Long lines are the norm at the post office during the holidays as everyone tries to rush last-minute Christmas packages out to friends and family. As the season progresses, Carbondale postal centers are devising ways to help citizens and SIUC students alike with their last minute chores, including hours on Sundays.

Extended hours, more workers and pick-up services are just some of the ways that Carbondale postal services are trying to help people get their Christmas packages where and when they need them to go.

Charles Denosky, supervisor of customer services for the U.S. post office, 1301 E. Main, said Christmas is the busiest time of the year for post offices. He said to deal with the rush they have decided to open their office on Sundays until Christmas Eve.

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Denosky said a normal week’s worth of letters is about half a million in six days, but during the Christmas season, this number could double. He said the parcel volume has already doubled what it normally is.

Denosky said every year they hire what they call Christmas casual help, and this year they have hired 12 additional workers to help with the extra letters and packages.

This is a stressful period for postal workers, Denosky said. We deal with it every year, and the challenge is to make sure everyone gets their mail.

As for mail and packages that get lost, Denosky said that has to come with the business.

You can’t handle that volume of mail and not have the mistakes of a piece of mail getting misdirected or lost, he said. We do everything humanly possible to correct it.

David Klaproth, owner of MailBoxes Etc., 1809 W. Main, said his business has started to increase this season, and he has extended the store’s hours and added more staff and more UPS pick-ups.

Klaproth said Monday was the first day of heavy business with more than 200 customers instead of the services normal 100.

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During Christmas, we could have between 300 to 400 customers a day, he said.

Klaproth said one way to keep additional customers satisfied and tensions at bay is to make sure the workers are busy and not just standing around while the customer is waiting. He said when his workers are busy and hustling, the customers see that and tend to be more patient.

If the customer service is not there, people get upset, Klaproth said.

Dirk Borgsmiller, owner of USA Postal Center, 702 S. Illinois, said during the holidays his business offers a pick-up service at the dorms, the University and apartment complexes around Carbondale for people who cannot fit their packages in their car or do not have a car.

Borgsmiller said the pick-up service is a van with two carriers, and there is no charge for the service.

He said a busy time for his center is after finals week because that is when the SIUC students want to mail their packages.

This week has been busy, and next week will be very busy, Borgsmiller said. But the 18th through the 22nd will be huge. It’s the busiest time of the entire year for us.

STORE HOURS:n Denosky said during the Christmas season the U.S. Post Office is open Monday and Friday until 7 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday until 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. He said the best time to mail packages is on Sunday and between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. during the week.

n Klaproth said Mailboxes Etc. is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and will be open the next two Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. He said the least busy times are from 8 to 10 a.m. and 6 to 7 p.m.

n Borgsmiller said USA Postal Center has extended hours during the holiday season from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. He said the best time to avoid crowds is in the mornings from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.