David Chase, Seattle
I was so taken by Sa’fyre Terry’s Christmas request that I took home the Link article and showed it to my grandkids. They helped me write a letter to her. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
New Orleans Letter Carrier Stephen Colar
“I … let her know that I’m out here helping Santa deliver packages. He can’t handle them all.” […]
Holiday returns
If customers have gifts to return through the mail, employees should advise them to use Click-N-Ship and free Package Pickup. […]
Justin Moore, Freeport, IL
Freeport, IL, Rural Carrier Justin Moore was delivering mail recently when he noticed a man on the roof of a house. The man told Moore that his ladder fell. Moore found the ladder, placed it against the house and helped the man climb down. […]
Peak praise
PMG Megan J. Brennan is thanking Postal Service employees for their commitment to delivering the holidays for customers. “We rightly take pride in our performance,” Brennan writes in a new letter to employees. “From acceptance to delivery, we demonstrate our ability to handle customers’ packages with the care and attention they expect, and hold ourselves […]
Opening day
Some of the nation’s top professional athletes are relying on the Postal Service to share the holidays with their loved ones. In a series of USPS-sponsored videos on the Post Game sports site, athletes such as Oakland Raiders defensive end Justin Tuck and Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes are seen receiving care packages through […]
Package push
The Postal Service is on track to reach new heights in holiday package deliveries, the Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 22. USPS expects to deliver more than 600 million packages, up 15 percent compared to last year’s peak season. This means the Postal Service’s market share of holiday deliveries will increase to 40 percent, compared […]
Chiming in
The Postal Service is celebrating Operation Santa — its annual program to fulfill the holiday wishes of children in need — with a little help from Nasdaq. To honor the program’s 104th anniversary, Northeast Area VP Richard Uluski and Consumer Advocate John Budzynski rang the stock exchange’s closing bell Dec. 22. “The Postal Service is […]
Scanning scorecard
The national scanning score for the week ending Dec. 18 was 96.18 percent, down slightly from one week earlier. Great Lakes (96.59 percent) finished first among the areas. Eastern (96.34 percent) took second, up from fifth place a week ago, while Pacific (96.26 percent) rose one spot to third. The districts were led by Western […]
Flexible deadline
Although open season has ended, the Postal Service is giving employees extra time to enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSAs). The new deadline is Dec. 21. FSAs allow users to set aside money pretax to pay for health and dependent care expenses. For 2016, the maximum amount that employees can contribute to FSAs has increased […]
Tassie Britton, Marion, KS
Marion, KS, City Carrier Assistant Tassie Britton was delivering mail recently when she and a customer noticed a strong odor of natural gas. They found a truck that had struck a gas line. Britton instructed the customer to call the gas company, which arrived and repaired the line. The customer credited Britton’s quick thinking with […]
Xuan-Lan Young, Washington, DC
I love our new #PostalProud initiative. The “Smile, you are on carrier camera” poster put a huge smile on my face. I’m proud to be part of a postal family that takes great pride and care in delivering to the public. […]
Pacific Area Communications Program Specialist Gus Ruiz
“More and more people are using usps.com. But we still have a lot of customers who like to trek down and see the brick-and-mortar Post Offices, and we’ll be there to serve them.” […]
Read More… from Pacific Area Communications Program Specialist Gus Ruiz
Domestic holiday deadlines
The Postal Service recommends customers mail First-Class Mail by Dec. 19 and Priority Mail by Dec. 21 to ensure delivery by Christmas. The recommended mail-by date for Priority Mail Express is Dec. 23. […]
Mail discussions
The United States and Cuba held discussions in Miami last week to re-establish direct postal services between the two countries. The delegations discussed technical, safety and operational aspects of direct mail service and are working toward implementation soon of a pilot program to carry mail between the two countries, with scheduled direct mail flights several […]
Heartwarming holiday
Rachael Ray used Priority Mail last week to salute people she deemed “holiday heroes.” On the Dec. 11 edition of her TV talk show, Ray spotlighted Austin Smoyer, a 6-year-old Virginia boy who collects donations for a local food bank. At the end of the segment, New York, NY, Letter Carrier Calvin Kuang surprised Austin […]
Employee Resource Management
PMG Megan Brennan recently appointed Nancy Rettinhouse as Employee Resource Management vice president, a role she’s filled on an acting basis since August. Rettinhouse is responsible for directing talent acquisition and retention, training and development, succession planning, diversity, personnel services, selection, safety and health and medical programs. Other duties include overseeing the Human Resources Shared […]
Shipping points
The Postal Service wants to make it easy for customers to ship packages during the holidays. A new USPS video series, “How To: Shipping Tips,” explains proper practices and includes tips to avoid common mistakes. The four videos show how to prepare packages for shipment, correctly address a package, pack a box and change your address. […]
Tina Pina, Austin, TX
The Charlie Brown trucks are cool. […]
Phishing
Phishing — including attempts to steal IDs, passwords and other sensitive information from an employee or consumer — are prevalent online. The CyberSafe at USPS site on Blue has tips to identify and avoid phishing scams. […]
Greater Indiana District Manager Larry Diegel
“This is truly our season at the Postal Service. We’ve stepped up our game to ensure America that USPS can be counted on to deliver their cards, gifts and letters in time for the holidays.” […]
Read More… from Greater Indiana District Manager Larry Diegel
Heroes’ corner
Arnold, NE, Rural Carrier Geraldine Webb was delivering mail to a ranch recently when she noticed a horse bucking nearby. When Webb didn’t see a rider, she looked around and spotted a man lying on the ground. Webb offered to call an ambulance for the injured man, but he asked her to contact his daughter […]
Going strong
The Postal Service’s retail site, on the heels of a major milestone, is gearing up for a busy holiday season. The site, usps.com, generated more than $1 billion in sales during fiscal 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014-Sept. 30, 2015). It was the site’s biggest year since its launch in 2000, the Postal Service reported Dec. 8. […]
Keep it flexible
You can make your health care dollars go further by using flexible spending accounts (FSAs) — but only if you get the facts first, experts say. “FSAs work with your health care plans, but it’s important to understand the value of those plans,” Chief Human Resources Officer Jeff Williamson says in a new video discussion. […]
Good timing
Boston P&DC employees continue to process bill payments quickly, receiving the nation’s highest remittance mail score for the eighth time in a row. The survey — conducted twice a year by financial industry research firm Phoenix-Hecht — also credits the Cleveland P&DC with the nation’s most improved remittance service performance. The survey measures “float,” marking […]
Follow the rules
Employees who give or receive gifts while on the job should remember what is and isn’t allowed. The federal standards of ethical conduct apply all year long — and are especially important to remember during the holidays. “This is a special time of year as well as ‘our season,’ and dealing with a violation of […]
Managing retention
The Talk 1: Managing for Retention course (number 10024451) helps supervisors increase retention, build strong relationships with new hires and give effective feedback. This interactive one-hour course is available in the Learning Management System and must be completed by Jan. 31. […]
Asheville, NC, Postmaster Craig Kinlaw
“Delivering a positive customer experience is the key to growing our business.” […]
Sharon Turner, Chicago Heights, IL
I truly enjoy reading Link articles on my breaks. […]
Corey Scharborough, Syracuse, NY
Syracuse, NY, Letter Carrier Corey Scharborough was delivering mail when he saw an ill woman lying on a porch. He called 911 and stayed until emergency responders arrived. The teenager was taken to a hospital, where she was treated for dehydration. […]