Are You Using the Postal Service App?

on Feb 20, 2012 in Products & Services | 12 comments

The U.S. Postal Service launched its first mobile application for the iPhone in October 2009. On several occasions, the app was listed as one of the top 10 free business applications for the iPhone. Using this application, customers can find post offices, look up zip codes, calculate postage prices, and track packages. Nearly 985,000 customers have downloaded this application and more than 50,400 use it at least once a week.

 Loading ...

Postal Service Consolidation Plans

on Feb 13, 2012 in Strategy & Public Policy | 12 comments

According to the Postal Service, greater use of electronic communication continues to drive customers away from using First-Class Mail®. Instead of buying stamps, many customers pay bills online, send ‘e-invitations’ to friends and family, and simply press “Send” when they want to communicate. These shifting customer habits will continue to speed the migration away from traditional First-Class Mail. According to the Postal Service, First-Class Mail has dropped 25 percent and single-piece First-Class Mail – letters bearing postal stamps – has declined 36 percent in the past 5 years.

Why Saturday?

on Feb 6, 2012 in Delivery & Collection | 16 comments

In an effort to reduce costs, the U.S. Postal Service has proposed cutting delivery service to five days per week by eliminating Saturday delivery. For a moment, let’s ignore the argument over whether the delivery days should be cut to five to ask another question: is Saturday the right day to cut?

While the Postal Service says Saturday has the lowest daily mail volume, it is the one day when most people are home to accept their mail. Some mail recipients say that Saturday is the delivery day they would least like to eliminate. Many periodicals and advertising mailers value Saturday above all other days because their customers have more time to read their magazines and ads and are more likely to act on them. Equally important, busy households are also available to accept packages—a competitive advantage the Postal Service has over the competition. Lastly, eliminating Saturday delivery could further crowd post offices with customers retrieving their packages.