No.
I even made a 20 second video to bring further clarity to my answer on the looming Canada Post strike.
Anything I can do with Canada Post, I do already over the Internet, with Greyhound (for delivering boxes of Christmas gifts to Toronto) or courier (for the occasional package delivery).
There is not a single bill which cannot be paid by credit card over the phone, Internet or at the mall. You have to leave your house anyway to mail the letter so a little bit further to put it in a drop box is not a big deal. Heck, post date a few cheques, visit the mall, grab some NY Fries and make a day of it.
Ad mail – junk mail if you will (not George Lepp style of course) can be delivered via insert in local newspapers. Or via the ‘Net. Or…not at all really.
Other than Christmas cards, I do not use the mail for sending things. In fact, I know people in their late 20′s who have NEVER sent a letter.
Folks with wedding invitations – you do not have to mail…you just WANT to mail. Are you serious that there is someone on your list without Internet access? Save the money and the environment (go green!) and use a Facebook event or Evite.
If you are a business or online retailer who relies on Canada Post exclusively for your shipments then you are foolish. Think of it this way, you as an enterprising business person are giving over to the government the swift and efficient delivery of your goods and services. (wait for the horror to wash over you) Having only one distribution method is shortsighted. While a bit more expensive, there are other courier or delivery options. Possibly better ones too.
This is not a shot at the hard working men and women who deliver mail. This is a wake up call to you though. You are in a dying industry. Looking for wages and benefits which do not fit with the demand or need of your services is ridiculous.
The Internet along with social media has changed how we communicate. The postal union with outrageous demands will drive those not already using the Internet to do just that.
So to the postal union, thank you for moving forward the Internet and social media revolution while at the same time hopefully forcing your industry to become more competitive.
But let me ask you – is there something you do which must ONLY be handled by Canada Post? Or that they do better or cheaper than another service?
For fun, even Ezra Levant from Sun News made a video:
YouTube responded to TubePress with an HTTP 404 - Video not found
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
davedotca
Your an idiot it effects alot. Not everyone uses UPS and FEDEX for delivery. alot of say ebay good come threw USPS. which then gets picked up by Canada Post.
I agree. to say it doesnt effect anyone but the people on strike is very ignorant. Theres alot of people who send volumes of mail threw Canada Post. Just because there is other alternatives does not mean it doesnt effect people. People do currently use it.
Think before you Post so you dont look like an ignorant fool
Other than your opinion, you have not backed up what you have said with fact. Specifically who or which businesses are negatively impacted AND do not have a backup distribution method?
As I say in the article, “Having only one distribution method is shortsighted.” So what was / is your backup plan? If the answer is “I don’t have one” then you are now a wise business person.
Every successful business has multiple distribution points. So should you.
You spell “you’re” incorrectly. You spell “affect” incorrectly. You spell “a lot” as one word when in fact it’s two words. You spell “through” incorrectly, and you leave the “s” off “goods”.
……. and call him an idiot?
Your an idiot it effects alot. Not everyone uses UPS and FEDEX for delivery. alot of say ebay good come threw USPS. which then gets picked up by Canada Post
Thankfully spelling and grammar are not prerequisites for someone having a warped opinion on my site. Although the two do seem to go hand-in-hand. : )
Your an idiot it effects alot. Not everyone uses UPS and FEDEX for delivery. alot of say ebay goods come threw USPS. which then gets picked up by Canada Post.
You posted twice – see above for reply.
What a pointless argument, this article should of remained in obscurity where it belongs.
What was pointless about it?
I totally agree – there is a need for some postal service but it doesn’t need to be 5 days a week and they should be paid accordingly now. If its a government corp., I sure hope the gov’t doesn’t give in. I don’t know anyone who has the job security and pensions they are looking for. They have a good deal now and have had one better than most people. They need to realize the world has changed and they are going to have to find another career path and not expect the government or its citizens to take care of them. Gravy train is over.
A lot of people in different industries didn’t keep their knowledge and training up and when their union job is at risk they cry foul. Take some personal responsibility – don’t hide behind a union. If you don’t like the salary or pension or benefits or how many weeks of sick pay you get, find another job. If postal worker were being paid poorly or were being treated poorly, fine, but that is not the case. As scary as it may be to them, time to wake up – the internet is here and it’s not going away.
Well said.
DAVE, WHAT ROCK DO YOU LIVE UNDER? YES IT AFFECTS OTHER PEOPLE, I AM WAITING FOR MY 1ST PAYCHECK FROM A BC COMPANY THE CHECK WAS SENT OUT ON JUNE 10TH, CK TO BE MAILED TO THE US. GUESS WHAT IDIOT, I FIND OUT THE CHECK IS STILL SITTING IN THE CANADIAN POST OFFICE. PERHAPS THEY REALLY WILL RETURN TO WOK ON WED 6/22? GET REAL DUD!
Mary – as I say in the article there are other means to receive information or in your case a cheque. There has been talk of a postal strike since April so there was plenty of time to make alternative arrangements for delivery of documents, cheques, etc.
Why not direct deposit? I do not know of a single legitimate employer who does not do offer this form of payment.
Even in my consulting business, I have the option of having my clients pay in other ways than cheque.
I am certainly sorry your cheque was sent in the mail AFTER the rotating strikes began. Hopefully you can have that company cancel the cheque and re-issue in a different manner.
My eBay seller sent items by USPS which is to be picked up by Canada Post. I’m now expecting delays in my shipment which will affect me.
