An open connection: Business Connect successes rolling in
Tahuya, WA, Postmaster Laura Rodriguez was one of the first 2,000 registered Business ConnectTM participants. Now she's one of the first to report success - a $1,880 Priority Mail® sale.
Rodriguez met with a customer considering Media Mail® to ship videos to sell weight management and nutrition products.
"My sales pitch started by explaining that her total cost, including a padded mailer, would be $2.91 using Media Mail," says Rodriguez, who then explained that Priority Mail also offers an affordable solution, costing just $1 more, and provides faster delivery.
Rodriguez also touted prepaid shipping supplies and demonstrated Carrier Pickup Online Notification. "We have to use all of our tools and not be afraid to sell," says Rodriguez.
Business Connect has more than 28,600 registrants, with more than 8,600 participants already logging more than 164,000 business customer meetings, reaching more than 480,000 businesses.
Ellis Burgoyne named acting VP, Delivery and Retail: Performance and customer service are his specialties
 Ellis Burgoyne has been named acting vice president, Delivery and Retail. Ellis has served as district manager of Colorado/Wyoming district, one of the largest in the nation, since 2003.
In his new role, Ellis will be responsible for retail, delivery and vehicle operations involving the nation's more than 37,000 Post OfficesTM, stations and bran- ches, including retail service equipment and retail access channels.
"I am confident that Ellis' commitment to innovation, customer service and results will help increase the value of our services to both small- and medium-sized businesses and to consumers," Postmaster General Jack Potter said. Burgoyne brings an exceptional record of performance and customer focus to his new duties. Under his leadership, Colorado/Wyoming Performance Cluster attained the nation's highest National Performance Assessment (NPA) score - an exceptional 11.28. As district manager for the Colorado/Wyoming district and, before that, as Richmond district manager, Burgoyne helped guide both districts to new levels of performance and customer satisfaction. His achievements earned him the Chief Operating Officer's Award in 2004 and Vice Presidents Awards in 2002 and 2003.
Sounding the bell: USPS and ADVO mark 20 years of finding missing and exploited children
When Postmaster General Jack Potter sounded the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange recently, he wasn't just bringing an end to the day's exchanges. Potter and ADVO CEO S. Scott Harding and ADVO Senior Vice President of Government Relations Vince Giuliano were marking National Missing Children's Day and 20 years of USPS and ADVO teamwork to find missing and exploited children. ADVO partnered with the Postal ServiceTM and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 1985 to found "America's Looking for its Missing Children" program. It has since grown to become the most successful private-sector program of its kind.
The "Have You Seen Me?" cards, which feature the names and faces of missing children, reach up to 85 million households each week, are seen by more than 120 million people and have become the most recognized piece of mail in America. They have led to the recovery of 137 children so far.
PMG speaks to Long Island PCC: Growing our businesses - together
Postmaster General Jack Potter joined about 500 Long Island Postal Customer Council (PCC) members recently in Melville, NY. Co-chairs Thomas Rosati, USPS Long Island district manager, and Debra Aji, Advertising Distributors of America vice president of Sales, introduced the conference theme as keeping business on Long Island, which has more than 30,000 people working in the mailing industry.
Potter echoed the growing business theme. "We've been changing," said Potter. "We're bringing increased value to the mail - value in terms of businesses growing their business, keeping relationships with customers."
Potter also urged mailers to provide ideas for the Strategic Transformation Plan, 2006-2010. "We need your input as we continue to transform ourselves into a better Postal Service, the Postal Service of the future."
A return on returns: Parcel Return Services hits $30 million revenue mark
It's been a good run for Parcel Return Service (PRS). With more than 10 million packages handled since its October 2003 launch, PRS has generated more than $30 million in gross revenue.
The current expansion of the Return Delivery Unit (RDU) model will help USPS® be even more competitive in the returns market. The RDU option lets PRS agents pick up returns at the local Post Office - saving time and money for the Postal Service and the customer.
Santa Ana District Operations Support Specialist Cathy Cox led her district's efforts to begin offering the new RDU option. "This is the kind of innovation that our customers appreciate and will keep us in business for a long time to come," Cox said. |
Gleaning the queue: New Jersey districts sign up conference attendees
The Central New Jersey and Northern New Jersey districts registered 115 new usps.com customers at a recent New Jersey small business conference - nearly one-quarter of the 500 attendees.
