Norco business owners feeling postal after mail change

Complain of late delivery now that mail routed through LaPlace

Mail carriers in the Norco area will no longer be able to pick up and drop off mail at the Norco Post Office. All Norco mail will now be rerouted through LaPlace, but United States Postal Service officials say that the Norco Post Office will remain open and that zip codes will not change.

McKinney Boyd, USPS spokesperson for Louisiana, said that the change should only affect the three mail carriers in Norco who will now have to travel to LaPlace to pick up and drop off mail.

“We want to let our customers know…that this will be a transparent initiative by the postal service and they can expect to receive the same level of mail service that they have always received,” Boyd said.

Despite Boyd's claims that the “transparent” relocation of letter carriers would not cause any change to delivery in Norco, some area businesses are already experiencing problems with their mail.

Michael Haydel, of Haydel's Furniture in Norco, said that he has already noticed a change in his mail delivery.

“We're definitely receiving it later than normal…it seems like there is a delay. I just don't remember seeing that little mail coming in in the past,” Haydel said. “They say it's a cost saving deal, but I fail to see that.

“I don't see what the difference is between sending a truck to Norco and sending three mail trucks to LaPlace.”

Haydel said that he visited the Norco office repeatedly and spoke with workers who tried to be helpful, but he still has not received many answers.

Charmaine Alario said that Bosco Brothers in Norco has also experienced delays.

“The mail comes at different times of the day now,” Alario said. “Some days it seems I have 50 pieces of mail and the next day I only receive four - that's a little odd.”

Alario has also noticed that regular letters that come at the same time each month have come days or weeks later than usual.

Boyd said that the change is part of a national effort to cut costs.

“The Postal Service is losing $23 million a day and with that we have to be cognizant of the type of initiatives that we launch,” Boyd said. “This is one initiative that we believe will allow us to be more efficient.”

Boyd said circulation of USPS mail has declined by 23 billion pieces since 2007.