‘nough said.
@Paul – when did you place the order? The rotating strikes began June 1st-ish so if you told the seller to send via USPS as opposed to a different service then that was not wise.
While it is annoying not to receiving you item(s) purchased on eBay it is a “nice to have” as opposed to a “must have”. Again, another method of shipment exists.
It has affected me. I ordered products from the internet prior to the strike, that uses USPS. Obviously it’s in limbo at the Canada / US border, along with the backlog of likely 1,000′s of packages. I’m not expecting to see this order anytime soon.
I will not touch Fed-Ex, Purolator, UPS, DHL etc etc, with a 10 foot pole. Gambling with potential brokerage fees is not my idea of a good time. These carriers can be also be sloppy with deliveries, setting packages out in plain site, making them vulnerable to theft / rain etc. I never had that problem with Canada Post. Keep in mind, Canada Post is generally a heck of alot cheaper than the alternatives.
You’re right, paying bills is a piece of cake online. Yet, how about waiting for your updated driver’s license / health card etc. Last time I checked, it’s delivered via Canada Post.
These are only a couple examples of how we rely on Canada Post, it’s not easily replaceable.
@Donny – I have heard others suggested brokerage fees on FedEx, etc. while others have said they use FedEx, etc without such fees. Perhaps it is assessed by weight or size? I will see what I can find.
Still, if your only why of distribution is the Government postal system that is not good.
Are you kidding me? How obvious does it have to be how it’s hurting small business in Canada. Do we have to wait until they close their doors and declare bankruptcy? Canada Post is a Crown Corporation, we don’t have alternatives that are affordable. They shouldn’t even be allowed to go on strike. Economic recovery for who. Only the postal workers and the rest of us don’t matter.
@Sylvia – I have been in contact with three different Boards of Trade / Chamber of Commerce here in British Columbia and they have not heard a single complaint from their membership. In fact one will be putting out a poll or survey to their members soon to gauge who is affected.
Can you give me a specific example of a small business who is hurt by the strike…other than direct mailing companies who print and/or distribute ad / junk mail? Then an example of a business on the verge of closing their doors and declaring bankruptcy?
I am a small business and I have no issues arising out of the strike. I have asked at lest 20 of my “small biz friends” and they too have no concerns. This is a small sample size but I am open to hearing more.
It is true that there are options for small parcel delivery but Canada Post is the most economical for consistant deliveries of single box shipments to small and mid sized towns all across Canada. And siince there are better deals according to the total yearly number of packages and Canada Post was doing a competative job without shutdowns like this I continued to use them . Their delivery times outside of the major centers were significantly better than curiors, their tracking systems as good. and their prices better. When given the options most of my customers chose the mail as the most convienient way for them to recieve product.
The biggest disruption is efficency. Instead of just getting the work done we now have to find out if a courier comes to their town( not always) or if we should use the bus, usually get quotes and call back, etc etc. Most quotes are double the mail cost or more, I am sure that I could negotiate better rates in time. Most likely if I moved all my business any one of the currior options they would give me a regular scheduled pick up rather than the next day pick up currently offered because I am in a small town . I am a small wholesaler and my resellers are often simply waiting, some are cancelling orders, forgoing sales oportunities because they dont like their increased costs.
While I can and do direct deposit as much as possible I can not dictate to major chain stores how they plan to pay me a small vendor. Half use direct deposit but one major chain set up two pick up spots for vendor to pick up cheques during postal disruption; one in Toronto and one in Montreal .
Though only about 50% of my customers pay by cheque in the mail anymore, 50% less deposits daily still hurts. I could actively work towards getting more of that by other means but until this strike I actually prefered a cheque than the credit card fees . There are lots of ways to recieve money now and many of them are going to soon be better than the cheque in the mail but at this point that is still the most economical way. So again a working Canada Post is the best for my bottom line. Although it is not as difficult as the last postal strike years ago it still has hurt, mainly because I have chosen to use Canada Post because they had been doing well for me. Now I have to decide whether they will be back to the service level we have known or if they will be a company held hostage by angry workers. I believe this strike hurt the company a lot because we do have choices , even though they are more costly.
I have been very bad about calling the small companies I owe that I usually pay by cheque in the mail not because I dont know how to get them money but more because my deposits havent been normal and my cost are up. They are the easiest to stall…. and I know I am that to my customers . So a disruption in the flow of money is detrimental to the economy, as it always is.
There are plenty of small business which rely on Canada Post. The next highest mail delivery service would mean incrementally higher costs. This would reduce the profit margin on most small businesses and put several out of business. Mail order competes with bricks and mortar. If you are unable to ship your product at a reasonable cost, you have to pass the cost onto your customers. You are correct that business people should have multiple distribution methods. However, some have taken the national postal service for granted.
Canada Post, in essence, subsidizes small business delivery.
Examples include people who sell on Etsy, Amazon, eBay, and sell small items that can be shipped via bubble mail. Personally I know of online store owners and specialist accountants, such as US tax accountants (there are some who operate across Canada) who use Canada Post. They are small business owners, and incrementally higher mailing costs really hurts their businesses.
The problem is Canada Post is financed by taxpayers. So if as you say Canada Post “in essence, subsidizes small business delivery” then that means I do too. And I do not wish too.
That is not business, that is charity.
Any legitimate business would not operate using only one form of delivery.
Canada Post is a dying business and will take with it those small businesses who do not realize they have but their livelihood in the hands of the Canada Post union. This is a wake-up call for business.