Cutbacks prompt changes in boxes at Janesville post office
Photo 
Jon D. Buchholz
JANESVILLE — You’ve got mail.
It might just be in a different post office box.
In the past few weeks, local post office box customers received letters telling them that their box numbers would change.
For regular folks, box number changes are inconvenient.
For businesses, box number changes mean changing their letterhead, envelopes, business cards, promotional brochures—and everything else that has an address on it.
Postal officials knew that was the case.
“Every effort has been made to keep the same box numbers,” Janesville Postmaster John Buchholz said.
It all started earlier this year, when Buchholz was given the news: To save money on rent and utilities, his 32,000-square-foot space in the building on Milton Avenue would be cut in half.
The decision was made somewhere up the government ladder. As the guy at the bottom, he could only nod and continue to try to hold the ladder steady.
In this case, steadying the ladder means dealing with irate businesses and customers who were told they would get new post office box numbers.
“I’ve gotten a lot of calls about it,” Buchholz said.
The communication manager for the Janesville postal district could not be reached for comment.
The post office will go from 2,320 boxes to 1,712 boxes, or a loss of 600 boxes.
Now it gets complicated. Post office boxes are not numbered consecutively. This gives the post office flexibility to remove sections of boxes and install smaller or larger ones to meet customer demand.
For example, a section of four or eight boxes could be removed to accommodate a section of 12, smaller boxes.
In the new setup, the post office will be able to do the same thing. Because the boxes are being reconfigured, however, some of the old numbers will no longer exist.
Understanding the system requires thinking way, way, way outside of the box or—in this case—the boxes.
Customers who have new box numbers will have their mail automatically forwarded for a year. After that, the post office staff will make every effort to make sure the mail gets to the right spot, Buchholz said.
There’s another option: Post office box customers can have their mail delivered right to their doors.
On a positive note, the post office will continue to have the same number of service counters in the retail area.
It’s been a challenging couple of weeks for all postal employees, and next week could be worse: That’s when they change the locks on all those boxes.
Jul 22, 2011 at 1:42 p.m.
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standing in line for new keys today was terrible. Way to go post office for you good planning.
Jul 21, 2011 at 5:18 p.m.
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"Understanding the system requires thinking way, way, way outside of the box..."
Whatever... then you need a NEW system. Obviously it will be "too much work" to have to deal with the old numbers. Sure, ya really "tried to" be accommodating... NOT!
Jul 21, 2011 at 11:41 a.m.
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"'Every effort has been made to keep the same box numbers,” Janesville Postmaster John Buchholz said."
In my personal experience, NO EFFORT was made in facilitating patrons keeping their same box numbers. Patrons, including myself, simply received letters in their current boxes stating that their box number would be changed, period!
Apparently misrepresenting their "effort" is part of postal relations! No wonder the post office is struggling - who would use it if it wasn't a monopoly!
Jul 20, 2011 at 8:53 a.m.
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and they wonder why they're billions in the red. get rid of the post office, or privatize it. stop wasting tax dollars on this dinosaur.
Jul 19, 2011 at 7:57 p.m.
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Lemke, I've been fighting with that danged mail house in Wilmington, Delaware for 10 years. You must not be getting mail from them (hard to believe)... I'm sick of the junk mail from them. I've called, sent letters, wrote, "not at this address" on the junk to send it back. I'm ready to just take the mailbox down!
Jul 19, 2011 at 2:26 p.m.
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gmaaof3: Since when does the gov't do anything that makes sense?
Jul 19, 2011 at 2:24 p.m.
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One of the only reasons the Post Office still operates 6 days a week is because of Junk Mail. There are reports that about 30% of all mail delivered is Junk Mail. If you want to get rid of junk mail there is a great website for this information.
http://www.worldprivacyforum.org/topteno...
On top of using that site I will always send an email to the company I'm getting the mail from and ask them to remove my name and address from their mailing list. I've never had a problem with anyone not complying and now I hardly get any junk mail. If your looking to get rid junk and mail and want a little help feel free to send me a message. Some companies like Charter and AT&T are easy to get rid of but really hide how to opt-out of their mailings.
Jul 19, 2011 at 12:43 p.m.
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"Let's see, where did they move my p o box 123 to...? 99, 100, 101, 102, 104, 105... wait a minute? Where's 103?? Somebody call the cops! The post office has been robbed!!"
Jul 19, 2011 at 8:01 a.m.
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“Every effort has been made to keep the same box numbers,” Janesville Postmaster John Buchholz said. Ummmmmmmm......perhaps not EVERY effort, if businesses are having to endure this???
Jul 19, 2011 at 6:21 a.m.
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I agree crunchmunch... Unless something was left out of this story, this makes absolutely no sense!
Jul 18, 2011 at 8:16 p.m.
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of course, I meant *numerical... I'm sure there are other typos and grammatical errors as well... 8~}
Jul 18, 2011 at 7:56 p.m.
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Seems easy enough to me!!
In order by number and if not all numbers are there so what. We are big people and learned how to do this in grade school. People just LOVE to waste moeny when they are trying to save it!
Jul 18, 2011 at 7:21 p.m.
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if I read this right, it just might be a customer of a PO Box that goes postal...It's crazy that they have to change the NUMBER...if they are not issued consecutively, why create so much unnecessary expense to the customer, and not just put the box in numberical sequencing with the unused box numbers removed? Maybe I missed something, but that sure is like the government...create problems that don't/shouldn't exist.
Jul 18, 2011 at 4:57 p.m.
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It’s been a challenging couple of weeks for all postal employees, and next week could be worse:That’s when they change the locks on all those boxes.
Thats right folks, you heard it here first, next week stay as far away from the post office as possible, someone may just be going postal!!
I'm sorry I couldn't resist.......
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