Teresa Navarette, San Diego
I agree with Natalie Potell, the Prince William County, VA, poet laureate who was profiled in “Rhyme and reason.” Receiving a handwritten message can lift your spirits. […]
jennifer_singleton
Posts by jennifer_singleton
Still too high
The number of Postal Service employees attacked by dogs fell to 5,714 last year — about 500 fewer than the number attacked in 2017 and 1,000 fewer than the number attacked in 2016. Although the decline is encouraging, the number of attacks is still too high, USPS Safety Director Linda DeCarlo told reporters at an […]
Just ask
My name is Rosalind Ballard, and I’m a customer care agent in Troy, MI. My job is to ensure that people who call 800-ASK-USPS with product and service questions receive the help they need. How I handle the call depends on the nature of the issue. For example, if someone calls about a stolen package, […]
Ready for retirement
If you’re a Postal Service employee who is enrolled in the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), are you on track to meet your goals? You should know that replacing your income in retirement requires a combination of your annuity, Social Security benefits and Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions. A 30-year employee who earns $50,000 a […]
Life and taxes
The Postal Service is ready for Tax Day. A special section on usps.com features tips for customers who mail their returns, a list of products and services that can help paper filers, information on Post Office hours, and links to useful guidance on the IRS site. Additionally, USPS is reminding employees to provide safe, convenient […]
Cause for concern
Letter Carrier Harry Nguyen was recently making deliveries in Westminster, CA, when he grew concerned about a customer whose mail had piled up over several days. Nguyen alerted the property manager and they checked on the man, whom they found collapsed and in dire need of medical attention. Paramedics were immediately dispatched to the scene. […]
Derek Terveer, St. Paul, MN
“Up, up and away” was a very interesting edition of “The List.” I really enjoyed it. […]
Positive impact
My name is Mary Anderson, and I’m the Postal Service’s small-business director. I help the organization serve the nation’s 28 million small businesses, ensuring they have excellent experiences when they interact with us. I work at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, where I manage a team of marketers, sales support staff, business development specialists and […]
Risk reduction
The Postal Inspection Service wants USPS employees to know about an online tool that makes it easier to track hazardous material incidents within the postal network. The Mailpiece Incident Report Tool (MIRT) is a data repository for reporting leaks and spills, as well as hazardous material incidents at Postal Service facilities. MIRT must be used to report: […]
What’s on your mind?
What did you think of Link’s story about Bessie Flemons, the Chicago mail handler who recently celebrated 50 years as a postal employee? How about the recent explanation of advanced annual leave? Did you pick up any helpful hints from the “Best Practices” article about Somerset, KY, Postmaster Mike Noritis and his efforts to help […]
Write stuff
A Pensacola, FL, fifth-grade class is using the mail to show their appreciation to members of the armed forces. The Beulah Elementary School students regularly write letters to U.S. Navy recruits undergoing basic training in Great Lakes, Ill. In each letter, the students share information about themselves, express their support for the recruits and ask […]
Remote control
Joseph, OR, Contract Delivery Service Carrier Renee Eschler was on the job earlier this year in the remote community of Imnaha when she discovered a woman who had fallen near her mailbox. The customer — who had broken her femur, leaving her stranded on snow-covered ground for an hour — greeted Eschler with these words: […]
Getting the message out
Dee Moore never misses an opportunity to talk about Informed Delivery. While on her way to a soccer tournament in Beaver, UT, last month, the San Diego-based business development specialist stopped at a gas station, where she spotted a potential Informed Delivery customer — a woman named Taylor Hinkle. “Hi, my name is Dee,” Moore […]
In the spotlight
Link is still seeking employees to feature in “On the Job,” a regular column that spotlights Postal Service workers and their contributions. Since “On the Job” debuted in 2018, the column has featured a Rio Grande District mailing standards specialist; a Dakotas District consumer and industry contact manager; an Oklahoma City business mail technician; a […]
Take your training
If you’re required to complete the Postal Service’s payment card cybersecurity courses and you missed the March 1 deadline, you must complete them immediately. The training is mandatory for retail associates and other employees who deal with payment cards. Completing the courses will help you secure employee, customer and supplier data. Employees who missed the […]
