FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Media Relations August 4, 2003 202-268-2155 Release No. 060 www.usps.com POSTAL SERVICE DELIVERS RECORD BREAKING SERVICE FOR AMERICA OVERNIGHT SERVICE SCORES CONTINUE TO IMPROVE PORTLAND, ME - The U.S. Postal Service has achieved its highest overnight service score for First-Class Mail delivery for the second consecutive quarter, again breaking all previous records and raising the bar for overnight service performance in the nation's major metropolitan areas. Francia G. Smith, vice president and consumer advocate, told the Postal Service Board of Governors at their meeting here, that overnight First-Class Mail maintained the milestone score of 95 percent on-time delivery service performance during Postal Quarter III, the period between February 22 and May 16, 2003. This is the fifth consecutive quarter First-Class Mail delivery hit the 94 percent and above benchmark. First-Class Mail delivery performance is measured externally and independently by IBM's Business Consulting Services unit, using the External First-Class measurement system, or EXFC. It provides an independent assessment of the time it takes a piece of First-Class Mail, once its deposited into a collection box, to be delivered to one of the more than 140 million American homes, businesses and post office boxes that are serviced six days a week. The Postal Service maintains a system of 85 management units by geographic areas, known as Performance Clusters (PCs). According to Smith, six PCs achieved on time delivery performance scores of 97 percent: Erie, PA; Richmond, VA; Albany, NY; Big Sky (Montana); Sacramento, CA; and Portland, OR. Smith also reported that the most recent customer satisfaction survey shows 93 percent of households nationwide reported having a positive view of the Postal Service, rating overall performance as excellent, very good, and good. This is the seventh consecutive quarter in which ratings of overall performance have reached 93 percent. Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) is independently measured by The Gallup Organization which conducts surveys on a variety of postal issues and services from a customer's perspective. These include accuracy and consistency of delivery; retail clerk courtesy, knowledge, and responsiveness to customers; and telephone courtesy and accuracy of information provided, to name a few. The Postal Service uses survey results to identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction. The Gallup poll is supported by a recent survey conducted for the independent Presidential Commission on the Postal Service that found that "Americans have and overwhelmingly favorable view of the United States Postal Service as four in five (79 percent) say they feel positive about it, including 47 percent who say very positive." This independent survey was conducted by Black & Veatch, Peter D. Hart Research Associates, and American Viewpoint in May. EXFC Overnight Service Results FEBRUARY 22- MAY 16, 2003 (PQ III, FY 2003) EXFC externally measures collection box to mailbox delivery performance. EXFC continuously tests a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90% of First-Class volume originates and 80% destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance. PERFORMANCE CLUSTER RESULTS LOCAL 3-DIGIT ZIP CODES AKRON 95 436, 442, 443, 445, 447, 449 ALABAMA 95 350, 351, 352, 358, 361, 366 ALASKA* 97 995, 996 ALBANY 97 120, 121, 122, 123, 128, 130, 131, 132, 135, 139 ALBUQUERQUE 95 870, 871 APPALACHIAN 96 240, 250, 251, 252, 253, 