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PRICING FLEXIBILITY, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ENCOURAGE GROWTH
The Postal Service has one of the best shipping products — Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes — and a new sales force to make USPS a great choice for mailers to reach and serve their customers.
That was the message Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Pat Donahoe and Mailing and Shipping Services President Bob Bernstock delivered to NPF participants.
“Our ultimate success — and customer satisfaction — depends upon the level of our service,” Donahoe told mailing industry representatives. “Continued service excellence allows us to partner with you to help drive business growth in a down economy and, just as importantly, to make sure we are ready when the economy rebounds.
” Pricing flexibility, incentives and programs like the “Summer Sale” make mail a powerful tool, said Bernstock.
The Summer Sale, beginning in July, will provide a 30 percent incentive for qualifying customers mailing Standard Mail letters and flats. The offer is subject to review by the Postal Regulatory Commission for up to 45 days following May 1.
Bernstock noted that mail is targeted, tangible, affordable and flexible, allowing mailers to maintain the same household reach with any mix of mailings desired. In addition, he said, recent industry surveys show that during tough economic times more than 60 percent of mailers believe direct mail is highly effective in acquiring and retaining customers.
To help business mailers find the right postal products and services to help their business grow, USPS also has created a new sales group.
“Customers told us they wanted ‘one-stop shopping’ with the Postal Service, so we combined sales, the business development teams and the business service network to create that one central point of contact our customers asked for,” said Susan Plonkey, vice president, Sales.
FSS DELIVERS IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, SERVICE
As nationwide deployment of Flats Sequencing System (FSS) equipment continues, the Postal Service is revising its timeline and evaluating the redirection of installations to facilities where it makes the best business sense, says FSS Executive Director Rosa Fulton.
“With the decline in flats volume mirroring the overall decline in letter mail, we don’t want to over-deploy equipment to where we don’t have sufficient volumes,” Fulton told mailers attending a NPF “flats strategy” workshop.
Flat volume in FY 2008 declined by 7.2 billion pieces (11.1 percent) compared to FY 2007, and that trend continues, according to Fulton. Year-to-date for 2009, total flat mail volume has dropped 12.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
But there’s no doubt FSS will continue to revolutionize the way USPS sorts flat-sized mail, and help improve service and control costs.
FSS equipment deployed at the Dulles, VA, P&DC currently sorts flats in delivery point sequence for 13 delivery units and 23 zones within the Northern Virginia District. The three machines at Dulles each are capable of sorting 16,500 pieces per hour with two passes, sequencing some 280,500 pieces per day to more than 125,000 delivery addresses.
Because there are fewer flats for letter carriers to case manually, delivery units have seen significant changes. Route adjustments in FSS offices have eliminated full-time routes, the downsized casing equipment has freed up workroom space, and excess delivery vehicles have been redeployed to where they’re needed.
“Change is coming,” said Fulton, “and our investment in new technologies and equipment will allow us to continue providing the excellent service our customers expect.”
“Just as importantly,” she said, “when the economy stabilizes, there will be a renewed demand for shipping and mailing services. By continuing to invest in the future, we’ll make sure our customers get even more value from the mail, through the Intelligent Mail barcode and the state-of-the-art Flats Sequencing System. They’ll both contribute to improved service and reduced costs.” |
