Our efforts to improve the customer experience include our global business. The Postal Service has a number of bilateral agreements with foreign posts, and we continue to seek additional revenue-enhancing pacts with other postal administrations that have extensive exchanges of mail with the United States.
Commercial Outbound ePacket — In FY2015, we expanded our Commercial Outbound ePacket service to Brazil. This service meets the needs of e–commerce merchants for low value, lightweight items up to 4.4 pounds. It’s now available to 28 countries and the Postal Service plans to continue adding destinations in the future.
Ongoing Bilateral Agreements — A two-year bilateral agreement with Canada Post renewed in FY2014 is being renegotiated for another two-year period beginning in January 2016. The focus is on continued close collaboration to meet the demands of cross-border e-commerce customers through innovative services, increased reliability, visibility and predictability. A two-year bilateral agreement with Australia Post, also renewed in FY2014, is being reviewed for extension to meet the demands of e-commerce customers for reliable package services. The bilateral agreement with the Netherlands was renewed in FY2015 for a two-year term.
In the Asia⁄Pacific region, bilateral contracts with the postal administrations of the China Post Group and Hong Kong Post were renewed October 1, 2015. A bilateral agreement with Korea was being reviewed for renewal for the remainder of calendar year 2015. For the time being, previous bilateral agreements with Singapore and Vietnam have been suspended.
Enhancing Global Products — In FY2015, many initiatives were designed to increase awareness of the USPS international services brand. For example, new packaging displays were placed in retail units to promote Global Express Guaranteed (GXG) service. This display also includes how to complete the necessary forms properly. GXG also was added to additional PC Postage platforms in FY2015, giving more customers access to the service. Priority Mail Express International (PMEI) moved to a combined shipping label⁄customs form. The new PS Form 2976-B, Priority Mail Express International Shipping, reduces paperwork and improves the customer’s overall experience.
At our retail locations, we added more signage elements promoting international services to help build awareness of different services and their features. Our Global Business group also held a summer contest to promote international services to universities, small⁄medium businesses and to ethnic organizations to target additional potential customers for international services.
