USPSNEWS@WORK

"The mail works!" Potter delivers keynote address at National Postal Forum

The forecast for the Postal Service and the mailing industry is very good. That's the message Postmaster General Jack Potter delivered to more than 6,500 mailers and advertisers at the National Postal Forum in Orlando, FL. It's a forecast based on a transformed Postal Service that will see a growth in direct mail as well as advances in technology that will track Postal Service performance and reduce costs.

Potter noted that mail volume last year reached a record 212 billion pieces. Marketers have found that using the mail, along with the Internet, has resulted in significantly larger orders than if they had relied on Internet advertising alone. "The public and the marketplace have spoken loudly," he said. "The mail works."

Potter also discussed the Postal Service's high levels of customer satisfaction, elimination of $11 billion in debt and productivity increases six years in a row.

"We have enormous challenges," Potter said. "But we have the ideas to grow this business. I know that we can be more successful than ever."

E-mail scam targets Thrift Savings Plan participants

Scam artists are at it again - phishing for your personal information - and this time they're pretending to be from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP). The TSP has posted a warning about this latest phishing attempt on its Web site:

You should never give any personal, credit or banking information in response to unsolicited e-mails. The TSP would never ask for this information via an e-mail. If you did provide this information, contact your credit card company and bank immediately for guidance. In addition, call the TSP at 877-968-3778 and ask to have your account access blocked.

If you receive the bogus TSP e-mail, do not try to access the TSP Web site by clicking on links in that or any other e-mail. They're trying to steal your personal information. Always access your TSP account only by opening a new browser window, and typing http://www.tsp.gov into the address (URL) field.
The TSP is actively investigating this scam.

The day the earth didn't stand still

The Great San Fran- cisco Earthquake lasted approximately 50 devastating seconds, but it started a huge fire that burned for three days, destroyed a huge part of the city and was responsible for hundreds of deaths.

April 18 marks the 100th anniversary of that earthquake. The city is planning a series of events to remember that quake, and the San Francisco Post Office is offering a commemorative envelope featuring the old Post Office building.

To order yours, send $5 (check or money order) to:

EARTHQUAKE CENTENNIAL
PO BOX 880188
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94188-0188

Make sure your name and return address are clear and legible. Orders will be filled after April 18, 2006.

San Diego P&DF earns VPP status

Midway PDF employees enjoy a celebratory luncheon after earning VPP Star status.

The facility had a traditional VPP flag-raising ceremony and celebratory luncheon to recognize the hard work needed to achieve Star status.

Jump on the Paddock wagon: Retail Standardization training pays off

Paddock Branch in Ocala, FL, after Retail Standardization.

Galarza says the entire office "really jumped on the bandwagon."

Retail associates started offering ReadyPost supplies to meet their customers' needs and also increase revenue for the office. They began merchandising their new Official Licensed Retail Product (OLRP) display. And the entire team worked to educate customers on the services available to them.

The results have been outstanding. Total retail revenue increased 7.7 percent compared with same period last year. ReadyPost revenue was up nearly $2,000, for a 33 percent increase. And new OLRP sales were more than $5,200 for the four-month period.

You want game?

The 2006 Central Florida District Employee Development Conference "Game Strategies for Success" will be held July 14 and 15 at the Hutchinson Island Marriott and Resort in Stuart, FL.

The conference, open to all employees, will target subjects such as Effective Writing Techniques, Leadership and Your Personal Assessment, 991 Lab, Personal Finance and many more.

For registration and workshop and hotel information, visit the Central Florida District Diversity Web page at http://centralfl.usps.gov/index.cfm?treeID=9590& prevInd=1.

Questions? Call Central Florida District Diversity Development at 407-333-4892.

Baseball Sluggers stamps unveiled

Unveiling the Baseball Sluggers stamps are, from left, Postmaster General Jack Potter, former New York Yankees Public Relations Director Marty Appel and Mickey Mantle's restaurant manager Bart Alexander.

Postmaster General Jack Potter unveiled the stamps at Mickey Mantle's restaurant in Manhattan. Joining him were former New York Yankees Public Relations Director Marty Appel and restaurant manager Bart Alexander.

The stamps will be issued before the opening pitch of the Chicago White Sox game hosted at Yankee Stadium July 15.

Delivering a data-packed barcode

The Postal Service has loaded a barcode with information that mailers can use to help build their business, cut their costs, better manage customer relationships and stay competitive.

Working with mailing industry partners, USPS has designated an innovative new barcode called the 4-state barcode to lead the effort. This new barcode looks a little different from the sorting barcode most of us are familiar with. Because it's made up of four distinct, vertical bar types, it can carry more information than any previous postal barcode.

It performs multiple functions - using only one line of code. Up to now, separate barcodes were needed for sorting, tracking, service and customer information.

For more information, go to http://ribbs.usps.gov/files/4%2DCB/INTRODUCING_4-CB.PDF.