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MEMO TO MAILERS - August 2004 (text)

MEMO TO MAILERS - AUGUST 2004 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 39 NUMBER 8
AUGUST 2004

WHAT’S INSIDE
DELIVERY SCORE
MERCHANDISE RETURN
NPF & SMALL BUSINESSES
POSTAL BULLETIN
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

SOLD! ON QUICK ON EASY ON CONVENIENT
To the great teams in history, add another one: the United States Postal Service and eBay. Working together, they’re making shipping easier for the millions of people who buy and sell on the world’s largest online marketplace. And the relationship continues to grow stronger, with the recent addition of co-branded shipping supplies and future plans to make it easy for eBay sellers to purchase postal insurance for their packages.

“The Postal Service is committed to bringing new value to the eBay community by making it easy to access and use our products and services,” says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto.

At any given time there are more than 25 million items for sale on eBay, say eBay officials. Shipping is essential to the successful completion of each transaction. Since September 2003, USPS and eBay have teamed up to offer sellers one-stop shipping, beginning initially with links to postal products and services at USPS.com and then fully integrating USPS shipping solutions on eBay’s website. Sellers can calculate rates, purchase postage and print shipping labels from their computers. And USPS and eBay continue to work together to make the relationship even better for both.

eBay now offers co-branded shipping supplies exclusively through its site. The newly designed free Priority Mail boxes come in three sizes and all display the recognizable eBay and Postal Service logos. With this new service, co-branded Priority Mail boxes can be ordered for delivery directly to an eBay member’s home. This, combined with carrier pickup by the Postal Service, makes successful online commerce a breeze.

Later this fall, eBay sellers will be able to purchase postal insurance through the integrated shipping solution on eBay.

The USPS/eBay relationship is visible in other ways as well, including co-branded posters currently appearing in Post Offices across the country, driving customers to a USPS Web page where they can learn about “Deals of the Week” on eBay and with the Postal Service. And the thousands of people who attended this summer’s eBay Live 2004, an annual conference for the eBay community, had an opportunity to talk with USPS representatives and attend a workshop on USPS shipping solutions.

Sell on eBay. Ship with the U.S. Postal Service. It’s that quick, easy and convenient.

DELIVERING RESULTS
That’s what we’re all about. When you see the “Delivering Results” symbol, you’ll know it’s about how we’re making the Transformation Plan — the blueprint for the future of the United States Postal Service — a part of everything we do. Read the plan at www.usps.com/strategicdirection.

DELIVERY AT AN ALL-TIME HIGH
It’s the best ever! The U.S. Postal Service reports that 96 percent of mail committed for next-day delivery was delivered on time.

The Postal Service scored the best overnight delivery score ever in the history of the external First-Class Mail (EXFC) measurement program.

The EXFC assessment is measured independently by IBM Consulting Services. Postmaster General John E. Potter called the achievement “a great team effort” by Postal Service employees. Saying he was proud of every employee, he called them “the best service team” in the delivery business.

Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe said the achievement was accomplished “by staying focused on the basics — collecting, processing, transporting and delivering the mail.”

The Quarter III measurement — April 1 through June 30 — builds on 21 consecutive quarters of National EXFC scores at 93/94 percent and five consecutive quarters at 95 percent. Eleven of the Postal Service’s field operating units — performance clusters (PCs) — scored a 97. One reached an incredible 98.

Overall, 45 PCs were at 96 or better!

This report provides an independent assessment of the time it takes a piece of First-Class Mail, once it's deposited into a collection box, to be delivered to one of more than 142 million American homes, businesses and Post Office boxes.

EXFC service performance scores are measured by testing 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geography and volume density, from which 90 percent of First-Class Mail volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.

KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS RETURNING FOR MORE
Wrong color? Wrong size? Or maybe you just changed your mind. Whatever the reason, the Postal Service’s Merchandise Return Service makes it easy for online shoppers to return something they bought from a catalog or on the Internet.

And an Electronic Merchandise Return option lets customers download pre-addressed and prepaid product return labels from a retailer’s website. This service reduces hand-ling and service call costs while enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.

“No one can take a return out of a household better than we can,” says USPS Package Services Manager Jim Cochrane. “We touch every household, every day. We can bring the returns counter to the customer’s door.”

Successful online retailers know that an easy returns solution is a key to building customer loyalty and customer satisfaction. L.L. Bean, an apparel and outdoor equipment retailer, considers service as the cornerstone of its business, and the company is sold on the convenience that Merchandise Return Service offers its customers.

