Letter Carrier Roger Carlson was recently making deliveries in St. Marys, PA, when he grew worried that a 94-year-old customer’s mail was piling up. Carlson knocked on the woman’s door but got no response, so he contacted her nephew online. Within minutes, the customer was found in medical distress inside her home, and 911 was […]
It was great to see USPS Historian Jenny Lynch profiled “Her story,” the latest article in Link’s “On the job” series. I’m incredibly thankful for the important work she and her team accomplish in both preserving and telling postal stories. […]
A letter written in 1918 by a World War I soldier has been returned to his family, thanks to a history lover and his son. After being injured while escaping a sinking naval ship, Charles Wetherington ended up in a Northern Ireland hospital, where he mailed the letter to his father in Lenox, GA. Decades […]
Danielle Gelston knows her stuff. The Butler, PA, retail associate is an expert on USPS products and services and how they can benefit customers. She enjoys delivering this information to the people she serves, especially small-business owners. “A lot of people don’t realize how much stuff we have on usps.com,” Gelston says. “We have a […]
USPS shows how mail can be combined with digital communication to create personalized customer experiences in “Reimagine What Mail Can Do,” a new video on YouTube. The 50-second video highlights Informed Delivery, Informed Visibility, shipping returns and other products and services that help businesses forge stronger relationships with their customers. “The United States Postal Service […]
The Postal Service wants employees to remember the differences between Election Mail and Political Mail. Election Mail refers to mail that allows individuals to participate in the voting process, such as ballots for domestic or international delivery, while Political Mail consists of mailings from registered political candidates, parties and related organizations. There are different tagging requirements for […]
Rural Carrier Julie Hamilton was recently delivering mail on a cold day in Nashville, MI, when she spotted a shoeless, coatless toddler on a dirt road by himself. Hamilton sheltered the 2-year-old boy in her vehicle and contacted the local Postmaster, who called 911. The boy’s father called 911 at the same time, and arrangements […]
I had to laugh when I read “Lap of luxury,” the recent article about mailrooms getting makeovers in high-end apartment buildings. If a landlord charges $5,095 for rent, I hope it includes not only a fancy mailroom, but also maid service and a chauffeur! […]
The natural beauty of the United States was celebrated during a stirring July 4 dedication ceremony for the Postal Service’s new O Beautiful stamps. The 20-stamp sheet features majestic images from across the nation that correspond with lyrics to the patriotic standard “America the Beautiful.” Colorado/Wyoming District Manager Kevin Romero, who led the ceremony, praised the […]
I’m the Postal Service’s historian and also manager of the Corporate Library at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. I’ve worked in this office for more than 26 years — first as a summer intern, then as a temporary clerk, and later as a researcher under contract. I was offered a career position in 2006 and […]
The Postal Service is continuing to encourage employees to develop their talents through the ContinYOUous Learning initiative. The program, which began this year, helps non-bargaining employees take advantage of the organization’s learning opportunities and channel their passions and interests into their careers. The Career Development Blue page has a list of resources and tips, which […]
Link recently introduced About Link, a page with background and contact information for the Postal Service’s employee news site. The page explains that Link is produced by a team of writers and editors at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC, with additional contributions from Corporate Communications employees across the nation. About Link also features an explanation […]
Rural Carrier Amanda Nalley was recently making deliveries in Cumming, GA, when she noticed that an 84-year-old customer, Rodney Garner, had not picked up his mail in several days. After seeing no sign of Garner at home and talking to a neighbor who’d not seen him, either, Nalley called 911 and asked someone to check […]
I enjoyed reading “Building relationships,” the “On the job” profile of Riverdale, MD, Retail Associate Shannon Wilson-Ellis. It was excellent. […]
Scanning snapshot. The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.68 percent during the week ending June 29, down from one week earlier. Dakotas (99.22 percent) topped the districts, while Western (97.96 percent) led the areas. Scanning allows customers to track their packages and mail, and it helps USPS improve efficiency and network management. To see […]
Imagine receiving an email from an unhappy customer who is still waiting for a package days past the expected delivery date. Would you know how to respond? A new online training course, Providing Exceptional Customer Care, aims to help employees turn dissatisfied customers into ones who will choose USPS again. “It takes collaboration to seek […]
Fred Berrian recently achieved a rare milestone: He marked 50 years of combined military and postal service. Berrian, a South Florida District data collection technician, is based in Fort Lauderdale. He served as an Air Force airman from 1966-1970, then applied for a job with USPS two years later. “I was fortunate,” said Berrian, who […]
Letter Carrier John Sarco was recently delivering mail in Boise, ID, when he discovered a customer unconscious on a front porch. Sarco called 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived and treated the man, who went into cardiac arrest on the way to a hospital. The customer survived, and he later contacted […]
Kudos to the team behind the “Put the Network to Work” video featured in the recent “All ‘Work’” article. Great job. […]
When Becky Dobbins spotted a woman delivering mail one day in the late 1960s, she decided that she could do a job like that, too. “I was amazed to see a female letter carrier,” said Dobbins, product classification manager at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. “I asked her how she got her job, and decided […]
Kris Elrod understands the importance of parking safely. Elrod, a San Diego driving safety instructor, helps employees learn how to properly operate USPS vehicles. One of his key messages: Curb your wheels to prevent roll-away and runaway accidents. “We should all be familiar with the requirements for dismounting a postal vehicle,” Elrod says. Here are […]
O Beautiful, a sheet of 20 stamps that feature stunning images that correspond with lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” will be released by the Postal Service this week. Here’s what the stamps show and the lyrics they represent: • Spacious skies: Death Valley National Park (California and Nevada), Three Fingers Mountain in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National […]
The Postal Service has released new high-denomination stamps that feature the Statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol dome in Washington, DC. Here are five facts about the statue. 1. It was commissioned in 1855, when the Capitol was being enlarged. When Congress authorized a larger, fireproof cast-iron dome to replace the wooden original, American sculptor […]
I’ll be there to get plenty of Scooby-Doo! stamps when they’re released. […]
Rural Carrier Associate Catherine Rucker was recently delivering mail on a frigid day in Wagoner, OK, when she spotted a man collapsed in a ditch. Rucker stopped and rushed to help the man — a farmworker who had seriously injured his arm in a piece of equipment and was at risk of both hypothermia and […]
If the Postal Service doesn’t have your current mailing address, you’re missing important communications about benefits, taxes and more. Five methods are available to update your address: • LiteBlue. Use any computer to go to liteblue.usps.gov and enter your employee identification number and password. Select the “Change of Address” option in the rotating carousel in the center of […]
Several organizations used the mail to encourage young people to vote during the recent California primary election. About 3,000 postcards were sent to eligible voters who have turned 18 since 2016. The postcards featured personalized messages from J.J. Abrams, Lena Dunham and other producers and directors. “Any excuse to actually write and send old-fashioned post […]
Sean O’Halloran tells job applicants it’s important to make a great first impression during an interview. But the Peekskill, NY, Postmaster also reminds employees that landing that meeting first requires an impressive application. The process of writing one’s knowledge, skills and abilities, also known as KSAs, has become a “forgotten art,” O’Halloran says. The 12-year […]
“Centennial celebration,” the incredible story about the World War II veteran who has received more than 75,000 mailpieces for his 100th birthday, makes me proud that people still put pen to paper and use the many beautiful stamps offered by USPS. […]
Kristopher Skeen, a highway contract route driver, was recently delivering mail on a snowy day in Ripley, WV, when he spotted an older customer in crisis. The woman was on the ground near her mailbox, so Skeen stopped to check on her and found that she was shivering, wet and in excruciating pain. Skeen immediately […]