Sometimes old-fashioned hospitality is all that’s needed to help the Postal Service generate new revenue. Just ask Crystal Hernandez, customer services supervisor at the Sapulpa, OK, Post Office. She recently organized a Grow Your Business Day event at her office to help local entrepreneurs learn about USPS products and services. After speaking with one small-business […]
Do you know someone who should appear in “On the Job,” the Link column that profiles Postal Service employees and their contributions to the organization? If so, we’d like to hear from you. In recent months, the column has featured: Shaunda Tanksley, a St. Louis business mail entry unit technician Bob Hammes, a Topeka, KS, […]
“‘We stood our ground,’” the article about Tulsa, OK, Mail Processing Clerk Gail Etienne-Stripling and her role in integrating the New Orleans public school system as a child, was an inspiring story of courage, strength and endurance. […]
Letter Carrier Seth Sims was recently delivering mail at a residence in Zion, IL, when he heard loud crying. Sims soon found a toddler banging on the back door, wearing only a diaper. The Postal Service employee knocked on the door, too, but got no response, so he immediately called 911 and comforted the girl […]
Postmaster General Megan J. Brennan discusses the Postal Service’s financial outlook in a new “Business Focus” video released this week. To restore its financial health, Brennan says the organization is pursuing opportunities to increase revenue and drive efficiency. Other requirements include a flexible pricing system from the Postal Regulatory Commission and legislation that allows USPS to […]
The Postal Service helped mark African American History Month in February through a series of special dedication ceremonies for the Gwen Ifill stamp. The stamp, released last month, is the 43rd entry in the Black Heritage series and honors the pioneering journalist who was known for her in-depth reporting, personal warmth and authoritative presence. “Gwen […]
New communications materials. The Postal Communicator’s Toolbox has been updated with new content. The Toolbox is a Blue page that offers fact sheets, customizable speeches, presentation templates and more. The updates include information about postal reform legislation, postal pricing, the latest quarterly financial results and other topics. Managers and supervisors can use these resources to […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: During fiscal year 2020’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2019), the Postal Service’s shipping and package volume increased, although revenue was down. a) True b) False 2. Fill […]
If you’re a Postal Service employee who is involved in your work, committed to your job and enthusiastic about the organization — and if you want to help your co-workers feel the same way about their role — then USPS wants to hear from you. The organization is seeking employees to participate in the Engagement […]
The Wild Orchids stamps will celebrate the exotic beauty of the flowering plants and call attention to efforts to preserve them, Postal Service and horticultural community leaders said at the stamps’ dedication ceremony last week. There are more than 30,000 species of wild orchids in the world. Many that are native to North America are […]
The Postal Service is continuing to share the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak. The virus, officially known as COVID-19, began late last year in Wuhan, China. According to CDC, the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus and to follow these recommendations […]
Tom Post likes to help USPS newcomers learn the ropes. Post, a mail handler at the Merrifield, VA, Processing and Distribution Center, sees a lot of fresh faces on the plant floor, especially during busy times like the recent holiday season. “I’ll teach them what to do. I want them to do their jobs properly,” […]
The Postal Service wants managers, supervisors and others to tell craft employees about Link mobile, the Link site’s mobile-friendly version. Link mobile offers the same content available on Link’s desktop version — including news reports, feature stories and informational videos — but in a format that’s easy to read on smartphones, tablets and other mobile […]
“Man of letters,” the article about the letters that Kirk Douglas wrote and mailed during his lifetime, was simple yet profound. […]
Retail Associate Troy Wiseman was recently on duty at the Idaho Falls, ID, Post Office when an older customer purchased two money orders totaling $900. The customer needed help filling out a Priority Mail Express label but asked Wiseman to leave the “pay to” lines blank on the money orders. Worried about potential fraud, Wiseman […]
