Northlake Post Office Considered for Closure
The U.S. Postal Service may close the office as part of a nationwide budget slashing measure.
Northlake residents: You may soon lose the convenience of your own post office.
The U.S. Postal Service is considering closing the Northlake post office as part of a nationwide budget slashing measure to save several billion dollars.
The Northlake office at 3212 Northlake Parkway is one of six in the Atlanta area on the chopping block, according to a statement from the service released this morning. The service has selected 3,700 offices nationwide for possible closure. It currently operates about 32,000 offices across the country.
The reorganization is part of a larger customer transition to the digital age and wider use of third-party mailing options.
“Today, more than 35 percent of the Postal Service’s retail revenue comes from expanded access locations such as grocery stores, drug stores, office supply stores, retail chains, self-service kiosks, ATMs and usps.com, open 24/7,” Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in a statement. “Our customer’s habits have made it clear that they no longer require a physical post office to conduct most of their postal business.”
Tom L.
7:27 am on Wednesday, July 27, 2011
If the Briarcliff post office closed would the service speed up?
Jonathan Cribbs
7:53 am on Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Speed up as in more people in the Northlake office? I'm not sure I quite understand.
Scott
5:58 pm on Wednesday, July 27, 2011
I have not set foot in the Northlake post office in almost three years. The window clerks were amont the most rude and condescending of any post office. I will not miss this branch of the post office at all. Several branches which are close by are much better.
Kevin Skinner
5:48 am on Thursday, July 28, 2011
Go ahead and close it. Everyone i know uses electronic means or UPS/ FedEx.
Laura
1:41 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
Agree with Scott - clerks with lots of attitude who could care less if there are unreasonable wait times for service. But, are there any other branches in fairly close proximity where that isn't the case? Close it, and give those surly clerks their ill-deserved pensions or well-deserved pink slips at the same time!
Scott
1:46 pm on Friday, July 29, 2011
The branch at North DeKalb Mall has some decent clerks as well as the Tucker post office. I have not been to the Briarcliff branch for some time but that is another possibility.
Any one know what happend to Bruhn's cleaners in the Northlake Shopping Center?
TheTuckeRight
9:30 am on Saturday, July 30, 2011
I've used the Northlake branch 2 or 3 times, and while that's not much of a sample size, the wait was always long and the staff always seemed... uninspired. I use the Tucker branch several times a week, and their staff is always friendly and helpful. Shout outs to Anthony, Pamela, Del, James, Solomon and the rest of the great staff of the Tucker PO.
Tom Doolittle
1:35 pm on Sunday, July 31, 2011
Regarding Tucker, post Offices in towns are always more helpful. The clerks and managers probably live there. Post Offices are the hallmark of natural organic communities. The ones that work have their own zip codes, just as their communities do. "Northlake" zip code? All and nothing--you have your choice of five zip codes with a mile of the closing post office.
Incidentally, post offices are most obviously the centers of communities when they are located near a library--not brain surgery. See Tucker once more--and probably all other "livable" "walkable" communities.
If the Northlake location is really called the "Briarcliff" branch, its a misnomer just as many places in Northlake are named so that you wouldn't immediiately be able to envision where they are.
Northlake is all other community's stepchild and so will continue down the road to "closure"--until it doesn't. The bsiness area requires about 5,000 more people living within a half-mile of the mall center before it will demand full services. That will come as we age, immigrants move three families and six cars into subdivision homes and entertainment is brought for the Millenials who will live in more and more apartments. Also--$10 gasoline will deter people traveling 3 miles to mail a package.
Then--if there is still a US Postal Services, one will open in Northlake again, this time with its own zip code.
David S
10:51 am on Monday, August 1, 2011
The Briarcliff branch is the one at the corner of Briarcliff and Clairmont.
As for the Northlake branch, for some reason, I always think of Seinfeld's "Soup Nazi" when I have to go in there. The stamp machines up front have more personality than most of the staff.
By contrast, walk into the UPS Store (formerly Mailboxes, Etc.) next to the Kroger and you see how staff people should engage the public.
Tom Doolittle
8:03 pm on Monday, August 1, 2011
Even tho I have reasons for using the post office and other reasons for the UPS store, I recommend seeing Corrinne, the UPS franchisee next to Kroger (or her husband at the Shallowford Publix UPS Store) anytime you need special services. They opened as a Mail Boxes Etc by buying it from a 25 year Northlake booster who knew everyone--located there when Northlake was Northlake.
BTW--on Northlake Post Office, there isn't a lot of personality, for sure, but when I needed a passport, they held our hand all the way thru--spent about a half-hour in consultation (probably backed the lines up outside pretty badly).
Bottom line on this closure--if the Post Office needs to save money, this is probably one that should go. Post Offices should be an all or nothing thing--no half-measures.
I forgot--I know a ton of people who would NOT be happy losing their PO Box and having an extra daily 3 mile trip somewhere. I gues the UPS Store will have to do.