Kingsbridge Post Office seeks to right wrongs

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When he received a slip four days ago announcing that he had a package to pick up at the Kingsbridge Post Office, Dominic Figueroa attempted to call the branch three times to inquire about his item, but could not get anyone on the phone. 

Instead, Mr. Figueroa headed down to the station on Tuesday morning, where he was greeted by an excruciatingly long line.

When he finally arrived at the front of the line, Mr. Figueroa said the woman waiting on him took more than five minutes to come back and tell him his package was not at the station. They were not able to tell him what post office it may be at, Mr. Figueroa alleges. 

“This isn’t the first time this has happened, either. It’s terrible, I don’t like coming here,” Mr. Figueroa, 18, said.

Complaints regarding interrupted mail service in the 10463 ZIP code, as well as wait times that can exceed 30 minutes inside the branch, led to the removal of the Kingsbridge Post Office manager in March. Temporary managers have been in charge until a permanent leader is appointed, according to United States Postal Service (USPS) spokeswoman Connie Chirichello.

She added that postal officials have assigned managers from other branches to oversee the Kingsbridge station over the past several months, with an announcement unveiling a permanent manager to come later this month.

Two new city mail carrier assistants have also been hired at the Kingsbridge branch.

Ms. Chirichello said that Bronx Post Master Lilliam Rodriguez was not available for an interview to discuss the matter. 

Ms. Rodriguez met with Rep. Eliot Engel and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz on Feb. 18 to discuss recurrent issues at the post office that sparked the manager’s replacement. Mr. Engel said there was an attitude and level of rudeness at the station that was unacceptable. Turning the branch around has to start with upper management and work its way down, he said.

“From day one, the new [manager] should stress that they serve the public and work to make the public happy,” Mr. Engel said. “I think there was an attitude at 10463 where they didn’t even care. “

Kingsbridge Post Office, USPS, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Eliot Engel, Ashley Helms
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