route. These are 60 - 100 miles apart sometimes. So if there's no PO to do in some of the towns whole legs of my trips will potentially have to be reconfigured or omitted. Which leaves me either skipping areas that had a few small things, or adding back in long outriggers with no other shops at the last minute when I finally hear about a frontier PO. Although I'll be doing less of the adding back in now that the first 30 and last 30 are taboo again.
I guess they will probably keep. They always did before I started doing them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2020 08:37AM by JustForFun.
I've been doing largely far flung nobody-else-ever-goes-here-to-MS locations for these. I can't wait until 10 minutes before the day starts to finalize a route. These are 60 - 100 miles apart sometimes. So if there's no PO to do in some of the towns whole legs of my trips will potentially have to be reconfigured or omitted. Which leaves me either skipping areas that had a few small things, or adding back in long outriggers with no other shops at the last minute when I finally hear about a frontier PO. Although I'll be doing less of the adding back in now that the first 30 and last 30 are taboo again.
I guess they will probably keep. They always did before I started doing them.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2020 08:37AM by JustForFun.
@JASFLALMT wrote:
Well, at least Notepad has free downloads. Unfortunately, Word does not.
Try Open Office. It's exactly like Word but free. I've been using it, spreadsheet, 'word' documents, and just did a 'powerpoint' type document, for years.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2020 03:01PM by eveb.
I've got Microsoft Office. Ceasesmith does not.
Wow. They can keep these. Thanks for the warning. I already thought they were a pita.
It works well for eBayers and people who send care packages. I will keep doing them, but I am going to do a few without naming the photos to see what happens.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2020 07:22PM by JASFLALMT.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/2020 07:22PM by JASFLALMT.
Did you mean without naming the photos? I've been doing them same as always and so far, so good.
*****************************************************************************
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
The more I learn about people...the more I like my dog..
Mark Twain
Yes, thank you, LOL. That is what I meant!
But you can download Open Office for free....totally. Accepts all Word formats and you can save your files in formats that Word recognizes. Totally free.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2020 01:58AM by guysmom.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2020 01:58AM by guysmom.
Priority Mail - 2020 Rates (Commercial Base Pricing)
INCREASE PER PACKAGE - 2020 Rates vs. 2019 Rates
Weight (lbs.) Zones 1 & 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9
1 $0.07 $0.07 $0.07 $0.15 $0.16 $0.16 $0.17 $1.49
2 $0.22 $0.23 $0.24 $0.26 $0.29 $0.31 $0.33 $2.28
3 $0.23 $0.24 $0.25 $0.28 $0.35 $0.39 $0.46 $3.09
priority rates rise January 26. First class remains the same
INCREASE PER PACKAGE - 2020 Rates vs. 2019 Rates
Weight (lbs.) Zones 1 & 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9
1 $0.07 $0.07 $0.07 $0.15 $0.16 $0.16 $0.17 $1.49
2 $0.22 $0.23 $0.24 $0.26 $0.29 $0.31 $0.33 $2.28
3 $0.23 $0.24 $0.25 $0.28 $0.35 $0.39 $0.46 $3.09
priority rates rise January 26. First class remains the same
They adjust the rates every year, the last Sunday in January.
@sandyf wrote:
I never got an email about this. Are they only sending emails out to those who have done a shop in 2020? I have not done one yet this year.
I have always taken the instructions for this shop literally. After 12 years doing these shops, including 5 this month, I also have never received an email or rejection about this. The instructions say immediately join the line, and while waiting in line count the number of customers AHEAD of you in line when you join the line. Since they are ahead of you and therefore in your field of vision, you can see when they go to the counter if two were together and should be counted as one customer. If they are filling out forms at the tables, they are not in line and should not be counted. You don't care who comes in behind you after you are in line, 5, 10, 20 customers, it does not matter how many arrive in line behind you. If they are at the counter being served, they are not in line. There is another question on the survey for that.
Just read this entire thread...other than enforcing the 30 minutes rule and now an 8 hour rule for submission what are the other new rules. People keep mentioning them and say they are a pita but what are they? I already always label my photos..so what is the rule we have to use? how else are things changing for this year. I have not accepted any shops yet but will see if there are any nearby tomorrow. I have no idea how those of you who do lots of these shops in a day can keep track of which box photo is which if you do not label. I generally take camera pics which are easy to load into my computer and name then and there.
My applications are still pending but my boxes are ready to ship 
I enter my shops right after I leave the post office so no need to label photos for later. The picture of the box and the receipt and I am good to go.
@sandyf wrote:
Just read this entire thread...other than enforcing the 30 minutes rule and now an 8 hour rule for submission what are the other new rules. People keep mentioning them and say they are a pita but what are they? I already always label my photos..so what is the rule we have to use? how else are things changing for this year. I have not accepted any shops yet but will see if there are any nearby tomorrow. I have no idea how those of you who do lots of these shops in a day can keep track of which box photo is which if you do not label. I generally take camera pics which are easy to load into my computer and name then and there.
