SIOUX FALLS – The men and women of the U.S. Postal Service's Dakotas District, which covers North and South Dakota and the northwest portion of Minnesota, led the nation in overnight delivery performance for the second quarter of fiscal year 2007.

The Dakotas District attained a 97 percent on-time performance score for overnight delivery of First-Class Mail. That score tied with five other districts (out of 80) for the nation's highest score. The national average was 95.

Measured independently by IBM Consulting Services, the national assessment measures the time it takes a piece of First-Class Mail, once it's deposited into a collection box in a metropolitan area, to be delivered to a home, business, or Post Office box in that area.

During the same period, the Postal Service's overall residential customer satisfaction was measured at 92 percent. The Dakotas District score of 96 percent exceeded the national average by four points.

"We continually strive to improve every aspect of our performance, so we are very pleased that our local delivery and customer satisfaction performance is among the best in the nation," said Dakotas District Manager Clem Felchle. "This performance is the direct result of our employees' continual commitment to our customers."

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits 146 million homes and businesses, six days a week. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products, and services to cover its operating expenses. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $73 billion and delivers nearly half the world's mail volume.

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