263, 264, 265 ARIZONA 95 850, 852, 853, 855, 856, 857 ARKANSAS 94 720, 721, 722, 723, 727 ATLANTA 95 300, 301, 302, 303 BALTIMORE 96 210, 211, 212, 214, 217, 219 BIG SKY 97 590, 591, 598 BOSTON 95 021, 024 CAPITAL 96 200, 206, 207, 208, 209 CARIBBEAN 91 009 CENTRAL FLORIDA 94 327, 328, 329, 334 CENTRAL ILLINOIS 96 604, 605, 616, 617, 618, 627 CENTRAL NEW JERSEY 94 077, 085, 086, 088, 089 CENTRAL PLAINS 96 515, 516, 666, 670, 671, 672, 680, 681, 685 CHICAGO 95 606, 607 CINCINNATI 95 410, 450, 451, 452, 454, 458,470 CLEVELAND 95 440, 441 COLORADO/WYOMING 93 800, 801, 802, 803, 809, 820 COLUMBUS 95 430, 431, 432, 433 CONNECTICUT 94 060, 061, 062, 064, 069 DAKOTAS 96 570, 571, 573, 581 DALLAS 94 750, 751, 752, 754, 757 DETROIT 95 481, 482, 492 ERIE 97 159, 161, 164, 165, 166 FORT WORTH 95 760, 761, 762, 764, 791, 794 GATEWAY 95 620, 622, 630, 631, 633, 652 GREATER INDIANA 96 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 466, 468, 469, 473, 478, 479 GREATER MICHIGAN 95 486, 488, 489, 490, 493, 494, 495 GREATER SOUTH CAROLINA 95 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296 GREENSBORO 95 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 286 HARRISBURG 95 170, 171, 172, 178, 180, 185, 187 HAWKEYE 95 500, 501, 502, 503, 507, 511, 520, 524, 612 HONOLULU 96 967, 968 HOUSTON 94 770, 772, 773, 774 KENTUCKIANA 95 400, 401, 402, 405, 406, 471, 477 LAKELAND 96 530, 531, 532, 535, 537, 543, 544, 549 LANCASTER 94 176, 189, 193, 194, 196 LONG BEACH 95 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908 LONG ISLAND 95 115, 117, 118, 119 LOS ANGELES 95 900 LOUISIANA 96 700, 701, 705, 708, 711 MAINE 95 040, 041, 043, 044, 045, 048 MID-AMERICA 96 640, 641, 658, 661, 662 MID-CAROLINAS 94 280, 281, 282, 283, 288, 297 MIDDLESEX-CENTRAL 95 015, 016, 017, 018, 019 MISSISSIPPI 96 386, 390, 391, 392, 395 NEVADA-SIERRA 96 890, 891, 895 NEW HAMPSHIRE 96 030, 031, 032, 033, 034, 038 NEW YORK 94 100, 104 NORTH FLORIDA 94 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 95 600, 601, 602, 603, 611 NORTHERN NEW JERSEY 95 070, 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 076, 078, 079 NORTHERN VIRGINIA 95 201, 220, 221, 222, 223 NORTHLAND 95 540, 546, 550, 551, 553, 554, 559, 563 OAKLAND 96 945, 946, 947, 948 OKLAHOMA 96 730, 731, 740, 741, 743 PHILADELPHIA 94 190, 191 PITTSBURGH 96 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156 PORTLAND 97 970, 971, 972, 973, 974, 986 RICHMOND 97 224, 225, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 238 RIO GRANDE 95 765, 767, 780, 781, 782, 784, 786, 787, 788, 789, 797, 799 ROYAL OAK 95 480, 483, 484, 485 SACRAMENTO 97 952, 956, 957, 958 SALT LAKE CITY 96 840, 841, 844 SAN DIEGO 95 919, 920, 921, 924 SAN FRANCISCO 96 940, 941, 943, 944, 949 SAN JOSE 96 933, 937, 939, 950, 951 SANTA ANA 96 917, 918, 926, 927, 928 SEATTLE 96 980, 981, 982, 984, 985 SOUTH FLORIDA 95 330, 331, 332, 333 SOUTH GEORGIA 94 309, 310, 312, 314, 319 SOUTH JERSEY 94 080, 081, 082, 083, 084, 197, 198 SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND 95 020, 023, 027, 028, 029 SPOKANE 96 835, 837, 838, 990, 991, 992, 994 SPRINGFIELD 96 010, 011, 012, 013, 050, 054 SUNCOAST 95 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 341, 342, 346 TENNESSEE 94 370, 371, 372, 374, 379, 380, 381 TRIBORO 94 110, 112, 113, 114, 116 VAN NUYS 96 911, 913, 914, 915, 916, 930, 931 WESTCHESTER 94 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 125 WESTERN NEW YORK 96 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146 *No Overnight standard. Score shown is for two-day performance. - 30 -