USPSNEWS@WORK

Stop, look, listen: Help keep our children safe

It's back to school time and that means more children on the roads and sidewalks and a greater risk of accidents. USPS® employees have to be more alert around places children play. To help keep them safe, be alert and follow these safety tips from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Slow down and obey all traffic laws and speed limits.

• Stop for a school bus that has red flashing lights and an extended stop arm. That means it's loading and unloading children.

• When parked near a schoolyard, watch for children when backing out your vehicle.

• Watch for walking children, especially where there are no sidewalks.

• Watch for children playing near bus stops. They may dart into the street without looking.

• Watch for children walking or biking to school.

• When driving in neighborhoods or school zones, watch for young people who may be in a hurry to get to school.

So, whether you're in a neighborhood or near parks, schools or playgrounds, be on the lookout for children playing and riding skateboards, scooters, mopeds or bicycles.

Classics! Sporty Cars keep "America on the Move"

Left to right: Ford Motor Division President Darryl Hazel, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Deputy PMG Pat Donahoe, USPS Technical Advisor and '53 Corvette owner Noland Adams and Detroit District Manager Gloria Tyson.

And what's a classic car event without some cruisin'? Leading up to the stamp release, Noland Adams - owner of the '53 Corvette featured and technical advisor on the stamps - delivered mail in his Corvette with help from Royal Oak, MI, Letter Carrier and Postal Ambassador Jim Willson.

Royal Oak firefighters were among customers who received classic delivery treatment Friday on the Woodward Ave. route in Detroit.

Great idea! eIdeas featured on Blue

Have ideas how USPS can improve customer satisfaction, generate more revenue or increase productivity?

These are all important goals - and will be key to the Strategic Transformation Plan 2006-2010 due to be released soon.

But don't wait to share your ideas - our eIdeas program is always open, and is now easier to find on Blue. Go to the "My Life" page and you'll see eIdeas in the upper right corner.

For more information on eIdeas - or better yet, to submit your great idea - go to eIdeas on Blue, brought to you by Human Resources, Information Technology and Public Affairs and Communications.

Get Linked: Supply chain management keeps USPS efficient

How about $1.7 billion in cost benefits?

That's how much the Postal ServiceTM has received in cost benefits through supply chain management since 2000 - using best practices to make sure you have the supplies, equipment and services you need to do your job.

That's one of the reasons that Postmaster General Jack Potter was honored as 2005 Chief Executive Officer of the Year by a global supply chain management research center.

Watch for the video "Get Linked" on USPS-TV and On Demand, to find out how every USPS employee is a link in the supply chain. Check the Supply Management Web site for more information.

The ultimate truth in advertising: Vote online for "We Deliver For You."

When the Postal Service's "We Deliver For You" campaign was launched, it gave America its first behind- the-scenes glimpse of the Postal Service as viewers followed a letter through the mailstream. The letter traveled through all sorts of weather conditions - snow, heat and gloom of night - and all sorts of mail processing machinery on its way to being delivered.

Americans liked it. USPS employees liked it.

Now Madison Avenue likes it.

It's one of 26 slogans chosen to compete in the 2005 Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame. Help make it the ultimate "truth in advertising" by going to http://advertising.yahoo.com/advertisingweek_05/ between now and Sept. 23 to cast your vote.

Have power, will travel: Six 1.6 megawatt portable generators hit the road

Six large 1.6 megawatt portable generators are on their way to different parts of the country - courtesy of the Office of Emergency Preparedness. It's part of ongoing efforts to "keep the lights on" at USPS facilities during an extended disaster or a national incident associated with power outages.

This isn't your typical "building supplies" store generator. Each unit is big enough to keep automation machinery up and running in a large processing and distribution center.

As part of a rapid deployment force, these mobile generators will be located in Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle, Tallahassee, and Washington, DC, so they can provide needed power within 48 hours of a request.

Star struck: 5 Star Customer Service Program shines in October

Post Offices across the country can bid a fond farewell to the Order of the Yellow Jersey (OYJ). There's a new star on the horizon - five of them, to be exact! The 5 Star Customer Service Program replaces OYJ. It's a different program, but with the same goals - providing excellent retail and delivery service to our customers.

Performance clusters will be arranged in five distinct groups - Diverse and Crowded Cities, Established Cities, Cities in Open Spaces, Smaller and Older towns, and the last group is simply titled "Room to Grow."

Using a combination of Customer Satisfaction Measurements (CSM) scores for residential and small businesses in four key areas - Clerk Information, Clerk Efficiency, Accurate Delivery and Delivery Time of Day scores - incorporated with Mystery Shopper wait-time-in-line scores, performance clusters will be measured against an established baseline.

Awards will be given every quarter. Look for detailed information from your district manager later this month.