Memo to Mailers
- February 2003 (Text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 38 NUMBER 2
FEBRUARY 2003
WHAT'S INSIDE
INDUSTRY TASK FORCE
KEEPING POSTED
NPF REGISTRATION FORM
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
CLICK-N-SHIP
SIMPLE. EASY. HELPFUL. FRESH.
Looking for mailing solutions to help grow your business? The new, improved
www.usps.com has them! A redesign of the Postal Service's website makes it easier
and faster for customers to find smart answers to their business problems and
mailing needs.
"We made changes based on what our customers told us needed to change -
and how important those changes are to them," says Jane Langdon, manager
of USPS.com.
The website presents solutions to customers in terms of benefits, like saving
time and money. There's an A-to-Z listing of products and information. And the
search tool has been upgraded to make it easier for customers to get the specific
information they need.
"Clearly, www.usps.com supports USPS technology to enhance the value of
services we offer our customers," says Langdon. "Whether it's information
or transactions, the website makes it easier and quicker - and at our customers'
convenience."
Customers have been coming to www.usps.com in record numbers. Last year, 127
million visited the website to get information and complete transactions online.
Customers visit the site to get ZIP Codes, confirm delivery of packages, get
maps and directions to Post Offices, calculate rates, download forms, change
their addresses and put their mail on hold. More
customers are going online to buy stamps, print shipping
labels, create and send mailings for delivery by carriers, and pay bills and
send money.
Small businesses, in particular, are becoming more reliant on using the Internet
to get information and transact business,
Langdon notes. The website is convenient because it's available anywhere, anytime.
There's also a special link for small businesses on the main page. Just go to
"Grow Your Business."
"If our customers have a great experience - online or offline - they will
use our products and services more often," says Langdon.
Just click. It's that simple.
PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION
AT WORK
The President's Commission on the United States Postal Service announced the
members of its four subcommittees, which were established during the commission's
first public meeting Jan. 8 in Washington, DC.
The nine-member bipartisan commission, created by President Bush last December,
seeks to identify the operational, structural and financial challenges facing
the Postal Service. It will examine potential solutions and recommend legislative
and administrative steps to ensure its long-term viability.
The subcommittees are comprised of members of the commission, with co-chairs
James Johnson and Harry Pearce exofficio members of each subcommittee.
The commission announced that the Business Model Subcommittee members include
Chairman Richard Levin, Don Cogman, Carolyn Gallagher, Norman Seabrook and Robert
Walker.
The subcommittee will be responsible for assessing the Postal Service's current
"government corporation"
business model, said the announcement. "As part of this assessment, the
subcommittee will study the Postal Service's universal service obligation, the
mail delivery infrastructure, the current rate regulation system and pricing
flexibility. This subcommittee also will assess the 'commercial government enterprise'
business model proposed by the Postal Service in its Transformation Plan,"
said the announcement.
The Private-Sector Partnership Subcommittee members include Chairman Joseph
Wright, Don Cogman and Norman Seabrook.
The subcommittee will be responsible for analyzing the current role of the private
sector in the mail delivery system, including negotiated service agreements,
outsourcing and worksharing, according to the commission. "It will also
attempt to identify opportunities for the Postal Service to enter into partnerships
with the private sector as it seeks to become more efficient and effective,"
the statement said.
The Technology Challenges and Opportunities Subcommittee members include Chairman
Robert Walker, Dionel Aviles and Joseph Wright. "The subcommittee will
be responsible for assessing the impact of new technologies - such as online
bill payment and presentment, e-mail, and electronic funds transfer - on the
Postal Service's business and attempt to determine whether these technologies
will continue to erode the Postal Service's market share," said the announcement.
The subcommittee also will assess the Postal Service's own technology initiatives
and their impact on productivity and financial performance.
The Workforce Subcommittee members include Chairwoman Carolyn Gallagher, Dionel
Aviles and Richard Levin. The subcommittee, according to the statement, "will
be responsible for assessing the Postal Service's current collective bargaining
and dispute resolution procedures as well as reviewing alternative models. It
will review employee pay and other associated labor costs; productivity; employee
recruitment, training and development; and workers' compensation claims.
The Workforce Subcommittee will also review the status of the Postal Service's
unfunded pension and retiree health care liabilities."
The commission will submit its report to the president by July 31.
