Chicago Post Office Maintains High Performance Scores

Postal Customers in Chicago District Receive Consistent, Timely Service

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago District of the U.S. Postal Service matched its all-time best on-time performance score for the delivery of First-Class Mail during the fourth quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2008.

For the second quarter in a row, the district achieved a 96 percent on-time overnight delivery service score. The fourth quarter covers July, August and September 2008.

The score is a two-point increase from the same period in FY 2007. Two-day service also improved over last year, posting a one-point gain to 94 percent on-time. Three-day service remained at 90 percent on-time.

The Chicago District serves more than 1.3 million homes, businesses and Post Office boxes in the City of Chicago and six surrounding suburbs, encompassing ZIP codes 606-608.

Since 1990, the Postal Service has contracted with an independent agency to objectively measure First-Class Mail service performance. IBM Global Business Services reviews and measures the delivery performance of First-Class Mail from the time it is deposited into a collection box or lobby mail chute until it is delivered to a home or business.

“These successful delivery scores are the product of Chicago postal employees who work together to give their customers the best service possible,” said Chicago Postmaster Gloria Tyson. “Customers can rely upon the Postal Service to meet all their shipping and mailing needs.”

“Our employees continue to make every effort to exceed our customers’ expectations,” said Senior Plant Manager Todd Hawkins.

With the beginning of the new fiscal year, the Postal Service has implemented new service standards with a new measurement system which will result in expanded and more accurate guidelines for customers on how long it should take for the Postal Service to deliver different types of mail from origin to destination. The first reporting of the new service standards will occur early next year following the conclusion of the first quarter of FY 2009.

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.