“We use a Postal Service solution for our returns because our customers are familiar with the Postal Service,” says Maria McCourt, logistics manager at L.L. Bean. “It makes it easier for them to make a return when they know they can hand it to their carrier, drop it in a collection box or bring to their local Post Office. We want to make it convenient for our customers to do business with us.”

With Merchandise Return Service, a merchant can include a return label with each customer’s order, or send it to them via mail, e-mail or fax. Businesses also can use the Electronic Merchandise Return option that lets their customers print return labels directly from their website.

The electronic option is available through USPS Web Tools at www.usps.com/webtools and allows shippers to integrate a variety of tools into their website, shipping operation or customer service center.

For more information, go to www.usps.com and look under “Grow Your Business.”

FYI
The USPS Specialty Store Program offers businesses the simplicity of ordering and sending postage to numerous locations from a single supplier. Stores can use their own credit card or a single corporate card for all location orders. It’s a great way for businesses to allow individual stores to maintain their postage inventory while at the same time providing corporate control and tracking.

For information about the Specialty Store Program, contact USPS Stamp Fulfillment Services at 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724).

SOME ADDRESSES CHANGE WITH THE SEASONS
You’re getting ready to mail. You’ve got a great piece. From a design standpoint, it’s a knockout. And your offering? Well, who can resist? Especially at that price! Then you stop a minute and think, “Why are we mailing there, especially this time of year?” And you’d be right. Some addresses — think condos in Florida or ski chalets in the mountains — are occupied only on a seasonal basis.
That’s where the Postal Service’s Computerized Delivery Sequence (CDS) product can help you make the most of your mailing dollars.

CDS does some great things. It provides qualified mailers with an electronic file containing updates to their list of addresses arranged in carrier delivery sequence. But it does more than that. It contains the data you need to answer the question, “Should I mail there, this time of year?” That’s because it can help you identify seasonal addresses. Mailers can use the Seasonal Record file contained in the City State product as a guide on when to prepare mailpieces for those addresses.

And that goes for colleges, too. No sense dropping a mailing during winter, spring or summer break. Students may be great prospects for what you’re offering, but if they’re not there, even the best mailpiece won’t get their attention.

That’s where CDS comes in. Subscribers can identify an “educational seasonal” addresses associated with college and university on- and off-campus housing. But it’s not used on addresses where the college or university provides delivery.

“Mailers using seasonal information can make intelligent choices on when they can realistically reach their customers,” says Charlie Bravo, senior vice president of Intelligent Mail and Address Quality for the Postal Service. “This adds value to mail as a communication medium.”

For more information on the CDS product, call the Postal Service’s National Customer Support Center at 800-238-3150 or go to www.ribbs.usps.gov/files/cds/cds.pdf for a link to the product technical guide for CDS.

NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM:
THE PLACE TO BE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
If you’re a small business owner and you want to learn more about how the Postal Service can help you get new customers or better serve your current clientele, be sure to sign up for Small Business Day to be held Sept. 22 in conjunction with the National Postal Forum (NPF) in Washington, DC.

“The Postal Service is committed to helping small businesses grow and stay strong,” says Marty Emery, the Postal Service’s manager of Customer and Industry Marketing. “Small Business Day is just one of many outreach efforts we have planned this year to share our expertise and bring our small business solutions directly to our customers.”

Small Business Day will be divided into morning and afternoon activities. The day will start with an opening general session hosted by Hattie Bryant, producer and host of Small Business School, the series on PBS, WorldNet and the Web. Participants will have the opportunity to attend two of three high-powered specialized sessions to complete the morning.

A special vendor exhibit will showcase products and services tailored for companies that operate on a smaller scale than those that traditionally have been the focus of NPF vendor displays.

In the afternoon, participants may choose to attend up to three of the nine workshops being offered on the following topics:

Learn to Advertise with the Mail — A Guided Tour of the award-winning interactive CD, Mailtown, USA.

Simple Formulas: 108 Solutions for Advertising Success.

Improve Your Response Rate With The Right Mailing Lists.

Quick, Easy, Convenient, and Fat Free (or No Carb) Shipping Solutions.

Advertising with the Mail —Faster, Easier, More Affordable.

Creative Use of the Mail to Generate Your Customer’s Attention and Loyalty.

How to Use a Multiple Media Mix to Win Customer Loyalty.

Choosing the Right Postage Payment Methods.

Five Tips for Improving Your Web Traffic.

“The content for Small Business Day has been developed specifically to answer questions and meet the needs of small business owners,” says Emery, “whether they work out of their home or office, and whether they employ only themselves or a few employees.”

For more information or to register for Small Business Day, log on to: www.npf.org/smallbusinessday.

SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT
The Postal Bulletin is the biweekly, official record of changes in Postal Service policies and procedures.

