2. Provide Reliable, Predictable Service for All Products
Revise Service Standards for Mailing Services
The Strategic Transformation Plan 2006–2010 included a commitment to measure service performance for all classes of mail. That process began this year with revisions to standards for all mailing services, and included ongoing consultation with the PRC.
Customer needs and preferences were the starting point. The Postal Service used a combination of methods to reach out to customers. It consulted with MTAC, analyzed CSM information, and conducted a special consumer and business survey. Postal representatives met with and solicited mailers‘ comments at the Postal Service/Postal Regulatory Commission Summit and the National Postal Forum. Comments received by the PRC at public hearings also were reviewed. The Postal Service also solicited input from its unions and management associations. The main theme that emerged from this extensive outreach was that customers want standards that are reliable, consistent, realistic, and attainable. There was broad support for a low-cost approach to service measurement that provides performance data that is actionable for mailers and the Postal Service.
Service standards that meet that goal were created by aligning standards with today‘s operational and logistical realities. Creation of new business rules that define how mail should move through the network was a key step. For example, business rules for products using surface transportation, such as Periodicals, Standard Mail, and Package Services, allow for shared transportation to keep costs down. To evaluate network capability and track how mail flows through its network, the Postal Service used data from EXFC (which measures single-piece First-Class service performance), the Product Tracking System, internal diagnostic data, and data provided by mailers. Extensive computer modeling was used to determine how best to match customer expectations with network capabilities and to map standardized mail flows. Computer programs using actual travel times between specific facilities helped calculate days-to-deliver for every possible 3-digit ZIP Code pair for each class of mail. By aligning the proposed standards with operational capabilities, the Postal Service can provide reliable, consistent service, and fulfill the service expectations of both senders and recipients.
The new standards will give customers clearer expectations about the services offered. They maintain the policy of requiring the same service level for each mail class, regardless of mailpiece shape. The standards integrate destination-entry with end-to-end standards to produce a more accurate and complete expectation of delivery time for all mailers.
New service standards were also developed for Special Services. The Postal Service offers two categories of Special Services: ancillary and stand-alone. Ancillary Special Services are additional services purchased for a fee in addition to postage. A principal feature is usually the electronic provision of information on the status of a particular mailpiece. It may consist of confirmation that delivery was attempted or completed, a copy of the recipient‘s signature, or address correction. Service standards include an objective expectation of availability of information for these ancillary special services products. Stand-alone Special Services, such as PO Box delivery and Insurance claims processing, will also have standards and be measured. Final standards were published in December 2007. Because mailing practices and processing technology will continue to evolve, the standards will be reviewed periodically.