In addition to everything else mentioned, you have to submit photos of the flag or entrance if they are dirty or in bad condition (or if the flag is missing).
@Traveliz wrote:
I enter my shops right after I leave the post office so no need to label photos for later. The picture of the box and the receipt and I am good to go.
That's what I used to do, but the last guidelines require that the photos are labeled. Have you read the updated guidelines?
When I asked a scheduler, I was told that pics need to be labeled even when using the app.
I'm guessing a lot of the regulars are passing on these additional requirements for the same amount of pay. In the past, these have flown off the board, but apparently not this month - excepting, as (bad) luck would have it, those closest to me.
"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams
It could be the weather?@iShop123 wrote:
I'm guessing a lot of the regulars are passing on these additional requirements for the same amount of pay. In the past, these have flown off the board, but apparently not this month - excepting, as (bad) luck would have it, those closest to me.
I need them for eBay and to ship stuff to my kids in college.
Well so far I haven’t labeled and all have been approved.
Every time I have one of these scheduled, I hope that I'll sell something on eBay or Etsy so I can get the shipping cost eliminated. So far, I've scored two out of three over the last three weeks. Have another one coming up next week and crossing my fingers for another sale!
I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.
@Susan L. wrote:
@sandyf wrote:
Just read this entire thread...other than enforcing the 30 minutes rule and now an 8 hour rule for submission what are the other new rules. People keep mentioning them and say they are a pita but what are they? I already always label my photos..so what is the rule we have to use? how else are things changing for this year. I have not accepted any shops yet but will see if there are any nearby tomorrow. I have no idea how those of you who do lots of these shops in a day can keep track of which box photo is which if you do not label. I generally take camera pics which are easy to load into my computer and name then and there.
In addition to everything else mentioned, you have to submit photos of the flag or entrance if they are dirty or in bad condition (or if the flag is missing).
In the guidelines it says that these are optional photos and not required.
Late question as I am doing my first shop of 2020 tomorrow...the label requirement...what do they mean by Task name? I assume it is Regular or Hazmat but I am not sure. Also these do not identify by the indiv shop as all my shops will be the same date and the same city and the same Regular box. Are we allowed to add more up to 30? characters. Actually just the required items are 28 characters without the word box for regular box.
I wouldn't worry to much about it. There appear to be a gazillion different ways people are interpreting the instructions and no one has reported a shop being returned for photo format corrections. The two usual photos for a shop for today were USPS_LA_200128_jpg1 USPS_LA_200128_jpg2. Yes, in the LA area all 5 of my jobs have photo's with the same names. That's not my issue to deal with, If they want a different format or I'm doing it wrong I'm sure they will let me know. So far 30+ shops have been approved without comment. The software won't let you add more than a set # of characters in the field, I assume 30, so it won't let you add more.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2020 12:15AM by wwin.
@sandyf wrote:
Late question as I am doing my first shop of 2020 tomorrow...the label requirement...what do they mean by Task name? I assume it is Regular or Hazmat but I am not sure. Also these do not identify by the indiv shop as all my shops will be the same date and the same city and the same Regular box. Are we allowed to add more up to 30? characters. Actually just the required items are 28 characters without the word box for regular box.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/30/2020 12:15AM by wwin.
Exactly. They needed to provide an EXAMPLE.@wwin wrote:
I wouldn't worry to much about it. There appear to be a gazillion different ways people are interpreting the instructions and no one has reported a shop being returned for photo format corrections. The two usual photos for a shop for today were USPS_LA_200128_jpg2...
Is it USPS_LA_200128_jpg1? Or Receipt_LA_200128.jpg? Or USPS123456_LA_200128_JPG? Or USPS123456_LA_200128? Or USPSPackage_LA_200128.jpg? Maybe USPS_90210_200128? Instructions were not clear. What does "task" mean? Could be several different things.
"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams
The task refers to Regular, Hazmat or CPU.
Thanks Grille! So the correct way would then be: Hazmat_LA_200128? (I'm assuming the .jpg automatically tags?)
"Let me offer you my definition of social justice: I keep what I earn and you keep what you earn. Do you disagree? Well then tell me how much of what I earn belongs to you - and why?” ~Walter Williams
From the other thread:
Example
Reg_Omaha_200130_Receipt.jpg
Reg_Omaha_200130_Box.jpg
Reg_Omaha_200130_BoxRec.jpg
@wwin wrote:
Name all the attachments using no accents and should not exceed 30 characters:
Task Name_City_Date_Type of Attachment
(please use the following format for the date YYMMDD)
Example
Reg_Omaha_200130_Receipt.jpg
Reg_Omaha_200130_Box.jpg
Reg_Omaha_200130_BoxRec.jpg
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