MAILING INDUSTRY
TASK FORCE:
MAILERS WANT E-RESPONSES FOR ADDRESS CORRECTIONS
Input from mailers to the Mailing Industry Task Force indicates that mailers
strongly prefer electronic change-of-address records to those that have to be
entered manually into company databases.
The task force committee responsible for initiatives promoting address quality
improvement explored the reasons why manual notifications of customer moves
are returned to mailers through Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) sites.
"It's clear that mailers want to be able to identify the reasons they're
getting manual address corrections, and are willing to act on the information
once it's given to them," said USPS Senior Vice President of Intelligent
Mail and Address Quality Charles Bravo.
The reasons for manual notifications fall in three broad groups - participant
code errors, keyline errors and miscellaneous.
Participant code reasons include conflicting Address Change Service (ACS) participant
codes being used on a class of mail for which it was not originally approved,
obliteration of the participant code, an invalid participant code, a code not
yet activated and a shift of contents that hides the code.
Keyline problems include missing pound signs, invalid check digits, invalid
configuration, no keyline when the profile indicates there should be one, incorrect
characters and obliterated or mislocated keylines.
Other common errors include lack of an ancillary service endorsement and fonts
either too light or too small.
"Although these issues are all touched upon in mailing instructional material,
we now have the Postal Service playing a proactive role in helping mailers avoid
them." said Charles Morgan, company leader of Acxiom and co-chair of the
task force committee. "The collaboration between the industry and USPS
continues to serve as a paradigm for transformation."
As an outgrowth of the collaboration, CFS sites receiving mail with any of the
above issues will now notify the National Customer Support Center's (NCSC) ACS
department. The center, in turn, will contact the customer to identify the problem
and work to get it resolved as soon as possible.
Improved training materials are also being developed for distribution to all
Post Offices to assist in more timely and accurate
handling of ACS mail by delivery carriers and sales and services associates.
"The National Customer Support Center (NCSC) will continue to work with
mailers to make this a more valuable service," said Bravo. "I'd urge
any customer concerned about these issues to contact the NCSC Address Change
Service Department at 800-331-5746."
KEEPING POSTED
MANAGING THE NATIONAL PCC PROGRAM
The Postal Service's National PCC Program has a new program manager. Lewis Johnson
joins the Customer Events team under Service and Market Development at headquarters.
He replaces Bob Belmont, who retired. "We are very excited about having
Lewis on board and we are confident that he will be a valuable resource to the
local PCCs and the PCC Advisory Committee," says Kenneth Cowell, manager
of Customer Events. "I'm looking forward to the opportunity to support
the continuing successes of the National PCC Program and introducing new strategic
programs to make it even more successful," says Lewis.
Contact Information:
Mailing address:
Customer Events,
U.S. Postal Service,
1735 N Lynn ST RM 4033,
Arlington VA 22209-6420
Phone: 703-292-3884
Fax: 703-292-3832
Internet e-mail: ljohns60@usps.com
Internal e-mail: Lewis L. Johnson (Rosslyn VA)
PCC AWARDS - 2003
A copy of the National PCC Awards criteria and application has been sent to
all PCCs. Also, this information has been posted on the PCC website at www.usps.com/nationalpcc.
The National PCC Awards, which recognize the extraordinary contributions of
PCCs during 2002, will be presented at the PCC Leadership Conference April 13
at the National Postal Forum (NPF) in New Orleans, LA. Please submit your nominations
now - don't miss the due date!
DIRECT MAIL MADE
EASY
There are 52 Direct Mail Made Easy seminars (designed for small and mid-size
companies) planned for 2003. For more information about these seminars, including
the entire schedule and registration, go to www.usps.com/nationalpcc and click
on the link www.usps.com/directmail/seminars. Brought to you by your local PCC.
Local PCCs play an active role in the success of the seminars by proving ongoing
support and access to PCC resources. This involves identifying and encouraging
at least one non-PCC member to attend the seminars, participating on the agenda
and signing up new PCC members.
PCC CO-CHAIR UPDATES
The National PCC Program Office is requesting that each local PCC submit updated
PCC co-chair (postal and industry) information. This includes names of local
PCCs, names of co-chairs, titles, company names (for industry co-chairs), mailing
address, phone numbers, fax numbers and e-mail addresses. This information is
critical to ensure accurate, complete and successful communications between
the National PCC Program Office and PCCs and among PCCs. Please send your updates
to Lewis L. Johnson (Rosslyn VA) via postal e-mail (or ljohns60@usps.com).
PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION
ON USPS
Stay in the know. Visit the PCC website at www.usps.com/nationalpcc for the
latest updates regarding the President's Commission on the U. S. Postal Service.
Go to the "Keeping Posted" section for a link to the commission's
website, where you'll find press releases, commission documents, public meetings
and public minutes, public comments/feedback and commissioner contacts.
FYI
All USPS postage statements have a line for a Centralized Account Processing
System (CAPS) reference ID number. It's very helpful information when investigating
mailing activity or trying to answer questions about the mailing for clients.
So, if you're a CAPS customer, don't forget to provide your reference number.
INFO@USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world. www.usps.com
SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business. Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433
QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing
information.
ZIP Codes.
Post Office location.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and
package support line.
800-222-1811.
PRINTING LABELS
Your shipping label is just a Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
CLASS HAS STARTED
Want to learn more about how to use the mail effectively? Consider signing up
for the Executive Mail Center Manager Program, a five-day training course developed
by USPS and industry professionals. Participants can attend sessions at the
National Center for Employee Development in Norman, OK, or take courses locally,
offered through Postal Customer Councils.
The program graduated its first group of participants at the Norman facility
last December. The class included 19 mailing
professionals from government and private industry, including the Department
of Defense, colleges and universities, insurance and publishing.
If you're interested in more information about the program, please contact emcm@usps.com.
GET A COPY. KEEP
IT HANDY
Confused about addressing? Wondering about money orders? A Customer's Guide
to Mailing can help answer those questions. It's based on the ways people use
the mail every day and focuses on the key decisions customers make in doing
business with USPS. It's the first installment in a complete redesign of the
Domestic Mail Manual.
The guide is available free at Post Offices, or it can be downloaded or ordered
from the Postal Service website at www.usps.com. Customers who order stamps
and other merchandise from The Postal Store online will receive a free copy
with their order. Look for a Spanish-language version, coming soon.
GREETINGS FROM
AMERICA
The U.S. Postal Service and the U.S. Mint are teaming up to offer two of America's
most popular collectible items - the 50 State Quarters and the Greetings from
America Stamps.
Volume 38 Number 2
Ilze Sella, Editorial Services
Frank Papandrea, Art Director
David Ostroff, Designer
Alan Valsi, Purchasing Specialist
John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO
Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
MEMO TO MAILERS is published by U.S. Postal Service Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are registered marks of the United States Postal
Service.
Send address corrections and subscription requests to:
MEMO TO MAILERS
NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER
US POSTAL SERVICE
6060 PRIMACY PKWY STE 201
MEMPHIS TN 38188-0001
Send stories, photos and editorial suggestions to:
EDITOR
memo to mailers
US POSTAL SERVICE
475 L'ENFANT PLAZA SW RM 10541
WASHINGTON DC 20260-3100
fax: (202) 268-2392
e-mail: mmailers@email.usps.gov
Online services:
www.usps.com
ribbs.usps.com
PCC website: http://www.usps.com/nationalpcc
Direct Mail Kit: (800) THE-USPS x 2110
YOU ASKED. YOU
GOT IT. NEW FEATURE AT CLICK-N-SHIP
If you build it - an online shipping solution that's fast, easy and available
24 hours a day - they will come. Click-N-Ship at www.usps.com proves the point,
more than tripling its volume in its first seven months and giving customers
even more ways to bring the Post Office to their homes.
Click-N-Ship allows customers to prepare and print shipping labels - with or
without postage. The newest feature at the site -customers can order self-adhesive labels.
"It's clear that we have a hit on our hands," says Nick Barranca,
vice president of USPS Product Development. "Customers have printed over
two-and-a-half million labels so far. They're telling us they love the convenience
of online shipping. They're asking for new features and we're responding to
their needs."
More than a third of Click-N-Ship users pay for postage online. These customers
can hand their pre-paid packages to their carrier, schedule a special pickup,
drop them at a local post office or deposit them in a collection box.
Click-N-Ship is an important part of the expanded customer access strategy in
USPS's Transformation Plan. "Convenience for many people means that they
can do what they want, when and where they want," says Barranca.
When customers use Click-N-Ship, they also qualify for lower electronic rates
for Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation. This makes Priority Mail
an even greater value, since customers receive Delivery Confirmation at no additional
charge.