I’m starting a new series entitled, “Will Someone Please Explain…” which begs for an answer to life’s most complicated questions. While I spent 10 years in college studying three different majors, there are still many things in life that I just don’t understand.

One of those enigmas that is currently perplexing me is why the post office has such mediocre service or at the very least much poorer service when compared to something like a McDonald’s?

I have been to countless McDonald’s over the years (for the kids) at all time of day: lunch rush, dinner rush, breakfast and in many locations: free standing restaurants, inside Wal-marts, conjoined to gas stations, etcetera and I’ve rarely experienced slow service.  There have been a few times when there weren’t any fries ready but they were cooking in the fryer.  There has been the exception of ordering a fish sandwich at 3:00 p.m. when it takes a few extra minutes to cook it but contrast this with the Post Office.

No matter what time of day I go to the post office the service is either slow or slower.   It is a rare exception to go to the post office and not have to wait 15 to 20 minutes in queue to get something done.  I don’t understand why but I hope someone can tell me.

I have a few theories:  Most McDonald’s restaurants have young kids working behind the counter.  Most post office workers behind the counter are older and more senior.  It is ironic that a more experienced, tenured and highly paid work force at the post office haven’t improved efficiency at the post office yet a young inexperienced work force at McDonald’s can get a service turn around in under 3 minutes.  So does age make THAT much of a difference?

McDonald’s has obviously carefully documented and optimized their processes and come up with a method for easing customer purchases by devising the “combo” where a customer simply requests a “No.1″ or “No.2″ … or “No. 10″ combo.  The price is clearly displayed on menu boards and options are available in supplemental menus.

Contrast this with the Post Office where there are four different types of envelopes for different types of freight speed and nothing to decipher what is needed to send items to locations.   There are an endless variety of stamps with different postage values on them to be used with specific envelopes.   Why not have a “No.1″ combo which includes: 1 overnight envelope, 1 overnight stamp (for envelope), 10 stamps and a soft drink.   Okay, scrap the soft drink after you fix the 15 minute wait problem.

A “No. 2″ combo includes: One three day envelope, One three day stamp, 10 stamps.    Actually, I’m not sure what the combos should contain because I don’t know what the most frequent purchases are at the post office, the only thing I am sure of is that every time I go there it is chaos.

I will concede that some of the people that go to the post office are generally illiterate people who don’t understand or know what they want and perhaps having a “combo” menu system will help.

Will someone please explain the post office to me?