Chief Financial Officer Joe Corbett reviews the Postal Service’s latest financial results in a “Dollars and Change” video released this week. During fiscal year 2020’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2019), USPS recorded total revenue of $19.4 billion and total operating expenses of $20.1 billion, leaving the organization with a net loss of $748 million. […]
The Postal Service wants employees to know the differences between Political Mail and Election Mail tags during this year’s election season. Red Tag 57, for Political Mail, should be used for any political campaign mailing by a registered candidate, campaign committee, and committee of a political party. This tag also can be used for a political […]
It’s wintertime, but flowers will soon be in bloom in mailboxes across the nation. The Postal Service will release Wild Orchids, stamps that celebrate the exotic beauty of the flowering plants, on Friday, Feb. 21. Part of the largest family of plants on Earth, wild orchids grow in many climates under a variety of conditions. […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. Which USPS service allows businesses to use demographic data to send direct mailings to select neighborhoods and ZIP Codes? a) Informed Delivery b) Informed Mobility c) Informed Visibility d) None of […]
I was personally touched by “Love above,” the article about the World War I-era love letters found in the attic of a Memphis, TN, home. I lived in the city for 24 years in a home near the one described in the story. […]
City Carrier Assistant Candy Jeffrey was recently delivering mail in an Edgerton, WI, neighborhood when she spotted a bicyclist lying alongside the street. Jeffrey stopped to check on the man and found that he wasn’t breathing. She immediately called 911 and followed the dispatcher’s instructions to perform CPR on the man until emergency responders arrived […]
“News Quiz” is a weekly feature that lets you test your knowledge of recent Link stories. The correct answers appear at the end. 1. True or false: Last week, the Postal Service reported total revenue for fiscal year 2020’s first quarter (Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2019) was $19.4 billion, down 6.2 percent from the same period […]
Need some inspiration heading into Valentine’s Day weekend? Let Link help. Take another look at some of our recent stories, including “Post marriage,” this week’s profile of two USPS employees who met on the day they began their careers and later married, and “Love above,” an article about a Memphis, TN, family that discovered a […]
The Postal Service will release Let’s Celebrate!, a colorful stamp designed to add an extra dash of fun to celebratory mail and packages, on Friday, Feb. 14. Designed by Antonio Alcalá, a USPS art director, the stamp art features an array of brightly colored circles in varying sizes arranged in a random pattern to resemble […]
A Michigan Postmaster has gone the extra mile to help implement Customer 360, the Postal Service’s new customer relationship management platform. When USPS introduced Customer 360 last summer, Greater Michigan District leaders realized they needed to provide employees with hands-on, simplified training. That’s when Northport, MI, Postmaster Jennelle Pelky stepped in as an ambassador for […]
Tom Cappaert knows firsthand the importance of wintertime safety. The Madison, WI, letter carrier was delivering mail on a snowy day a few years ago when he slipped and fell, injuring his elbow. Although he wasn’t seriously hurt, he learned a valuable lesson. “When you’re on a decline, you have to try to lower your […]
The world didn’t just lose one of its biggest movie stars when Kirk Douglas died last week. It also lost a prolific letter writer. Handwritten correspondence played a significant role throughout the life of the 103-year-old star of such classics as “Spartacus” and “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.” Douglas and his wife Anne Buydens, an […]
Tax time is prime time for scams. Cybercriminals steal millions of dollars each year by conning filers into revealing their names, birthdates and Social Security numbers, then using that information to file fraudulent tax returns. To protect yourself, the CyberSafe at USPS team offers the following tips: • File early. Filing taxes early with the […]
Connect four. USPS recently recognized four employees for their contributions to Business Connect, a program that encourages managers to promote postal products and services to their customers. The honorees are Acting Customer Services Manager Melony Ackey (Atlanta) and Postmasters Robert Bazan (Rio Grande City, TX), Oscar Gonzalez (Victorville, CA) and Jessica Labrecque (Elkview, WV). Each […]
Letter Carrier Brian Steik was delivering mail in Las Vegas one day last summer when he saw something that worried him: A visually impaired customer who lives alone was inexplicably sitting on her porch in scorching desert heat. Steik stopped to check on the woman, who said she had been outside most of the day […]