IdeaSMART, a new online platform that allows Postal Service employees to share ideas to help improve the organization, is now open. You can use IdeaSMART to respond to current business challenges that managers need help with or to share general ideas to improve USPS. Here’s how to participate: • Log in to IdeaSMART at https://ideasmart.ideascalegov.com. […]
The Postal Service wants employees to spread the word about its Affiliates Program, an initiative that helps business customers create Every Door Direct Mail campaigns. Through the program, service providers help small businesses with a variety of direct mailing needs, including design, printing, list services, mail preparation, online payment and measurement. USPS recently launched a […]
City Carrier Assistant Ashley Dalton was recently delivering mail to an older customer in Tarkio, MO. As she approached the man’s front door, Dalton detected a strong odor of natural gas, so she urged him to call 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived. It was determined that there was a dangerous […]
Congratulations to James Balluff, the newly retired special delivery messenger profiled in the “Last messenger” story. […]
Alaska State Fair visitors may not know Chuck Pfeifer by name, but they know his “umiak,” one of the annual event’s most popular food items. Viewers of the Cooking Channel series “Carnival Eats” will soon know about the local favorite, too. The Palmer, AK, retail associate is slated to appear on the show’s Thursday, Feb. […]
Ralph Bello understands the importance of good customer service. The retail associate at Howard Beach Station in New York City strives to show each customer that he or she is valued. “I believe that customers want to feel important and relevant,” Bello says. Postal Service leaders say employees like Bello help improve customers’ experiences, one […]
Lena Horne is back in the spotlight, courtesy of the Postal Service. The organization will release a stamp this week honoring Horne (1917-2010), the iconic performer who also inspired millions of people as a civil rights activist. Horne will appear on the 41st Black Heritage stamp, which USPS will release Jan. 30. The stamp will […]
Training update. The Postal Service is reminding all non-bargaining unit employees that they must complete the Political Activity and the Hatch Act strategic training initiative by Monday, July 30. The course — available through the Learning Management System — can help employees learn about the rules and regulations established under the Hatch Act, a law […]
Thank you for the “Candid camera” article about Steven “J.R.” Reynolds, the Hot Springs, AR, letter carrier who demonstrated his respect for the U.S. flag. It’s nice to read good things about our organization. […]
Postal Service employees delivering mail in Pennsylvania and Washington recently responded to customers in distress. In Brownsville, PA, Letter Carrier Mark Seto was on a steep hill when he heard a man calling out for help. The customer’s truck was rolling backward and he was outside hanging on to the door, struggling to reach the […]
Read More… from Mark Seto, Brownsville, PA; Julie Dunlap, Enumclaw, WA
James Balluff was the last of his kind. Balluff retired this month after an almost 53-year career delivering mail — which he spent entirely at the Elmhurst, IL, Post Office. He was the office’s last employee to have the title “special delivery messenger.” The title was given to individuals who were hired for Special Delivery mail, […]
A new Postal Service video explains the price changes that took effect Jan. 21. The changes raised Mailing Services product prices approximately 1.9 percent, while most Shipping Services product prices increased an average of 3.9 percent. USPS released the 1-minute video this week. The Retail and Customer Service Operations Blue page has a 2018 price change kit for Postmasters. […]
The Postal Service has released its Meyer Lemons stamps. The 2-cent denominated stamp can be added to other stamps to meet the necessary postage for a given mailpiece. The stamps are available in coils of 10,000. For collectors, the stamp is also available in coils of 500. Thought to be a cross between a lemon […]
WasteWise award. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized two Postal Service areas for their increased efforts to reduce waste in 2017. Northeast and Great Lakes areas were recognized with EPA WasteWise Awards, primarily for their contributions to the National Recycling Operation, an initiative to expand and standardize postal recycling efforts. By properly identifying recyclable […]
After reading “Right on time,” I want to add my own thumbs up to USPS. I mailed last-minute holiday presents from St. Louis to relatives in Carrollton, TX, Dec. 22. The package arrived Christmas Day! Bravo to all the folks who help USPS exceed expectations. […]
