Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
I’m not a coffee drinker, but I found “The List” of espresso facts interesting. I’ll definitely use the new Espresso Drinks stamps. I might even try a few of the beverages. […]
Chris Baker
Posts by Chris Baker
Something special
USPS is offering savings on Mastercard gift card purchases at select Post Offices. From April 24-May 7, customers and employees will receive $3.95 off the purchase fee of Mastercard gift cards valued at $100. Variable load gift cards are excluded. No coupon is needed. […]
NPF marches on
The National Postal Forum, the mailing and shipping industry’s largest annual conference, will hold an online event this year. The theme for the May 3-4 forum is “In Tune With the Times: Orchestrating Our Future Together.” Organizers said they decided to reshape the conference for an online audience after the coronavirus pandemic caused the cancellation […]
Fraud in the mail
The Postal Inspection Service wants employees to be aware of a significant increase in scams that target unemployment benefits. Taking advantage of the economic challenges resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, scammers are applying for benefits in other individuals’ names and addresses — including vacant and rental properties — to receive numerous unemployment checks at a […]
Infrastructure investments
The Postal Service has announced network infrastructure investments to meet the evolving mailing and shipping needs of the American public and business customers ahead of the 2021 holiday season. The initiatives — part of Delivering for America, the organization’s 10-year plan to achieve financial sustainability and service excellence — will include: • An accelerated procurement […]
Stimulus checks
The Postal Service is delivering the latest batch of stimulus checks under the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law last month. Most people are receiving the checks, also known as Economic Impact Payments, through direct deposit. However, about 20 million checks will be sent through the mail. USPS employees should not forward checks […]
New webinars
Postal Service employees can participate in a webinar series to learn more about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program, Medicare and retirement. Blue Cross Blue Shield will offer the “FEHB and Medicare in Retirement” series, which will consist of six sessions held from 2-3 p.m. EDT on the second Wednesday of each month from […]
Out with the blue
The Postal Service has updated PS Form 3849, We Redeliver for You!, to simplify the process for scheduling redeliveries to gopost lockers. Gopost units contain secure lockers that customers can use to receive packages or leave parcels for USPS to pick up and deliver, at no additional cost. The updated form now includes a “Parcel […]
In remembrance
President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the April 2 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Flags should be flown at half-staff until Tuesday, April 6, at sunset. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to […]
Product updates
The Postal Service has proposed changes for Priority Mail Express delivery times and the reclassification of Bound Printed Matter parcels. Currently, Priority Mail Express has three guaranteed delivery times within the 1-2 business-day service standards: 10:30 a.m. (in select locations, for an extra fee), noon or 3 p.m. The product will be simplified, and the […]
In remembrance
President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the victims of this week’s mass shooting in Boulder, CO. Flags should be flown at half-staff until Saturday, March 27, at sunset. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the […]
Delivering for America
The Postal Service has announced its 10-year plan for modernizing the organization while increasing its role and relevance to the nation. The plan, called Delivering for America, will help put the organization on a path to financial sustainability, according to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who announced its key components in a March 23 message to […]
Achieving excellence
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and other USPS leaders provide an overview of “Delivering for America,” the Postal Service’s 10-year plan, in a new video. The plan will help modernize the organization while increasing its role and relevance to the nation. The seven-minute video also features Gary Barksdale, chief postal inspector; Scott Bombaugh, chief technology officer; […]
Diane Cicco, Pittsburgh
I loved reading the story about Kevin Morby, the indie rocker who recorded the song “U.S. Mail.” We need more positive stories like this. […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. A snapshot of Postal Service scanning data shows the national rating was 97.02 percent during the week ending March 12, a slight dip from one week earlier. The data was collected March 17. Central led the four areas with a rating of 97.29 percent, while Southern ranked last with a 96.71 percent rating. […]
Life after work
