Another USPS Failure

For the LIFE of me, I don't understand how the USPS is still in business.  All package carriers have proven untrustworthy and reliable several times over with me, but I honestly believe that out of all the major ones I can recall right off hand, the United States Postal Service is the ABSOLUTE WORST.

One of my packages is still God only knows where (the where being Atlanta) after it was supposed to be delivered by the USPS carrier three days ago.  And one of the packages that DID arrive today came damaged.  I know full well the merchant did NOT send this box to me this way; this item was damaged in transit.  Someone at one of the post offices definitely kicked it, because the cardboard is pretty sturdy, and some true FORCE had to be behind this.

At this point I don't know if I should open the box and see if the contents are undamaged, or just take it back to the post office and file a claim.  I understand that this time of year things can get hectic for them, but honestly, the way our economy is right now, they ought to be glad they even HAVE a job.  If they don't like the work they're doing then they owe it to themselves to leave and find something better, but they ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT take it out on people's parcels!

It arrived at my doorstep this way:

THIS is just disrespectful!  Priority mail?  Priority mail???  Looks like the only priority the postal folks had was to make sure they inflict as much damage to my box as possible. 

The treatment that packages get by services is a LARGE part of the reason why I don't like selling--anything--online.  Between late and lost packages, damaged packages, packages that look as if they've been opened before they arrive (I've gotten plenty of those as well, not only boxes but regular paper mail, too), these shipping services are SO untrustworthy and unreliable.  The thought of someone buying something from me online and then me having to entrust it to DHL or FedEx or UPS or, god forbid, USPS makes me very uneasy because I know how ridiculous they are.  ALL OF THESE PLACES need to do something about the poor level of customer service they provide.

There are things the seller can do (among them avoiding FedEx Smart Post and UPS Sure Post like the plague), but once the package leaves the seller's hands, there's really not much that can be done, and that's when the trouble starts.

USPS: do better!