Improperly addressed mail, unreturned keys, and non-registered mailboxes are doing more harm than good for Grambling State University’s mailroom.
Such obstacles has caused the mailroom hours to change. Hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. It is closed for processing between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The mailroom reopens for service from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. “There’s room for improvement,” said Frank Nelson, a sophomore from Shreveport, who thinks the mailroom service is “really slow.”
However, mail that does not come properly addressed creates a delay in receiving mail because workers cannot distinguish mail with nicknames or misspelled names.
Terrance Giles, director of the mail room, said students need to, “Do what’s right and you’ll get your mail on time.”
This also includes registering for mail boxes for each semester. Not registering will result in students receiving a “closed box” slip as a warning.
“Students take them out of their boxes and throw them on the floor,” said Giles, who has worked in the mailroom for seven years.
As a result, the mailroom continues to receive mail for closed boxes and some students may never receive their mail. This prolongs the time it takes for mailroom employees to finish processing letters and parcels.
GSU’s mailroom follows a United States Postal Service Policy that allows them to hold packages for no more than two weeks before it must be returned to sender.
Lesley Jones was shocked when a package she received on Feb. 6 had been returned to the sender when she went to pick it up on Feb. 25.
“I had no idea this was a rule,” said Jones, a junior from Miami. “I only wish I knew beforehand so I would have my package or at least know who sent it.”
According to Giles, the policy is necessary to avoid an overflow of letters and packages.
Regardless of strict policies or delayed mail, some students feel the mailroom is performing better than it has in recent years.
“They do the best they can with the time they have to do stuff and they do pretty well with it,” said Antonio Barrino, a senior from Holly Springs, Miss.