Postal Service employees can participate in an upcoming webinar to learn about the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and Medicare. The session, “FEHB and Medicare,” will be held Monday, March 22, at noon EDT. Topics will include how Medicare works with FEHB plans and Medicare parts A, B, C and D. Brian Sperling and […]
Along came Holly
Holly’s back! The USPS Operation Santa elf is featured in a new series of templates that Postal Service employees can use to create messages for each other. For example, if you want to praise a co-worker for doing a good job or thank a colleague for helping you complete a project, you can download one […]
After the storm
USPS curtailed mail delivery and retail service in many locations in Colorado and Wyoming this week after a powerful late winter snowstorm shut down roads and caused power outages. The storm dumped more than 3 feet of heavy, wet snow in parts of the two states. Denver International Airport received 27 inches, the fourth-biggest snowfall […]
Aileen Kirts, Potomac, IL
Indie rocker Kevin Morby releasing a song celebrating the Postal Service is so cool. […]
Distress de-stress
Rural Carrier Teresa Griest was recently delivering mail in Sanibel, FL, when she came upon a customer in distress: The man had fallen outside his home and couldn’t get up. Griest immediately called 911 and comforted the customer until paramedics arrived to provide further assistance. The man recovered from the incident. […]
It’s confidential
The Postal Service is reminding employees of the importance of protecting commercial information. Any employee might be asked to disclose commercial information to someone outside of the organization. Although requests for this kind of information are usually sent under the Freedom of Information Act, they can also come directly from other people, such as a […]
Rural payoff
A Kentucky employee’s sales tips have led to more than $200,000 in new estimated annualized revenue for the Postal Service. Christopher Barnes, a rural carrier associate in Brodhead, has submitted multiple leads this fiscal year through Rural Reach, a program that encourages rural carriers to take advantage of their relationships with small-business customers to find […]
Managing the business
Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett reviews the Postal Service’s latest quarterly financial results in a “Dollars and Change” video released this week. During fiscal year 2021’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2020), USPS recorded total revenue of $21.5 billion and total operating expenses of $21.1 billion, leaving the organization with net income of $318 million. […]
Restructuring update
The Postal Service will consolidate its districts, realign its Logistics and Processing Operations divisions, and offer a voluntary early retirement option to most eligible non-bargaining employees at its headquarters, headquarters-related, area and district offices. Under a plan announced March 3, the organization’s 67 districts will be consolidated into 50. The new territories will align closely […]
Grateful gardener
Letter Carrier John Ruiz Jr. was delivering mail one day last spring in Lodi, CA, when he heard someone faintly asking for help. He soon located a customer who’d fallen while gardening in her backyard, leaving her stranded without shade for over an hour. Ruiz rushed to the woman’s aid, immediately called 911 and comforted […]
Eat well, be well
March is National Nutrition Month, a time to learn about healthy food habits and choices. Good nutrition can help you manage health conditions and lower your risk for serious problems. The key is making smart choices, including knowing what’s in your food and how many calories you’re consuming. When grocery shopping, for example, read food […]
‘Personal duty’
Two Buffalo, NY, mail handlers have excelled in submitting sales leads. Leads from Michael Clayton and Rajeev Blaggan, who both work at the Buffalo Processing and Distribution Center, have resulted in $649,162 in new estimated annualized revenue for the Postal Service. They submitted their leads through the Mail Handlers program, which allows mail handlers to […]
Caveat emptor
National Consumer Protection Week, seven days devoted to helping consumers steer clear of scams, begins Feb. 28 — and this year, it might be needed more than ever. The coronavirus pandemic has created whole new avenues for con artists. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received more than 406,000 complaints in the identity theft subcategory of […]
New vehicles
The Postal Service has awarded a 10-year contract to Oshkosh Defense to manufacture a new generation of U.S.-built delivery vehicles that will drive the most dramatic modernization of the USPS fleet in three decades. The historic investment is part of a soon-to-be-released plan the Postal Service has developed to transform its financial performance and customer […]
In remembrance
President Joe Biden has ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff to honor the more than 500,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19. Flags should be flown at half-staff until Friday, Feb. 26, at sunset. To fly the flag at half-staff, hoist the flag to the peak for an instant and then lower it to the […]