PrintFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Media Relations 202-268-2155
September 5, 2005
News Release No. 05-071
www.usps.com
POSTAL SERVICE MOVES TO RECONNECT WITH CUSTOMERS IN KATRINA'S WAKE
Washington, D. C. -- Reconnect, respond and reestablish are the objectives the U. S. Postal Service is focusing on in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
According to Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communication, the Postal Service is moving to reconnect with customers who have been displaced, seeking responses from employee who have been evacuated and in the near term, reestablish regular delivery and retail service.
Reconnecting Customers
The Postal Service is asking customers unable to receive delivery at their permanent address to file a change of address. The quickest and easiest way to do this is electronically.
Customers who have computer or telephone access should utilize the Postal Service's Internet or Telephone Change of Address option. Electronic change of addresses can be filed online at www.usps.com or by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777).
Hurricane victims in areas without telephone service or internet access should go to the nearest post office, complete a change-of-address form, and submit it to a postal Retail Associate at the counter or mail it - it's postage free.
To date, more than 36,000 hurricane victims have filed a Change of Address.
In addition, the Postal Service has assigned ZIP Code 77230 to the Houston Astrodome for general mail delivery to those victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Postal Service is working to set up special ZIP codes for other sites being used to house evacuees. Postal employees at those locations are assisting people with the Change of Address process.
Also, the Postal Service and Social Security Administration have established pickup points for displaced and evacuated Hurricane Katrina victims to receive delivery of their monthly Social Security checks. Pickup locations in Louisiana and Mississippi are posted on the USPS Web site www.usps.com. The pickup schedule for checks in areas of Louisiana and Mississippi has been extended through Wednesday, Sept. 7.
Reconnecting Employees
Like many businesses in areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, the Postal Service is reconnecting with its employees through a toll-free number - 1-877-477-3273 - so employees can notify the Postal Service of their current situation.
Employees who call are connected to a USPS Call Center agent, who will collect the employee's information so they can receive important job-related information and receive their payroll checks.
Reestablish Service
When and where it is safe to do so, the Postal Service is reentering storm-damaged areas to reopen Post Offices to restore mail delivery and service, and establish mobile retail centers to serve customer needs in damaged areas. Customers with internet access can quickly check the status of postal services in their ZIP Code area online at www.usps.com. A color-coded map on the Web site also shows the status of Katrina-affected Post Offices.
Federal Agencies can continue to send First-Class Mail to their customer's address. If it can be delivered, it will be, or it will be made available at the local post office. If the residence and customer are no longer there, the Postal Service will redirect and deliver the mail to the customer's temporary location based on the change of address. In the event that the mail cannot be delivered or forwarded, it will be returned to the sender.
Since 1775, the Postal Service has connected friends, families, neighbors and businesses by mail. It is an independent federal agency that visits 142 million homes and businesses every day and is the only service provider delivering to every address in the nation. The Postal Service receives no taxpayer dollars for routine operations, but derives its operating revenues solely from the sale of postage, products and services. With annual revenues of more than $69 billion, it is the world's leading provider of mailing and delivery services, offering some of the most affordable postage rates in the world. The Postal Service delivers more than 46 percent of the world's mail volume-some 206 billion letters, advertisements, periodicals and packages a year-and serves seven million customers each day at its 37,000 retail locations nationwide.