New York Metro Area Vice President David Solomon laid the groundwork by serving as keynote speaker. He explained how the Postal Service is making itself easier to use through the usps.com Web site and Automated Postal Centers®.
Then it was up to the districts' marketing people to close deals at the usps.com exhibit booth. "Our staffs and our employee ambassadors were very busy throughout the entire conference giving usps.com demonstrations and signing up people on the wireless laptop computers," said Northern New Jersey Marketing Manager Phyllis Broughton.
Central New Jersey Marketing Manager Ralph Mochio added that "usps.com is a perfect fit for small business owners. Our Web site can make their jobs easier and make their businesses more successful."
Kibbles and bites: Dog bite prevention week kicks off in Los Angeles
"My dog won't bite." Don't tell that to the letter carriers who displayed their dog-attack scars at the launch of National Dog Bite Prevention Week.
"Two fables we often hear in the Postal Service is the check's in the mail and don't worry, my dog won't bite," says Acting Consumer Advocate and Vice President Mike Spates. "The truth is any dog can bite, no matter how cute it is."
Spates delivered the message of responsible pet ownership at the kickoff event in Woodland Hills, CA. Three Postal Service districts that serve the area - Santa Ana, Los Angeles and Van Nuys - are among the top five districts for number of dog bites in fiscal year 2005, with a combined total of about 100 bites to date. Last year, letter carriers in these districts were victims of 204 dog bite attacks, more than any other area of the nation.
Moving the needle to 9 million: Maine customer loves Carrier Pickup Online Notification
Country Knitting of Maine owner Linda Williams "stuck to her knitting" and built a successful business using the Postal Service. Williams sells yarn and knitting materials on eBay but found that shipping her merchandise was taking much-needed time away from her rapidly growing business.
Madison, ME, Rural Carrier Gary Knight had the answer. He suggested Williams use Carrier Pickup Online Notification to save time. She quickly escalated to three or four Priority Mail pickups a week, shipping as many as 40 boxes a day during busy times of the year.
Along the way, she also captured the honors for mailing the 9 millionth package collected as a result of Carrier Pickup Online Notification.
"I'm saving so much time," said Williams. "Overall, it's been a great experience."
A moving experience: Millions use Internet Change of Address
At the start of this spring's moving season, a record 7 million customers have used Internet Change of Address (ICOA).
USPS began offering ICOA in 2001 through usps.com's Mover's Guide as another choice for customers, along with traditional printed forms.
Since its introduction by the Intelligent Mail and Address Quality group, the number of ICOAs has increased 50% each year over the previous year's total.
And, the percentage continues to increase. With more than 90,000 ICOAs filed the first week of May, the Postal Service welcomes this moving season more than ever.
ICOA improves service by collecting complete, valid addresses for automated processing - helping manage USPS costs.
Customers need an e-mail address and credit card to file a change of address electronically. Forms can be processed online for just $1, or a form can be printed and mailed, left for a carrier to pick up or dropped off at the local Post Office.
Authorization revoked: USPS no longer accepting three medical waste containers
Effective immediately, Mailing Standards has revoked authorization for Stericycle's sharps medical waste container USPS-050-A (2-2G-V2), SCS Corporation's sharps medical waste container USPS-052-A (2-2G-V2) and GRP and Associates' sharps medical waste container model number USPS-058J (GRP 2-2G).
This notice only applies to the model numbers listed above. All of the companies listed manufacture and distribute other authorized sharps medical waste containers. These containers should continue to be accepted for mailing by the Postal Service.
Employees must not accept containers bearing the model numbers listed above. If containers are identified already in the mailstream, set them aside and contact the addressee to pick them up. If a customer asks why we're refusing to accept the container, tell them it is no longer considered mailable and they should contact the appropriate company.
Employees can locate the model number on the box. For ease of identification, these containers are always mailed Merchandise Return Service.
Authorization for these particular containers was revoked because testing revealed they did not satisfy all required packaging standards. |
