Postal News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 2, 2002
Contact: (202) 268-2155
Release No. 02-053
Postal Service Records Second-Highest Score Ever Achieved For Overnight Delivery Of Local First-Class Mail;
Customer Satisfaction Remains High
ANCHORAGE, AK - The Postal Service today reported achieving the second-highest quarterly score ever recorded for overnight delivery service performance: 94 percent for the period of February 23, 2002, through May 17, 2002. Independently measured by PricewaterhouseCoopers, this marks the nineteenth consecutive quarter in which External First-Class (EXFC) service performance scores have hit or exceeded 93 percent.
According to Vice President and Consumer Advocate Francia G. Smith, the Big Sky, Erie, Albany, Dakotas, Greater Michigan, San Jose, Central Plains, Spokane and Kentuckiana Performance Clusters each achieved a score of 96 percent, while 26 additional Performance Clusters attained scores of 95 percent. Performance Clusters are geographic management units established by the Postal Service.
EXFC externally measures collection-box-to-mailbox delivery performance, continuously testing a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90 percent of First-Class Mail volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a systemwide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.
PricewaterhouseCoopers measures service performance for overnight, two-day and three-day service commitment areas to provide national, area office, and performance cluster estimates of service performance. This data is compared with Postal Service delivery standards and the results are presented to the public each postal quarter.
Smith also reported that the most recent Gallup survey shows 93 percent of households nationwide reported having a positive view of the Postal Service. Customer Satisfaction Measurement (CSM) is independently measured by The Gallup Organization which conducts surveys on a variety of postal issues and services from a customer's perspective. These include accuracy and consistency of delivery; retail clerk courtesy, knowledge, and responsiveness to customers; and telephone courtesy and accuracy of information provided, to name a few. The Postal Service uses survey results to identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction.
EXFC Overnight Service Commitment FEBRUARY 23, 2002 TO MAY 17, 2002 (PQ III, FY 2002)
EXFC externally measures collection box to mailbox delivery performance. EXFC continuously tests a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90% of First-Class volume originates and 80% destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.