Customer service skills
The Customer Experience Essentials site has tips to help employees sharpen their customer service skills. […]
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Posts by tom_simpson
Alicia Stitely, Greencastle, PA
It was near the end of her day recently in Greencastle, PA, when Rural Carrier Alicia Stitely picked up on trouble. A disabled customer had fallen while planting tomatoes in warm weather. Stitely rushed to the woman’s side and found her in great distress. Stitely stayed with her for 20 minutes until a neighbor could […]
Duluth, GA, Distribution Operations Manager Loretta Brown
“Talk to your employees on a daily basis about what’s going on in our business. We need to ensure employees are knowledgeable about the services we provide to our customers.” […]
Read More… from Duluth, GA, Distribution Operations Manager Loretta Brown
News to go
When Jill Asato wants to know what’s happening with the Postal Service, she reaches for her smartphone and goes to the Link mobile site. Asato, a Honolulu District address management systems technician, is one of thousands of employees who read the mobile-friendly version of Link, the Postal Service’s daily news site. “It gives me a […]
TV VIPs
The Postal Service employees who appear in the latest Priority: You TV advertising campaign are enjoying their moment in the spotlight. The commercials emphasize the Postal Service’s commitment to delivering for business customers. The campaign began in March and has continued into the summer. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Santa Fe Springs, CA, Letter Carrier […]
Mail and pony show
Horseheads, NY, residents recently took a glimpse into the past when the Post Office celebrated its 190th anniversary by delivering mail on horseback. “We wanted to pay tribute to our town’s equestrian ties and the Postal Service’s delivery roots,” Postmaster Annette Caporiccio said. Horseheads is part of Eastern Area’s Western New York District. The town […]
How you like these apples?
The Postal Service has issued 1-cent Apples stamps for customers who need additional postage. The stamps are available in coils of 3,000 and 10,000. The design features two apples on a branch surrounded by leaves. The apples shown are Albemarle pippins, also known as Newtown pippins. The pippins first appeared in the late 17th century […]
Martha Carson, Guysville, OH
I enjoyed the story about Owney, the postal pup. I adopted a senior dog from the animal shelter. She resembles Owney, so I named her Owney May. […]
Richmond District Manager Scott Bower
“A robust safety captain program not only supports employee engagement efforts, it’s [also] a powerful tool for peer-to-peer safety communications. For me, this is #PostalProud.” […]
Russell Barrus Jr., Harrisburg, PA
When Letter Carrier Russell Barrus Jr. was recently delivering mail in a Harrisburg, PA, apartment complex, he heard someone yell for CPR. He responded to the call and found a man collapsed with no pulse. Barrus and a neighbor performed CPR, revived the man and stayed with him until paramedics arrived. The man recovered. […]
Enrollment notifications
Employees must have a valid email address, ACE logon ID and password to receive system-generated email notifications of their Learning Management System enrollments. Log on to Blue, select “Essential Links” and choose “eAccess” to update email addresses. […]
Contact sport
The Seattle woman who had a longtime pen pal relationship with Muhammad Ali is expressing her gratitude to the Postal Service. In 1981, 10-year-old Stephanie Meade wrote a letter to the boxing champ, whom she idolized. She didn’t know his address, so she mailed it to “Muhammad Ali, Los Angeles, California.” Three weeks later, a […]
Scanning scorecard
The Postal Service’s national scanning rating was 97.46 percent during the week ending Aug. 5, down from the previous week. Forty-two districts and three areas met or exceeded the national average. Dakotas (98.45 percent) led the districts for the ninth consecutive week, while Western (97.71 percent) topped the areas for the third week in a […]
Promotional considerations
The Postal Service has issued new guidance on promotional activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is held in October. Any employee may wear a specialized T-shirt at USPS-sponsored events to promote the Breast Cancer Research stamp. All T-shirts must be approved in advance, however, by the Ethics Office before being sold or worn by […]
Hazard signs
