Give Customers What They Really Want

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Customers in line at post office

The economy has changed dramatically over the last 12 months. The Postal Service’s financial situation has changed, as well as its target markets and the fortunes and requirements of its customers. If the Postal Service gathers appropriate data to fully understand customers’ needs and desires, and offers relevant solutions, customers are more likely to choose the Postal Service as their primary supplier of mail products and services.

The customer experience includes attributes such as access, convenience, products, services, price and relationship with the Postal Service. Unpleasant experiences can reduce brand loyalty. Understanding and addressing these customer “pain points” is critical to helping to increase customer retention and revenue streams.

The challenges are to ensure that every potential and existing customer with a need for postal products and services is aware of the Postal Service’s ability to deliver value, and that the Postal Service captures sufficient information to respond to their needs. Whenever and wherever possible, the Postal Service must understand what customers want and need, and they must meet customers’ expectations. If the Postal Service is to move toward a “best in class” sales organization, it needs to focus on excellence of execution and delivering value to customers.

Is the Postal Service providing products and services that meet customers’ needs?

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What can the Postal Service do differently to better understand customer needs in various markets?

What can the Postal Service do to enhance the positive customer experiences and reduce the negative experiences?

We’re excited to begin the conversation and hope you’ll chime in with thoughts and comments along the way.

This topic is hosted by the OIG’s Office of Audit’s Sales & Service team.

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Permalink | Comments (12) | Jun 21, 2010

 

 

12 Responses to “Give Customers What They Really Want”

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  1. 12
    Bob Says:
    September 2nd, 2010 at 10:42 am

    The Postal Service has heard from many customers over the years about what they need. The answer always is “we can’t do that” or “the Commission won’t let us do that” or “we will study it.” One thing Bernstock did was say “ok I hear you to some of the requests” from customers. Yet the HQ bureaucracy killed the vast majority of those efforts. After all, “we don’t do things like that” or “people might critize us.”

    More studies aren’t needed. Or, perhaps more accuratley, before the Postal Service tries to “better understand” what customers might want, they have to be prepared to ACT, to actually walk the walk and not just talk the talk. 99% of the time they don’t walk the walk.

  2. 11
    Term Says:
    July 9th, 2010 at 11:09 pm

    I live in a city of over 20,000 people. We are are fortunate enough to have fast curtious clerks who work hard and do a great job. The postal workers on the front lines, i.e. the carriers and clerks, are the ones who take the brunt of the cut backs by working longer hours and having to increase routes. I would love to see a solution, but it’s an antiquated system whose cost of operation can only go up. I like the idea of reducing delivery days from 6 to 5 or even four if it somehow wouldn’t affect anyone’s ability to earn a living.

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