AMERICANS LOVE USPS. The most recent Gallup survey shows 93% of households nationwide report having a positive view of the Postal Service. This is the fourth consecutive quarter in which ratings of overall performance have reached 93%.

Customer Satisfaction Measurement 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. USPS uses survey results to identify opportunities to improve customer satisfaction.

POSTAL E-COMMERCE. The U.S. Department of Commerce has turned to USPS as a partner in e-commerce. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office — USPTO, a part of the Department of Commerce — recently implemented a new electronic bulk mailing system in cooperation with USPS. The Trademark Postal System — TPostal — uses USPS NetPost Mailing Online to process trademark bulk mail. The Patent and Trademark Office is the first federal agency to take advantage of the integration with Mailing Online's Application Program Interface.

"The Postal Service is working very hard to offer products and services that meet the changing needs of all our customers across the country, whether they are consumers, business owners or government agencies," said Deputy PMG John Nolan. "We are pleased that the Patent and Trademark Office has found our NetPost Mailing Online service so beneficial."

USPTO documents and mail lists are sent directly to Mailing Online's network - bypassing the website interface — for printing and mailing. By using standard postcards rather than windowed letters, the labor, materials and postage costs are reduced significantly. "Electronic government is a cornerstone of the President's Management Agenda," said James Rogan, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property. "This cooperation between the USPTO and the Postal Service marks a new era in interagency cooperation and extending the benefits of e-commerce to customers."

MANAGEMENT INTERN PROGRAM. The Management Intern Program begins accepting applications from qualified internal and external candidates today. Recruitment continues until Friday, Nov. 22. Postal employees who have access to the postal "blue" intranet site can obtain the information by selecting the Management Intern Program icon on the home page.