Janet Saddler, Hartford, CT
I put a copy of the photo of Finn Blumenthal — the 4-year-old USPS fan who was featured in “Repeat customer” — at my workstation. I smile whenever I look at the expression on his little face. […]
Mike Milligan
Posts by Mike Milligan
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.78 percent during the week ending Feb. 8, up from one week earlier. Western (97.91 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.15 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Presidents Day
Presidents Day will be observed Monday, Feb. 18, this year. The annual observance traces its roots to celebrations commemorating George Washington during the early 19th century. After Washington’s death in 1799, his birthday was celebrated informally across the young nation. In 1879, Congress declared Feb. 22 — Washington’s birthday — a federal holiday. A 1968 […]
Information privacy
To conduct its business, USPS must collect various types of personally identifiable information about customers, employees and other individuals. If you access or handle this kind of information as part of your postal job, you have a legal and ethical obligation to hold it in confidence and protect it from unauthorized disclosure and misuse. Under […]
Love and money
Fewer people are expected to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year but those who do will spend a record amount, new research shows. Total spending will reach almost $21 billion, up 6 percent from last year, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insight and Analytics. Those surveyed said they’ll spend an […]
Deborah Spaulding, Tioga, PA
I hope we all get to watch Finn Blumenthal, the 4-year-old with congenital heart disease was profiled in “Repeat customer,” grow up. His smile says it all! […]
The way they were
One of this year’s Oscar nominees is making news after Barbra Streisand responded to a fan letter he mailed her in 1972. Richard E. Grant, a best supporting actor nominee for his role in the Melissa McCarthy vehicle “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”, was 14 when he penned the note to Streisand to invite her […]
Spreading the word
David Wilbur is a man on a mission. The Kula, HI, Postmaster wants every customer he meets to know about Informed Delivery, the free mail notification service from USPS. “Informed Delivery allows you to digitally preview your incoming mail and manage your packages wherever, whenever,” he says. Wilbur knows what he’s talking about: He has […]
On guard
Not all heroes wear capes. The Postal Service has formed CyberSafe Guardians, a team of employees across the United States who help the organization promote effective cybersecurity practices. The guardians meet once a month to receive cybersecurity materials that can be customized and distributed through each guardian’s “network,” such as the facility where he or […]
Travel update
Beginning Friday, March 1, USPS employees will see an additional fee of $1.60 on their travel itineraries for City Pair Program flights booked and purchased through Omega World Travel. Employees should use eTravel to claim the agency fee charged by Omega, just as employees have done with other fees in the past. The City Pair […]
Bryn Fleming, Mitchell, OR
Thank you for highlighting Patricia Dorr, the New York rural carrier who saved endangered animals by alerting authorities, in “Heroes’ Corner” last week. Postal Service employees can help vulnerable children and animals by reporting neglect and abuse. […]
Life savers
USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. The program, which will mark its 16th year in 2019, is based on a simple idea: Postal Service employees know the habits of their customers and the rhythms of their communities, and are […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.76 percent during the week ending Feb. 1, up from one week earlier. Western (98.04 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (99.05 percent) topped the districts. To see the latest results, go to the Informed Visibility site and select “Customer Experience,” followed by “DES 2 Scan […]
Sharing the love
Highlights from the recent Hearts Blossoms stamp dedication ceremony are featured in a new Postal Service video. “While these stamps are perfect for Valentine’s Day, they can be used year-round because love never goes out of season,” Network Operations Vice President Robert Cintron says during the event, which was held in San Juan, PR. Hearts […]
Quiet heroism
The Atlantic newsmagazine has praised the Postal Service’s ability to keep mail moving in the wake of natural disasters. “The Quiet Heroism of Mail Delivery,” a 1,200-word report published Feb. 1, examines the organization’s “sophisticated contingency plans” for hurricanes, wildfires and other crises. Across the nation, USPS has more than 285 emergency management teams devoted […]
Eyes and ears