Don’t take chances
Gambling can be fun, but it also can be problematic. Gambling is any game of chance where money is exchanged. This can include buying a lottery ticket, betting on a horse or playing poker online. Most people who gamble don’t have a problem, but some lose control of their gambling. According to the National Institutes […]
Peggy Sibenac, Warrendale, PA
I love the Alabama Statehood stamp highlighted in the “Rich history” article. It’s beautiful. […]
Critical call
Letter Carrier Cierra McLin was making deliveries in a St. Louis neighborhood one day last fall when she grew worried about a customer whose mail was accumulating. McLin knocked on the woman’s door and heard her yell for help. The Postal Service employee immediately called 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived. […]
Winning campaign
Postal Service employees pledged $7.7 million during the most recent Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), exceeding the organization’s goal by 20 percent. The average USPS pledge was $365, an increase of 17 percent from the previous campaign. Additionally, employees pledged 37,000 volunteer hours to CFC member charities, more than three times the hours pledged during the […]
Sales changes
Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Jacqueline Krage Strako has announced leadership changes within the Postal Service’s Sales organization. In a memo this week, Strako announced Dennis Nicoski, acting sales vice president, plans to retire, although he will delay his departure to ensure an orderly transition and to assist with several key initiatives. “I want to […]
What’s your story?
Link is seeking people to feature in “On the Job,” a regular column that profiles individual Postal Service employees and their contributions to the organization. More than 35 employees have been featured since the series began last year. Recent subjects have included a Buffalo, NY, automotive technician; a Pacific Area mailpiece design analyst; a Staten […]
Sweet dreams
Sleep is something everyone knows about, but not everyone understands its importance. Adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep each night to help contribute to their health and well-being, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you don’t get enough sleep, it can affect your health. Here are some tips to help […]
Maria Columbus, San Francisco
It warms my heart when I read about Postal Service employees like Sterling Harris and Scott Putnam who go the extra mile for our customers. […]
Scam stopper
Cranford, NJ, Retail Associate Jennifer Goodwin recently helped two older customers avoid becoming scam victims. In both incidents, which occurred within two weeks of each other, Goodwin recognized signs of fraudulent activity when the customers sought to mail cash. The Postal Service employee encouraged the customers to keep their money, and authorities were alerted. Cranford […]
Mail call
Lisa Abbott was delighted when her husband, Jeffrey Porch, called from Kuwait recently to ask about his mail. Abbott, an Indianapolis-based sales account representative for the Postal Service, encouraged Porch, an Army sergeant who also works for USPS as a building equipment mechanic, to sign up for Informed Delivery last year. She knew he would like to […]
Seasons of life
My name is Trea Ratliff, and I’m a rural carrier in West Chicago, IL. I deliver mail and packages to about 630 business and residential customers each workday. I begin my day by sorting the mail and parcels I’ll deliver, then I listen to our office’s daily stand-up talk. Next, I do a safety check […]
Moving images
Highlights from the recent Gregory Hines stamp dedication ceremony are featured in a new video from the Postal Service. “Gregory Hines made the world feel good,” Maud Arnold, a dancer and choreographer, says during the video. “When you say his name to anybody — no matter where you are in the world — they respond […]
Are you current?
The Postal Service requires all employees to provide a current mailing address. This allows the organization to communicate with you about health benefits, tax changes and other important topics. If you need to update your information, five methods are available: • LiteBlue. Use any computer to go to liteblue.usps.gov and enter your employee identification number […]
Furniture mover
Rural Carrier Ronald Eneboe was recently delivering a package to an older customer in Colton, SD. At the woman’s front door, Eneboe heard her yelling for help. He soon found the customer trapped beneath a dresser that had tipped over onto her. The Postal Service employee freed the woman and helped her to her feet. […]
Renea Puckett, Fayetteville, NC
I agree with the recent “Mailbag” columns praising Finn Blumenthal, the 4-year-old child profiled in “Repeat customer.” I love that boy! […]