The Postal Service has introduced Inform 5, an initiative to encourage employees to promote Informed Delivery to customers. Informed Delivery allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and mobile devices. Through Inform 5, USPS wants employees to tell at least five customers each day about Informed Delivery. […]
A new Postal Service video showcases HERO, a system that employees can use to manage their career development activities from a single online platform. HERO, which USPS recently introduced, allows employees to receive training, apply for job openings, enter performance goals and more. “There is a future where employees and managers can be more efficient […]
The Postal Service held a special ceremony last week for a stamp that depicts Hawaii’s iconic Nāpali coast. The stamp, which features a sunset image of crashing waves against the coastline, is part of O Beautiful, a pane of 20 stamps that visually represent lyrics to the patriotic standard “America the Beautiful.” The Aug. 16 […]
The Art of Magic stamp pane and souvenir sheet were released this month. Here are five facts about magic that you may not have known. 1. Harry Houdini was more than an illusionist. He also founded his own film company and was an accomplished aviator who made one of the first flights in Australia. Additionally, […]
I really enjoy reading the stories in Link. […]
A California teenager has credited a Postal Service employee with protecting her at a critical time — just moments after she says she escaped a months-long ordeal of captivity and abuse. Letter Carrier Ivan Crisostomo was delivering mail in a Sacramento, CA, neighborhood in June when he spotted 16-year-old Crystal Allen hiding in a yard, […]
The Postal Service wants to clear up a few misunderstandings about flat-sized mailpieces. Here’s what you should know: • First things first: Know how to recognize flat-sized mailpieces. The Domestic Mail Manual has all the information you need, especially chapters 101 and 201. Generally speaking, flat-sized mailpieces are no more than 15 inches long, no […]
SVweb gets a new look. SVWeb, a site dedicated to the Surface Visibility program, has a new look. The site has been reorganized to help users easily access its Facility Management, Reporting and Administrative pages. Also, the updated home page now displays the week’s compliance and transportation scores, and a bar at the top of […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Fill in the blanks: Last week, USPS reported (blank) in total revenue and a net loss of (blank) for fiscal 2018’s third quarter (April 1-June 30). a) $651 million, […]
The Postal Service is offering new cybersecurity training for retail associates and other employees who deal with payment cards. The mandatory online courses are designed to help users learn how to secure employee, supplier and customer data. All courses must be completed before Friday, Sept. 21. The courses are: Protecting Payment Cardholder Data: Everyone’s Responsibility, […]
Letter Carrier Lisa Light was recently delivering mail in Hazel Park, MI, when she smelled natural gas on a customer’s front porch. Light alerted the man to the problem before continuing on her route. The customer later mailed a letter to the local Postmaster, pointing out that within 20 minutes of notifying the gas company, […]
We often take our Postal Service jobs for granted. We don’t always appreciate the opportunity we’ve been given to serve others. “Road to redemption,” the article about Clarence Carson overcoming homelessness and other challenges to become a Postmaster, puts it in perspective. […]
The Postal Service has reported its financial results for fiscal 2018’s third quarter (April 1-June 30). Here are some highlights: • Revenue. Total revenue was $17.1 billion, up 2.4 percent compared to the same period one year earlier. First-Class Mail revenue declined 2.2 percent compared to a year ago, while Marketing Mail revenue increased 1.6 […]
USPS is continuing to provide “fast and efficient service” despite facing significant challenges, a columnist for a national newsmagazine wrote last week. The 1,800-word essay from Ryan Cooper, national correspondent for The Week, traces the Postal Service’s history, including its role in uniting rural and urban customers through mail delivery and developing innovations like airmail […]
The Postal Service will issue this year’s second United States Air Mail stamp Saturday, Aug. 11. The stamp, printed in red, commemorates an August 1918 flight from College Park, MD, to New York City that became the first step in establishing transcontinental routes for airmail service. The first stamp, printed in blue and released in the spring, […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: To protect yourself from heat-related illnesses, you should drink at least 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes. a) True b) False 2. Where does USPS […]
The Postal Service wants employees to know about the “blackout” periods for Franked Mail mass mailings. Franked Mail is official correspondence sent by members of Congress and other authorized users. These mailpieces have the member’s facsimile signature — the frank — in the upper right corner of an envelope instead of a postage stamp. The frank […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember the differences between Political Mail and Election Mail tags during this year’s election season. Red Tag 57, for Political Mail, should be used for any political campaign mailing by a registered candidate, campaign committee, and committee of a political party. This tag also can be used for a political […]
Two Postal Service employees recently helped a customer who was allegedly targeted for identity theft. Retail Associate Chastity Amlong alerted the customer after a suspected imposter contacted her about retrieving the customer’s mail, which was being held at the Landisville, PA, Post Office. The concerned customer — whom Amlong recognized — soon arrived with proper […]
Read More… from Chastity Amlong and Jacqueline James, Landisville, PA
I was glad to read “Proof positive” and learn the Postal Service has improved its proof of delivery letters. […]
Franco Parodi knew there was a better way. Parodi, a mail handler, works on delivery barcode sorter (DBCS) machines at the Miami Processing and Distribution Center. He wanted to improve the machine’s out-of-sequence scores, which measure mail that is not placed in address sequence for the carriers. To fix the problem, Parodi determined the machine’s […]
Postal Bulletin. Tips to help employees protect themselves from heat exhaustion and heat stroke are included in the Postal Bulletin’s Aug. 2 edition. The article is part of a broader Postal Service program that focuses on the recognition and prevention of heat-related illnesses. The organization has also sent informational postcards to every employee’s home and […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: Under the Hatch Act, a postal employee cannot wear a shirt or campaign button that promotes any political candidate seeking re-election while the employee is on […]
USPS honored the Americans who experienced one of the seminal conflicts of the 20th century at last week’s World War I: Turning the Tide stamp dedication ceremony. The 1914-1918 war reshaped the map of Europe and thrust the United States to the forefront of major world powers. “World War I was the first truly global war,” […]
USPS wants employees to follow the Hatch Act’s rules on politicking in the workplace. The Hatch Act is a law that prohibits Postal Service and other federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty, while wearing a uniform, while on federal property or while inside a federal vehicle. These rules apply to activities […]
Here’s Link’s latest “News quiz,” a weekly feature that invites readers to test their knowledge of recent stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Which three states currently conduct all elections by mail? a) Colorado, Oregon and Washington b) Colorado, Hawaii and Oregon c) Colorado, Hawaii and Washington d) Hawaii, Oregon and Washington […]
“Forever friends” was a great story about two women who became lifelong friends through letter writing. These two have inspired me to write my friends more often. […]
Pocatello, ID, Rural Carrier Lesley Greenwell was recently leading a class for new rural carrier associates when Trisha Reisdorff of Heyburn, ID, arrived a few minutes late — clearly upset. Reisdorff explained that she’d had a flat tire 10 miles away on an interstate, and though she’d gotten a ride to class, she was distressed […]
Although people like receiving thank-you notes, few folks send them because they underestimate the positive feelings the notes provide, new research shows. The study found that after receiving thank-you notes and filling out questionnaires about the experience, many people scored a “happiness rating” of 4 on a 5-point scale. The senders typically predicted recipients would […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.86 percent during the week ending July 20, up from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.13 percent) topped the districts, while Western (98.14 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]