...or, NOT.
My Grandma and Grandpa are part of the generation that truly built the infrastructure of this country by dutifully paying taxes, only to watch the fruit of their lifetime of labor being sold to the (lowest) bidder with the best ties to the government.
Many people seem to be of the opninion that privatized = good. For me, it really depends on what we are talking about, there is the possibility of abuse no matter who is in charge.
The Icelandic Postal Services are a bizarre hybrid of privately held and government run.
Their customer service, their opening hours and their package delivery are nothing short of infuriatingly idiotic.
The mailman and the people who work at my local post office are absolutely adorable and the hardest working people I ever see.
Recently I had to ask them to hold my mail in twice within a six week period. The first time there was ample mail in our mailbox upon our return.
The following is the conversation I had with the customer service rep. Over the phone when it was time to hold the mail the second time.
Fridgegal: Hi! I'm trying to put my mail online, but the website doesn't seem to have a way to do that like it used to.
Customer Service Rep: Yes, it does.
Fg: huh, oh, sorry, where can I find it?
CSR: Under address change.
Fg: Aha! Ok well, perhaps you can make a note that it would be better if it were separate like it used to?
CSR: But it's there.
Fg: Right, but unless you call and find out that you are supposed to do it under address change, it really doesn't make sense.
CSR: But it's there.
Fg: Ok, yes. Now question number two, if I put it on hold and pay for it like I did last time, do I get my money back if the mail is not held? Because we returned home to a pretty full mail box.
CSR: No.
Fg: So there is no guarantee that my mail actually will be held for the fee that we pay you to do it?
CSR: No. I mean you can't just call after the fact and complain that you mail wasn't held. You should call during the time it is happening.
- Silence -
Fg: Huh? But. Wait. I'm away, that is the whole point, I won't be able to tell until afterwards.
CSR: Can't you get someone to check on it for you? Like a friend or a neighbor?
Fg: But. No. Then I would just rather give them the fee and my mailbox key and ask them to hold my mail. And that is precisely what I don't want to do. I don't want to bother them and that is why I ask that the people whose business it is to hold the mail actually hold it.
CSR: Well if you want us to blindly accept that your mail wasn't held while you were away, then you have to call while its happening. You can't expect us to believe it after the fact.
Fg: Do you not see how that defeats the whole purpose?
CSR: No.
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And privatized gives the customer better service? What?
