Online lenders are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to lure customers away from traditional banks — and the upstarts are using mailboxes as their main marketing channel. “Mail is not dead by any stretch of the imagination,” R. Mark Graf, chief financial officer of Discover Financial Services, told an industry conference in September. The average […]
A Postal Service employee who helped a gunshot victim was one of several heroes honored by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) last week. Carmichael, CA, City Carrier Assistant Scott Gallegos received the National Hero of the Year Award at a ceremony in Washington, DC. Gallegos was delivering mail in April when he was approached by […]
Answer the phone within three rings, offer a friendly greeting, provide assistance and always end calls by thanking customers for using the Postal Service. Remember to keep necessary reference material close to the phone to better serve customers. […]
Clinton, IA, Letter Carrier Charlene Munck was delivering mail when she noticed a child standing barefoot near a house. The girl said the house was on fire and she was home alone. Munck called 911. Emergency responders arrived and extinguished a blaze in the kitchen. Police took the child into custody until her parents could […]
“We monitor our lobby closely and utilize a lobby assistant and mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) equipment when necessary to decrease customers’ wait times.” […]
Read More… from Springfield, VA, Customer Services Manager Erick Yim
Retiring employee Michael Raymer’s letter shows he provided excellent customer service. […]
Several USPS employees were recently recognized for their efforts to help boost international services. The employees participated in a competition to promote services such as Global Express Guaranteed (GXG), which provides fast international shipping to about 180 countries. Participants hosted lobby events, trained retail associates, helped establish Contract Postal Units to sell international services and […]
More than 200 Postal Service employees received advice on moving forward in their careers at a recent conference organized by Ohio Valley District. The meeting included workshops on topics such as career path development, job interviewing skills and understanding the eCareer application process. Also, during several “Spotlight on You” sessions, employees shared their professional accomplishments […]
Chief Human Resources Officer Jeff Williamson answers candid questions about the Postal Pulse survey results in a new video. The 5-minute production shows Williamson responding to questions from Sr. Public Relations Representative Sue Brennan, who expresses skepticism about the survey. “I don’t see how these 12 questions can affect the changes that I personally see […]
Wal-Mart is expanding its grocery pickup service, another example of how online shopping is changing the way consumers get their orders. The retailer has been testing grocery deliveries in some cities and curbside pickups in others, including Denver and Phoenix. Last week, Wal-Mart said it will expand the pickup service to Atlanta, Nashville and four […]
Tucson, AZ, Letter Carrier Sylvia Mireles became concerned when she noticed uncollected mail in a customer’s box. Mireles knew the woman lived alone and used a wheelchair. She called emergency responders, who entered the woman’s house, found her lying on the floor and provided medical assistance. The woman’s daughter later thanked Mireles. […]
The Utility Management System (UMS) centralizes the tracking, payment and review of utility bills. UMS also records monthly energy consumption data for large facilities. […]
“Stamps make history come alive.” […]
Read More… from University of Illinois at Chicago Alumni magazine writer Jamie Malanowski
Postal employee Michael Raymer’s retirement letter demonstrates how the mail touches people’s lives. […]
The Postal Service’s new package-sorting equipment continues to exceed expectations, especially at one California facility where parcels are being sorted faster than ever. The Los Angeles International Service Center (ISC), one of a handful of plants in the nation to have the new Small Parcel Sorting System (SPSS), recently achieved a breakthrough performance. The ISC’s machine […]
Since 2015 has 27 pay periods — one more than usual — some employees may need to adjust their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions to avoid missing part of the Postal Service’s 5 percent match. This may apply to you if you’re approaching the IRS annual limit of $18,000. To find out, check the current […]
Greentown, PA, Retail Associate Terri Clemens is on her feet every day, but lately she’s been kicking off her postal blues and putting on her dancing shoes at night. Clemens recently participated in “Dancing Like the Stars,” a fundraiser to help combat kidney disease. She isn’t an experienced dancer, so she spent hours practicing and […]
One of the nation’s largest Hispanic groups has honored the Postal Service for its efforts to do business with supply firms owned by Hispanic Americans. The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce inducted the Postal Service and several other top organizations into its Million Dollar Club at a ceremony in Houston Sept. 22. The club is […]
District and area administrators can use the Learning Management System (LMS) to get a learner’s completion status for all courses in a program. Enter the employee’s ID number, select the current reporting period, enter a course program number and select execute. […]
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I was working for the Postal Service in New Orleans. Residents were happy when the Post Office opened. One resident said, “If USPS is back, then we know everything will be all right.” […]
“[My best times on the job are] when a customer asks for something and I give them what they want.” […]
Today’s hero is a full-length story. […]
Western Area and Northland District continued to lead the scanning performance standings during the week ending Sept. 18. With a rating of 97.4 percent, Western maintained its long winning streak among the areas. Capital Metro (96.97 percent) rose from third to second place, while Eastern (96.64 percent) ended the week in third. Western’s Northland District, […]
The Postal Service will offer several holiday stamps this year, including recent favorites and new releases. Stamps based on “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be issued Oct. 1, followed later in the month by Geometric Snowflakes. Post Office customers also will be able to purchase the following stamps from previous years: Virgin and Child by Gossaert (2013) […]
Moulton, AL, Letter Carrier Jeffery McCrary was delivering mail inside an apartment building recently when he heard a woman calling for help. McCrary ran to an apartment and found fire coming from a stove and climbing a wall. Knowing water isn’t the best way to fight a grease fire, McCrary used salt to extinguish the […]
The Postal Service has created guidelines to help employees better assist customers with product or service complaints. A copy of the Complaint Handling Guidelines was mailed to every Postmaster in September. The guidelines also are available online. Employees should view complaints as opportunities to restore consumer confidence in the Postal Service, according to the guidelines. […]
Way to go, Ben Lovato and Jim Kimber, for keeping the firefighters out west connected to their loved ones back home. […]
Phishing — attempts to steal IDs, passwords and other sensitive information from an employee or consumer — are prevalent online. Visit the CyberSafe at USPS site on Blue for tips to identify and avoid phishing scams. […]
“I take great pride in my work and I encourage [every employee to do the same].” […]
Direct mail remains a valuable method for political candidates to reach voters, even in the age of emails and texting, top strategists say. “In a world with so much other distraction, direct mail is becoming more effective not less,” consultant Andy Yates writes in a new essay for the Campaigns & Elections news site. Yates quotes […]