Letter Carrier Karin Provance was delivering mail recently in Bremerton, WA, when she spotted smoke pouring out of a residence. Provance rushed to the front door and pounded on it until a woman answered. She said she and her baby had been sleeping, and they evacuated the house while the Postal Service employee called 911. […]
The Postal Service once again has the best job performance of any government agency, according to respondents in a new Gallup poll. The organization was ranked “excellent” or “good” by 74 percent of consumers surveyed, topping 13 other government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (66 percent) and the Secret Service (63 […]
A Kentucky Postal Service employee is starting the new year with a new look — courtesy of the “Today” show. Lori Marcum, who manages Liberty Road Station in Lexington, and some family members were vacationing in New York City during the holidays when they joined the crowd that gathers each morning outside the NBC program’s […]
The Postal Service is reminding employees to drive safely during the winter, a time of year that presents unique challenges. Here are some tips: • Allow yourself extra time to stop and turn. Slow down well in advance of traffic lights, traffic signs and intersections. • Leave extra space between your vehicle and other traffic. Reduce […]
Ewing, MO, Rural Carrier Rick Sharpe was concerned when he recently noticed that an older customer’s mail had piled up in her box over several days. Sharpe went to the woman’s front door to check on her but got no answer. He then spotted her through a window, collapsed on her living room floor. The […]
The 2018 stamps featured in the “Sneak preview” story are the best ever. I especially love the John Lennon and Lena Horne stamps. They are true works of art. […]
USPS will continue to focus on the customer experience, including providing efficient, reliable service; service performance; innovation; and other business strategies in 2018. “In the coming year, we can look forward to continued momentum in launching new products and services, improving the experience of our customers, and elevating our service performance,” PMG Megan J. Brennan […]
What’s Informed Delivery again? You probably heard a lot about the Postal Service’s newest feature in 2017. If your New Year’s resolution is to learn more, Link can help. Here’s what you should know: • Informed Delivery bridges the digital and physical. The free feature allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage […]
A young, enthusiastic USPS customer recently received a special tour of his local Post Office. Jaden Peavler greets Henryetta, OK, Letter Carrier Phillip Black almost daily as he delivers mail. The two have also struck up a friendship. Inspired by the child’s excitement for daily deliveries, Black invited Jaden — who uses a wheelchair — […]
Information, please. The Postal Service recently honored three employees for their efforts to respond to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests: Jennifer Farnquist, Greater Michigan District’s acting manager of Consumer and Industry Contact Esther Karl, a budget specialist in Performance Analysis at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC Sina Taihia-Siva, Seattle District’s acting manager of Consumer […]
When Rural Carrier Margaret Denney recently delivered a package to an older customer’s home in Hayden, AL, the woman’s daughter answered the door. As they greeted each other, Denney heard someone calling out for help, and they soon discovered that the customer had fallen in a side yard. The daughter couldn’t lift the woman on […]
Atlanta, MI, Retail Associate Therese Valentine deserves thanks for her thoughtfulness and willingness to help an ill customer in need. […]
The Seneca Falls, NY, Post Office continued one of its best-loved holiday traditions this year: offering a postmark that celebrates “It’s a Wonderful Life.” The town — which is believed to be the inspiration for Bedford Falls, the setting of Frank Capra’s beloved 1946 film — reunites surviving cast members each year for a festival […]
USPS is continuing to restore service in the Caribbean following the one-two punch of hurricanes Irma and Maria. The devastating storms left much of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico without electricity, internet access, phone service or running water. Northeast Area, the jurisdiction that includes the Caribbean, has worked with managers in the region […]
Link received an overwhelming response to its recent request for stories from USPS employees who send holiday greeting cards. We included several employees in the article we posted last week, but we also heard from folks like Teresa Navarette, a San Diego-based disability compliance specialist who mails more than 150 cards a year, and Cher Rupp Riggeri, […]