Getting Things Done Tuesday, August 24, 2010

During my last visit I mailed a few packages home of gifts, souvenirs and such. It was a relatively straight-forward process. You brought the items you wanted to ship to an area outside the post office where men sat at tables with cloth and sewing needles and turned your pile into a package. Then they would write the address on the top and tie the bundle with a string. It was charming and old-style. I am not sure about other parts of India but at my local post office in Model Colony this practice has fallen away. Instead a man, he calls himself Mr. Rosenthal, who can take care of all of your shipping and packing needs. Mr. Rosenthal also makes and sells handmade stationary and he does not seem to have any competition. I decided to make an inquiry with Mr. Rosenthal to compare with the rate the post office quoted so I called him last night. Our conversation went like this:

Mr. Rosenthal: Hello, namaskar. (His voice is quiet but high-pitched)
Me: Hello Mr. Rosenthal. I have a question about shipping a package to the United States.
Mr. R: Yes. Which country are you?
Me: U.S.A. My question is about shipping but I don’t know yet if I need to send a package.
Mr. R: Which apartment are you?
Me: Mr. Rosenthal I would simply like to ask a question is that all right?
Mr. R: Yes, please.
Me: How much would it cost to send 1 kg to the United States- shipping, packing and all fees included? (Including all the fees, etc. is a crucial point and you have to make sure you get a total quote)
Mr. R: To which country?
Me: U.S.A.
Mr. R: One kg to U.S.A. from India about 400 rupees (a little under $10). Which apartment you?
Me: Four hundred rupees total for one kg with packing and shipping to U.S.A.?
Mr. R: Yes, yes. Four hundred rupees total.
Me: How about 2 kg?
Mr. R: Two kg about 1000 rupees. Excuse me, which apartment you?
Me: Next to the Institute. What about 50 kg (inquiry made for a friend shipping some large items).
Mr. R: Oh, 50 kg! Maximum 20 kg shipping to U.S.A. Which apartment number?
Me: How much is 20 kg then?
Mr. R: Twenty kg about 6500 rupees but I have to check. Which apartment are you?
Me: Can you check tomorrow and let me know the total amount.
Mr. R: Yes. Which apartment number?
Me: Second floor.
Mr. R: Ah second floor, U.S.A. I came the other night and you bought stationary! (He sounded giddy and it was true- I had just bought stationary from him the other night.) I’ll be at your building tomorrow and can come by at 12:00.
Me: It’s no trouble Mr. Rosenthal, you can just call me.
Mr. R: No, no I come by. I check on twenty kg for postage.
Me: Okay Mr. Rosenthal. I’ll see you tomorrow at 12:00. Good-bye.
Mr. R: Yes, good-bye.

Mr. Rosenthal arrived just after noon. My friend with the big package was here to get the details from Mr. Rosenthal. All the prices were as he had quoted last night. I wondered if he thought that if he showed up in person we would not be able to refuse. He suggested that multiple packages be mailed: two at 20 kg and one at 10 kg. A pretty good plan really. We informed him that that was not really going to work for this item.

He seemed disappointed, “No other shipping?”
“I’m afraid not. At least not today Mr. Rosenthal,” I replied.
“Okay. Thank you,” and with that he picked up his bag of stationary and walked put the door.

When I checked at the post office today all the rates I was quoted were much higher than Mr. Rosenthal’s rates. Perhaps there is a sliding scale or some other method of shipping unattainable by foreigners.