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Mail you cards and packages early for Christmas delivery.
CELINA - Just like jolly old Saint Nick, United States Postal Service workers have shifted into high gear to deliver a bounty of festive cards and gift-wrapped packages this holiday season.
USPS has hired 10,000 seasonal workers and added 348 new mail sorting machines to accommodate the flurry of parcels, said USPS Corporate Communications Representative Naddia Dhalai.
Residents can help expedite the process by following tips offered by local USPS officials.
Wapakoneta Post Office clerk Jack Richard warned locals that the holidays are the office's busiest time of the year.
Minster Post Office Supervisor Justin Ricker said with any mail, senders must write addresses legibly.
"You want to use proper penmanship and make sure the name is legible," he said.
"Our standard (delivery time) is three to five business days for letters," Ricker said. "Know that it's not a guarantee that it's three to five days, so if you want to get it on time, we suggest a week in advance, if not sooner."
Depending on the type of card, senders may need more than one stamp, Ricker said.
"It's not a guarantee," he said. "Always weigh the card, and if it weighs more than an ounce, it's going to take more than one stamp."
Senders should always refrain from putting the return address on the back of the holiday letter or card, he said.
"When it goes through the computer, a lot of people like to put their return address sticker on the back of the envelope," he said. "If it is flipped the wrong way, it will produce a barcode that will send it right back to them instead of where they originally wanted it to go."
In addition to letters, USPS branches are inundated with parcels during this time of year.
The Minster branch, which serves Maria Stein, Fort Loramie and Minster, scanned around 2,400 packages on Tuesday.
"We deliver that many on a daily basis, including Sundays," he said.
Amid the holiday influx, Ricker said it's important to buy postage stamps from a post office to avoid potential scams.
"There are a lot of scams out there that say they give reduced pricing on postage," he said. "That is just the way things are nowadays. Some of them are valid, but there are scams out there."
Ricker said people should secure the contents of packages as much as possible to prevent damage during mailing.
"You hit a bump and packages fall on top of each other, it happens," he said. "It's a part of the business. It's not anything intentional, it's just the way it is, so use common sense (when packaging)."
"One of the main issues I see is people not packaging things correctly," he continued. "You know, not using bubble wrap when it's something that is fragile and thinking that it will just be OK."
Ricker suggested using bubble wrap for brittle boxes instead of alternatives such as large boxes or tissue paper.
"The big thing is people think the bigger the box, the safer it is, and that is just not the case," he said. "It just gives it more room to jump around in there."
There are some items USPS won't ship, Ricker pointed out.
"We ask if there if there is anything potentially hazardous, such as lithium batteries, perfume, mercury or aerosols, things like that," Ricker said.
"Do not send batteries through the mail," he said.
Richard said the most important tip for shipping holiday parcels is to package them properly.
USPS officials know customers expect speedy and efficient delivery, Ricker said. However, he encourages them to embrace holiday themes of compassion, giving and love when interacting with postal workers.
"We do our best for our customers," he said. "We know that mistakes do happen, and we do our best to correct those mistakes. But give a little compassion to those carriers out working in the dark delivering those packages."
