In the second installment of its “Primers” column, Link explored the Consumer Advocate team, which acts as “the voice of the customer” throughout the Postal Service.
One of the team’s major accomplishments was developing the CORE language tool.
“Any employee who might need guidance on how to respond to a customer” can benefit from the tool, according to April Callens, customer policy and engagement strategy program manager. CORE stands for “communicating organizational responses effectively.”
Link also shared news on a price change on certain competitive products, a security enhancement for new enrollees in direct deposit, the benefits of going in-house to print envelopes, and the importance of proper battery and bulb disposal.
In a pair of cautionary tales, USPS is urging employees to be aware of threats from wildlife after a rural carrier was bitten by a rattlesnake; and a letter carrier who stole IRS refund checks was recently sentenced to more than five years in prison.
We explored how the Sunflowers stamp is just the latest in a long line of floral stamps, and profiled Mireya Tipantasig, a Connecticut letter carrier who teaches English as a second language to women who have experienced domestic abuse.
“People” spotlighted Elizabeth Rivera and Erick Declet, postmaster and retail associate, respectively, in Barceloneta, PR. There is a friendly competition in their district about which Post Offices can sell the most semipostal stamps; Declet stepped up to create a special postmark for Barceloneta’s Healing PTSD event.
Finally, “Heroes” told the story of James Stark, a rural carrier who was delivering in St. Joe, IN, when he answered a call for help from inside a residence.
The customer was on the floor, and Stark called the fire chief for help. She was too incapacitated to move so they waited with the woman until EMTs arrived.
“James is a true hero as the lady has no family to check on her,” Postmaster Shane Salisbury said. “During the winter, he takes the mail to her front door and places it inside her porch, so she won’t slip in the snow and ice. He goes above and beyond to help his customers.”
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