February 2001

POSTAL SERVICE MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES

The Mail Recovery Center (MRC) program is proud to announce a series of articles that will be published in the Postal Bulletin, beginning in this issue. These articles present ways to use the MRCs as diagnostic tools to assist operations in reducing bottom-line operating costs for the Postal Service. We will also share information on how the MRCs are improving the service they provide to consumers.

Here are some facts about the MRC program:

With the exception of undeliverable Standard Mail, MRCs are the final disposition point for mail that is undeliverable as addressed and cannot be returned to the sender.

During fiscal year 2000, the three MRCs, located in San Francisco, California;
St. Paul, Minnesota; and Atlanta, Georgia:

- Generated $3.8 million in revenue.

- Received and processed 107 million pieces of mail.

- Returned 7 million letters and parcels.

We are committed to reducing operating expenses, eliminating double handling, and exceeding customer expectations by decreasing the turnaround time of undeliverable mail. Our debut article, "Do Not Send All Undeliverable Mail to Mail Recovery Centers" (this issue), touches each of these goals.

Together we can make a difference, and we thank you for your continued support.

Deborah K. Willhite
Senior Vice President
Government Relations and Public Policy

Francia G. Smith
Vice President and Consumer Advocate