USPS is seeking nominees for the Postmaster General Heroes’ Program, which honors employees who go above and beyond the call of duty. The program, which will mark its 16th year in 2019, is based on a simple idea: Postal Service employees know the habits of their customers and the rhythms of their communities, and are […]
Betty Brown, Kansas City, MO
I enjoyed the “Best Practices” column about Kiersten Bauldry-Williams, the Jonesville, MI, retail associate who promotes USPS stamps. Kudos, Kiersten, for going above and beyond to meet your customers’ stamp needs. […]
Repeat customer
Employees at the Falmouth Post Office in Fredericksburg, VA, are watching Finn Blumenthal grow up. Finn, a 4-year-old fan of the Post Office, has been a regular customer in between surgeries he’s had to treat his congenital heart disease. “He comes in and he’s so happy and friendly to everybody,” said Retail Associate Nikki McKenney. […]
Good call
Christina Balignasa McLeod understands the importance of telephone etiquette. The San Diego District consumer affairs associate and five co-workers field approximately 65 customer calls a day. McLeod strives to treat each caller with courtesy and respect. “I love dealing with customers’ issues and providing resolutions,” she says. USPS encourages this kind of approach. By improving […]
Bottoms up
The new eBuy2 catalog for Nestle 5-gallon bottled drinking water service is now available. Here’s what you should know: • Postal Service facilities that currently receive service from Nestle should complete a new eBuy2 requisition to fund service for the remainder of fiscal 2019, which ends Sept. 30. • Facilities that started new service from […]
Information sharing
FOIA Award. The Postal Service recently honored Marina Dejo-Nicholson, a labor relations systems manager, for her efforts to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. Dejo-Nicholson, who works at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, received a Chief FOIA Officer’s Award. The quarterly program recognizes employees who respond to requests in a timely manner and […]
Teresa Navarette, San Diego
Daniel Virgilio, the Danbury, CT, city carrier assistant profiled in “Heroes’ Corner” last week, literally saved his customer’s life. […]
Nose knows
Letter Carrier Bonnie Enabnit was recently delivering mail in Lake City, IA, when she smelled smoke and heard an alarm going off inside a home where renovation work was being done. Enabnit immediately alerted a neighbor and called 911. Firefighters soon arrived and discovered that gloves placed on top of a space heater had started […]
Scanning snapshot
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.64 percent during the week ending Jan. 25, down from one week earlier. Western (97.9 percent) led the areas, while Dakotas (98.95 percent) topped the districts. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
More to come
The Postal Service announced plans this week for five additional stamp releases in 2019. The stamps are: Star Ribbon, which features a tri-colored ribbon, folded into a patriotic symbol “Little Mo,” a release that honors tennis champion Maureen Connolly Brinker (1934-1969) Ellsworth Kelly, 10 designs that highlight the famed abstract artist’s works Transcontinental Railroad, three stamps […]
Taking care of business
Some Postal Service employees are required to complete two new CyberSafe at USPS courses. The courses are mandatory for business system owners — employees who are “functional coordinators” for various postal systems, such as the Time and Attendance Collection System and VPN Access to USPS. System owners are required to complete the courses through the […]
Boy wander
Jeff, KY, Rural Carrier Teresa Lewis was delivering mail on a spring day last year when she spotted a 3-year-old boy wandering alone in the path of roadside mowing equipment. Lewis immediately stopped to check on the toddler, who was unclothed and covered in scratches and bruises. The Postal Service employee put a jacket on […]
Deb Okon, Lansing, MI
I commend and thank Anthony Puccio, the New York City letter carrier who has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of sick leave, for being a great example to young people. […]
Now hiring
The Postal Inspection Service is continuing to hire. The agency will accept applications for postal inspector positions from Monday, Jan. 28, at 10 a.m. CST through Saturday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. CST. This announcement is open to both USPS career employees and external applicants. The Inspection Service invited career employees only to apply for […]
Special presentations
Kiersten Bauldry-Williams knows what her customers like, and that’s stamps. The Jonesville, MI, retail associate learned the importance of stamps when she joined the Postal Service four years ago. “People from surrounding areas come to Jonesville because of our selection,” Bauldry-Williams says. “We’re a smaller office and the majority of our sales come from stamps.” […]