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Postal News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2002
Contact: (202) 268-2155
Release No. 02-087
USPS Delivers On Time For America

WASHINGTON, DC - The Postal Service reported today that it continues to achieve record breaking delivery scores for First-Class Mail in the nation's major metropolitan areas.

Francia G. Smith, vice president and consumer advocate, told the Postal Board of Governors meeting in Washington that First-Class Mail was delivered on time an average of 94 percent of the time during the last quarter of the Postal Service's 2002 fiscal year. This is the second consecutive quarter in which delivery of First-Class Mail has met this benchmark. In addition, the last quarter of FY02 (May 18 through September 6, 2002) was the twentieth consecutive quarter-five years-that First-Class Mail has met or exceeded a delivery standard 93 percent, or more, of the time.

First-Class Mail delivery performance is measured externally and independently by PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting using the External First-Class measurement system, or EXFC. It provides an independent assessment of the time elapsed between the time that a piece of First-Class Mail enters the mail stream via collection box, to the time of it is delivered at one of the 138 million American homes, businesses and post office boxes served by the Postal Service six days a week. EXFC service performance scores are measured by testing 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geography and volume density from which 90 percent of First-Class Mail volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.

According to Smith, Central Plains; San Jose, CA and its surrounding metropolitan area; North Dakota and South Dakota each achieved on-time delivery performance scores of 96 percent. An additional 28 geographic areas, designated as "performance clusters," attained on-time delivery scores of 95 percent. The Postal Service has defined a system of management units by geographic area called performance clusters. There are 85 performance clusters nationwide.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting 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.

Vice President and Consumer Advocate Francia G. Smith also reported that the most recent Gallup survey shows 93 percent of households nationwide reported having a positive view of the Postal Service. This is the fourth consecutive quarter in which ratings of overall performance have reached 93 percent. 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
MAY 18, 2002 TO SEPTEMBER 6, 2002 (PQ IV, 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.

PERFORMANCE CLUSTER RESULTS LOCAL 3-DIGIT ZIP CODES
AKRON 94 436, 442, 443, 445, 447, 449
ALABAMA 94 350, 351, 352, 358, 361, 366
ALASKA* 95 995, 996
ALBANY 95 120, 121, 122, 123, 128, 130, 131, 132, 135, 139
ALBUQUERQUE 95 870, 871
APPALACHIAN 93 240, 250, 251, 252, 253, 263, 264, 265
ARIZONA 95 850, 852, 853, 855, 856, 857
ARKANSAS 93 720, 721, 722, 723, 727
ATLANTA 94 300, 301, 302, 303
BALTIMORE 95 210, 211, 212, 214, 217, 219
BIG SKY 94 590, 591, 598
BOSTON 93 021, 024
CAPITAL 95 200, 206, 207, 208, 209
CARIBBEAN 90 009
CENTRAL FLORIDA 94 327, 328, 329, 334
CENTRAL ILLINOIS 95 604, 605, 616, 617, 618, 627
CENTRAL NEW JERSEY 92 077, 078, 079, 085, 086, 088, 089
CENTRAL PLAINS 96 515, 516, 666, 670, 671, 672, 680, 681, 685
CHICAGO 93 606, 607
CINCINNATI 95 410, 450, 451, 452, 454, 458,470
CLEVELAND 94 440, 441
COLORADO/WYOMING 93 800, 801, 802, 803, 809, 820
COLUMBUS 93 430, 431, 432, 433
CONNECTICUT 94 060, 061, 062, 064, 069
DAKOTAS 96 570, 571, 573, 581
DALLAS 94 750, 751, 752, 754, 757
DETROIT 95 481, 482, 492
ERIE 95 159, 161, 164, 165, 166
FORT WORTH 95 760, 761, 762, 764, 791, 794
GATEWAY 92 620, 622, 630, 631, 633, 652
GREATER INDIANA 95 460, 461, 462, 463, 464, 466, 468, 469, 473, 478, 479
GREATER MICHIGAN 93 486, 488, 489, 490, 493, 494, 495
GREATER S CAROLINA 94 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 295, 296
GREENSBORO 94 270, 271, 272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278, 286
HARRISBURG 94 170, 171, 172, 178, 180, 185, 187
HAWKEYE 95 500, 501, 502, 503, 507, 511, 520, 524, 612
HONOLULU 95 967, 968
HOUSTON 93 770, 772, 773, 774
KENTUCKIANA 95 400, 401, 402, 405, 406, 471, 477
LAKELAND 95 530, 531, 532, 535, 537, 543, 544, 549
LANCASTER 94 176, 189, 193, 194, 196
LONG BEACH 94 902, 903, 904, 905, 906, 907, 908
LONG ISLAND 94 115, 117, 118, 119
LOS ANGELES 94 900
LOUISIANA 94 700, 701, 705, 708, 711
MAINE 94 040, 041, 043, 044, 045, 048
MID-AMERICA 94 640, 641, 658, 661, 662
MID-CAROLINAS 93 280, 281, 282, 283, 288, 297
MIDDLESEX-CENTRAL 93 015, 016, 017, 018, 019
MISSISSIPPI 95 386, 390, 391, 392, 395
NEW HAMPSHIRE 95 030, 031, 032, 033, 034, 038
NEW YORK 92 100, 104
NORTH FLORIDA 94 320, 321, 322, 323, 325, 326
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 94 600, 601, 602, 603, 611
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY 92 070, 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 076
NORTHERN VIRGINIA 95 201, 220, 221, 222, 223
NORTHLAND 94 540, 546, 550, 551, 553, 554, 559, 563
OAKLAND 94 945, 946, 947, 948
OKLAHOMA 94 730, 731, 740, 741, 743
PHILADELPHIA 94 190, 191
PITTSBURGH 95 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 156
PORTLAND 93 970, 971, 972, 973, 974, 986
RICHMOND 95 224, 225, 230, 231, 232, 233, 234, 235, 238
RIO GRANDE 95 765, 767, 780, 781, 782, 784, 786, 787, 788, 789, 797, 799
ROYAL OAK 93 480, 483, 484, 485
SACRAMENTO 94 952, 956, 957, 958
SALT LAKE CITY 94 840, 841, 844
SAN DIEGO 95 919, 920, 921, 924
SAN FRANCISCO 94 940, 941, 943, 944, 949
SAN JOSE 96 933, 937, 939, 950, 951
SANTA ANA 94 917, 918, 926, 927, 928
SEATTLE 94 980, 981, 982, 984, 985
SIERRA NEVADA 95 890, 891, 895
SOUTH FLORIDA 95 330, 331, 332, 333
SOUTH GEORGIA 93 309, 310, 312, 314, 319
SOUTH JERSEY 93 080, 081, 082, 083, 084, 197, 198
SOUTHEAST NEW ENGLAND 94 020, 023, 027, 028, 029
SPOKANE 95 835, 837, 838, 990, 991, 992, 994
SPRINGFIELD 94 010, 011, 012, 013, 050, 054
SUNCOAST 94 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 341, 342, 346
TENNESSEE 95 370, 371, 372, 374, 379, 380, 381
TRIBORO 93 110, 112, 113, 114, 116
VAN NUYS 95 911, 913, 914, 915, 916, 930, 931
WESTCHESTER 94 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 125
WESTERN NEW YORK 95 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146


*2-day service commitment only

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