The Postal Bulletin was first published in March of 1880. Here we are, 124 years later, and the Postal Bulletin is still going strong. In fact, it's stronger than ever. And it's the most relied-upon, trusted source of information in the Postal Service.

In addition to the printed version, the Postal Bulletin is available electronically. On the Internet, go to www.usps.com; click on “About USPS & News,” then “Forms & Publications,” then Postal Bulletin.

Online, you have the choice of viewing the publication in either the PDF version or the HTML version. The HTML version also allows persons with visual impairments to hear the document, by using software that scans the document and reads the articles to them.

INFO @ USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world. www.usps.com

SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business. Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433
SEND MAIL FROM YOUR PC
Send postcards, letters, flyers, booklets or greeting cards.
www.usps.com/netpost

THE POSTAL STORE ONLINE
Open 24/7.
Stamps. Subscription services.
Digital Scales.
www.usps.com/shop
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and package support line.
800-222-1811

PRINT POSTAGE ONLINE
Your shipping label is just a
Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship

BRINGING THE POST
OFFICE TO YOU
Visit www.usps.com

QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office location.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS

POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
TOUR DE LANCE!
Lance Armstrong of the USPS Pro Cycling Team rode into sports history, winning the Tour de France, the world’s most grueling bike race, six consecutive times.

What did Armstrong have to say about his win? He called it “a simple pleasure.”

Armstrong had strong support from his teammates, arguably the best team in the world. Armstrong has said that this year’s “Blue Crew” was perhaps the best postal team ever. USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto, congratulating the team on their record-breaking win, said, “It certainly has been one heck of a ride for all of us. We have learned what Lance has meant to hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of cancer survivors. He is the symbol of what can be achieved and how far one can come back — even when the outlook is bleakest.”

Armstrong just eight years ago battled testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.

“You have made us proud to be associated with you,” said Bizzotto.

NEW SCANNERS INCREASE VALUE OF THE MAIL
The Postal Service has signed a multi-year ordering agreement with Motorola for a new generation of Intelligent Mail hand-held scanning devices. The scanners contribute to USPS efforts to give postal customers and postal operations end-to-end visibility of mail from processing to delivery.

“Today, information about the mail is as valued as the mail itself,” says Charlie Bravo, senior vice president of Intelligent Mail and Address Quality for the Postal Service. “This new generation of hand-held scanning devices supports our efforts to provide postal customers with information about their mail, information they can use to better manage their resources and increase their responsiveness to their customers.”

Motorola has agreed to design, manufacture and support a family of hand-held scanning devices that will support several Postal Service products and services and provide the cornerstone to its Intelligent Mail Data Acquisition System.

GOING ON VACATION?
You spent months planning the perfect vacation and the time has finally come. The bags are packed, the car is loaded, and the dog’s in the kennel. At the last minute you remember you haven’t asked the Post Office to hold your mail while you’re away. The Postal Service now offers customers the option of requesting that their mail be held from three to 30 days quickly and easily online, at www.usps.com.

“When you go on vacation, the last thing you need is to be concerned about the safety of your mail while you’re away — our Hold Mail Service addresses this issue almost effortlessly,” says Francia Smith, vice president and Consumer Advocate.

Once online, customers click on “Receive Mail & Packages” from the blue bar on top of the page, then under “Delivery Services” click on “Put Your Mail on Hold” and enter ZIP Code at the prompt. Customers are then requested to enter their address information and the dates they want their mail to be held. At the end of the process, customers are given a confirmation number to modify the request if they come back early or if they decide they want to stay on vacation a little bit longer.

The online service electronically notifies the local Post Office and all mail is held for the time specified and delivery is resumed on the requested date.

POSTAL SERVICE RECOGNIZED FOR DIVERSITY
The Postal Service has been named one of the 50 Best Companies for Minorities for the fifth year in a row by leading business magazine Fortune. The Postal Service ranked sixth on the list this year.

“This is a great honor and I’m extremely proud of every employee of the Postal Service,” says Postmaster General John E. Potter. “Dedication to the values represented by diversity has helped us build an organization that is stronger because of it.”

Fortune gave the Postal Service high honors, noting that 59 percent of new hires were minorities. With 24 percent of its 50 top-paid positions held by minorities, Fortune noted that the Postal Service has one of the better records for making sure “diversity percolates to the top.”



MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 39 Number 8

Ilze Sella
Editorial Services

Frank Papandrea
Art Director

David Ostroff
Designer

Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist

Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications

John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO

Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
United States Postal Service.

The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.

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MEMO TO MAILERS
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US POSTAL SERVICE
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memo to mailers
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