The Postal Service has revised the mailing standards that apply to some special provisions for shipping hazardous materials. USPS made the revisions, which took effect Aug. 4, to more closely align with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s small and excepted quantity provisions. The revised mailing standards are included in the updated Publication 52, Restricted and […]
Demand and supply
Looking for official printed policies, procedures or forms? Maintenance or office supplies? If so, check out the eBuy2 system before shopping elsewhere. Visit the site and select “Material Distribution Center” to search for most official policies, procedures or forms. There are also separate online catalogs for maintenance and office supplies. You can often avoid using […]
Sheryl Key, Dwight, KS
“Just add water” was a breath of fresh air. Reading about Carmine McDaniel caring for his local letter carrier put a smile on my face. […]
Janet Fetterolf, Hegins, PA
Hegins, PA, Rural Carrier Janet Fetterolf was in the right place at the right time — twice — for customers who needed help recently. During the first encounter, she was delivering mail to a man who lives alone and was confused about the day’s events. Fetterolf called one of his relatives, and the man is […]
Friendly service
When working with customers, put yourself in their shoes. Providing friendly, courteous and knowledgeable service is how USPS delivers positive experiences to customers. […]
Anaheim, CA, Mail Processing Clerk Bill Moore
“Our success is because we all come together — clerks, mail handlers and management. I am not sure how we get it all done, but we do.” […]
Read More… from Anaheim, CA, Mail Processing Clerk Bill Moore
Tour of duty
The Postal Service is working with state and local government leaders across the nation to prepare for the fall election season. For example, state officials recently toured the Harrisburg, PA, Processing and Distribution Center, where employees showed them how absentee ballots are inducted, managed and distributed for delivery. Pennsylvania Secretary of State Pedro Cortes, who […]
In transition
John Okland set his sights high when he joined the Postal Service in 2012. He worked his way up through two non-career jobs in Front Royal, VA, and was recently promoted to a letter carrier position. Okland is one of 18 transitional employees that Capital Metro Area’s Northern Virginia District has converted to career positions […]
Taking flight
The Postal Service has released Songbirds in Snow stamps that show four birds brightening cold winter days. The stamps depict the golden-crowned kinglet, cedar waxwing, northern cardinal and red-breasted nuthatch. Each bird sits on a snowy branch against a wintery backdrop. The popular northern cardinal is the state bird for Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, […]
Postal pup
The adventures of Owney, the dog who traveled the nation on mail trains in the 1890s, were recently recalled in Philadelphia magazine. The stray pup wandered into the Albany, NY, Post Office in 1888. The clerks let him stay the night, and soon Owney was riding mail trains across the nation. He crisscrossed the United […]
Suzanne Nebrasky, South Carver, MA
I’m glad “Just add water” has gone viral on social media. Eight-year-old Carmine McDaniel’s mother is doing a fantastic job raising him. […]
Mid-Carolinas District Manager Sandy Wyrick
“It takes a team of employees who are committed to our mission and purpose to keep us at the top of our game.” […]
LMS course updates
The Learning Management System has a list of popular courses updated quarterly. The Strategic Training Initiative/Spotlight section has new, mandatory or other special-emphasis courses. […]
Kevin Lindamer, Buffalo, NY
Buffalo, NY, Letter Carrier Kevin Lindamer encountered a customer in distress while delivering mail recently. The customer had passed out, so Lindamer called 911 and stayed on the scene until emergency responders arrived. A police officer later called Lindamer to let him know that the customer was hospitalized but expected to make a full recovery. […]
Growing businesses
Post Offices across the nation are holding workshops to show rural businesses how they can use USPS products and services to attract more customers from around the globe. The free, day-long Grow Your Business workshops will be held through Aug. 31 at 60 postal locations, mostly in rural areas. “Our goal is to make expanding […]
Overnight stars
USPS is moving mail more efficiently in Los Angeles District, where managers and employees are taking new approaches to overnight mail processing. The district recently boosted its Priority Mail overnight score to a 4-week average of 95 percent, an 11-point increase. The score measures the percentage of on-time Priority Mail overnight parcel deliveries. The improvements […]