Statesman, scientist, printer,
postmaster: USPS honors Benjamin
Franklin
The Postal Service will recognize the 300th anniversary
of the birth of Benjamin Franklin in 2006 with the release of
four First-Class commemorative stamps and a 39-cent
stamped envelope.
The envelope features a photograph of a famous
Franklin bust and will be issued Jan. 9, 2006, to commem-
orate his birth Jan. 17, 1706.
The four stamps honor Franklin's contributions as an
American icon whose diverse accomplishments as a printer, scientist, statesman - and our nation's first postmaster
general - earned him a cherished place in the history of
our nation. The stamps will be released in Philadelphia in
April, in conjunction with Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
events.
The Benjamin Franklin stamped envelope stamp announcement appears in Postal Bulletin 22170 (12-22-05,
pages 98-101). For details of the Franklin commemorative
stamps, see 2006 Commemorative Stamp Program at http://www.usps.com/communications/news/stamps/2005/
sr05_054.htm on USPS.com.
Carrier Pickup Online Notification hits
21 million
 Aiken, SC, Part-Time Flexible Letter
Carrier Calvin Lattimer picks up parcels
from customer Michael Dowd, who
recently made the 21 millionth Carrier
Pickup Online Notification pickup
request.(Image to the left)
Saving money on
shipping must have been
in the cards for eBay
retailer Michael Dowd,
who recently made the
21 millionth Carrier Pickup Online Notification
pickup request.
The Aiken, SC, businessman knows a good
hand when he's dealt it,
like the pair of Click-N-
Ship and Carrier Pickup Online Notification.
"Carrier Pickup Online Notification and Click-N-Ship are
two of the greatest things the Postal Service has ever
done," says Dowd. "They're very easy and convenient. A
couple of clicks and I'm done. I'm in small business
heaven!"
"I'm proud to be part of an organization that really wants
to make it easy for small businesses to choose us for their
shipping needs," says Aiken, SC, Postmaster Tim
Goodwin. "Listening to customers talk about how important
Carrier Pickup is to growing their business - is the best."
Acting Delivery Supervisor Garry Hitt agrees. "Our business customers don't want to take time from their busy
schedules to go to the Post Office," he says, "so Carrier
Pickup helps us keep their business."
It's certainly aces with Michael Dowd.
Customized Market Mail nets Sabres a
hat trick
 Buffalo Sabres' Database Marketing
Manager Tom Matheny, left, and
Northeast Area Sales Specialist Dan
Bailey show the mascot-shaped
Customized Market Mail piece that
helped sell NHL tickets.(Image to the left)
A professional hoc-
key team is using
Customized Market Mail
(CMM) to deliver results
in the stands. Northeast
Area Sales Specialist
Dan Bailey had worked
with the National Hockey
League (NHL) Buffalo
Sabres since before the
2004 season lockout.
When the NHL returned to the ice this year, Bailey returned to the box office with Western New York District
Manager Dave Patterson. They assisted on a hat trick strategy to win back fans - CMM with complementary advertising to sell tickets, plus Priority Mail and Delivery
Confirmation to deliver those tickets.
Bailey and Patterson coached Sabres' Database Marketing Manager Tom Matheny on the game plan. Mailings
went out in a September power-play, and ticket orders shot
in like a puck off the boards. |
Postal Service working against Internet
fraud
The Postal Inspection Service is working with the FBI
and several private companies to educate consumers
about Internet scams such as auction fraud, identity fraud
and foreign lotteries.
Telemarketing and mail fraud scammers have retooled
past scams for the Internet and are now targeting unsuspecting consumers in online schemes, according to Chief
Postal Inspector Lee Heath.
Additional information and prevention tips can be found
at the campaign's Web site at www.lookstoogoodtobe
true.com. Consumers can file complaints via the site and
order Web of Deceit, a free DVD on online fraud produced
by the Postal Inspection Service. The DVD is also available
through the service's Web site at www.usps.com/postal
inspectors.
Grow Your Business Day seminars
prove to be a premium experience
A new direct mail initiative, Grow Your Business Day, is
proving to be a premium hands-on experience for
customers.
Tested in the Sacramento District, the program teaches
businesses how to create compelling messages to draw in
customers, said New Business Operations Program Manager Beth Fluto.
The workshop shows customers how to create and send
a mailing from their own mailing lists, digital images and
messages, making original postcards, which they can purchase and send via NetPost Premium Postcards at www.premiumpostcard.com.
With positive results in Sacramento, the program will
now be tested in several more sites and, if all goes well, will
be rolled out nationwide next year.
Cold and flu season calls for extra
precautions
Cold and flu season is upon us, and if you don't have a
case of the sniffles, you probably know somebody who
does. Colds and the flu are most often spread by coughing,
sneezing and unclean hands. You can help prevent them
by taking a few extra steps during the holidays.
National Medical Director Dr. David Reid gives a reminder to cover your nose and mouth with a tissue every time
you cough or sneeze and discard the tissue in a waste basket. Reid says if you don't have a tissue, it's best to cough
or sneeze into your sleeve - not your hands.
Dr. Reid also recommends always washing your hands
with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand cleaner after
coughing or sneezing, and don't share eating utensils,
drinking glasses, towels or other personal items.
High-octane savings with fleet cards
The Postal Service recently implemented a highway
transportation postal fleet card for highway contract route
(HCR) suppliers. It pays fuel service stations electronically
and only for the actual gallons used by the contractors.
Previously, gallons were estimated for the duration of
the contracts, and suppliers were paid in equal monthly increments based on this estimate - regardless of the number of gallons used. When fuel prices changed, suppliers
submitted receipts to change their fuel rate and the receipts
had to be processed manually. No small task, given USPS
has about 17,000 contracted transportation routes.
Now, USPS is saving time and money. With only partial
implementation in fiscal year 2005, use of the HCR fleet
card has reduced the amount of postal-paid gallons by almost 3 million and produced cost savings of more than $8
million. Supply Management, Information Technology and
Distribution Network Operations worked on the project.
Unlike our competitors, we don't impose fuel surcharges
on our customers. Instead, we keep looking for better, faster and more economical ways to do things so we can continue to provide the best value in the marketplace for our
customers.
DMM Advisory keeps customers in the
know
The Pricing & Classification DMM Advisory, an electronic message board that keeps customers informed about
USPS prices and mailing standards, continues to receive
praise from customers.
Whether the news is labeling list changes or new prices
for products and services, DMM Advisory places information crucial to businesses right at their fingertips. Customers who want to be "in the know" can subscribe to DMM
Advisory by sending an e-mail to dmmadvisory@usps.gov. It also is available online at http://pe.usps.com/dmm
advisory.asp. |
