A coincidence gets a package delivered- eventually…
How the Royal Mail got an undeliverable package home, thanks to a lucky break…
wongablog
Dummy grenade in the mail clears Welsh PO
A jiffy bag containing a replica hand grenade purchased on eBay broke open in a post office in Wales- resulting in a few tense moments…
Not another rate increase!
Here’s one argument for postal reform- streamlining the rate setting process might avoid giving people the impression that stamp prices go up every couple of months. This week’s BOG meeting, which set the implementation date for the rate increase being considered by the PRC produced headlines like this: ”Postal Service plans to raise rates“, as if this was yet another increase. Once the PRC makes a decision, there will be more headlines, followed by still more when the BOG accepts the decision, followed by even more when the rates actually go into effect.
Our competitors raise their rates at least once a year, in January, and slap on fuel surcharges and other extra fees whenever they see fit, with barely a peep from the press- what’s wrong with this picture?
Classic Mailbox
From Flickr… Oh, it’s a classic all right! Looks like someone missed this one when it was time for repainting…
Five years later: answers elude anthrax inquiry
The first victim of the 2001 anthrax mailings was Robert Stevens, 63, a photo editor with the tabloid The Sun. Five years later, his widow is still fighting to get the government to find out why he and the other victims died.
Lane named Vice President, Capital Metro Area
From USPS News Link:
Postmaster General Jack Potter today announced the appointment of Jerry Lane as Vice President, Area Operations, Capital Metro Area.
Lane has served as Manager, Capital Metro Operations, since July 2002. With the expansion of Capital Metro from four to seven Performance Clusters in April 2006, managing all aspects of operations across a territory that includes Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina and the District of Columbia requires the resources and focus that can most effectively be provided through our Area structure. Capital Metro is our ninth field administrative area.
“Jerry’s commitment to our employees, our customers and the Postal Service is reflected in the outstanding service performance throughout Capital Metro,” said Postmaster General Jack Potter. “Capital Metro Area employees have established themselves as leaders in service, consistently finishing at or above the national average in overnight External First-Class measurement scores.”
Lane, who began his career in 1978 as a New York City letter carrier, has developed a strong background in both mail processing and customer service operations. He was plant manager at both the Queens, NY, and Baltimore Processing and Distribution Centers. He later served as District Manager for the Baltimore and Capital Districts. As Capital District Manager,
Lane’s leadership and concern for our employees was an important element of our recovery from the tragic anthrax attacks of 2001. Lane was the recipient of the Postmaster General Award in 2002 and the Vice President’s Award in 2000. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from John Jay College.
The Alaska mail subsidy at work
For years the postal service has been required by law to subsidize parcel post shipments to and from Alaska. As a result, every now and then you see a story like this one:
Couple moving to Minnesota sends all belongings via Postal Service
Postal Worksharing and Bicycle Assembly
Chris Lien suggests a metaphor for the contentious discussion on postal worksharing:
“Do we purchase the bicycle fully assembled and ready to ride off the show floor, or do we accept a discount on the price of the bicycle and assemble it ourselves?”
9/11: Church Street station
Here’s a piece I wish I had seen yesterday from the Stamp Collecting Round-Up blog. The National Postal Museum’s online exhibit, mentioned in the story, is a surprisingly moving experience- especially seeing the bullseye canceller with the date “SEP 11 2001″, followed by the “UNKNOWN: RETURN TO SENDER” stamp from “NEW YORK, NY 10048″.
Shape matters
The upcoming changes in rates present challenges for mailers, but also opportunities- one obvious response to shape-based rates will be changes to the way mailers package their product- see the press release below for one company’s strategy suggestions:
Proposed Postage-Rate Increase Pushes Mailing Efficiency
Creative packaging solutions offer significant savings
The U.S. Postal Service recently filed to raise postal rates in spring 2007. The proposed rates, driven by rising operational costs, follow a more complex pricing structure than the flat 5.4% increase implemented last January. For the first time, the rate structure will rely on shape, as well as weight. The proposed rates include price incentives to promote mailing efficiency.
Under the new system, flats and parcels face higher increases because of their higher handling costs. Now, for example, consumers can mail a three-ounce letter, flat or parcel for $0.87. The shape-based rates will lower mailing costs for the same three-ounce letter to $0.82. However, postage rates for the three-ounce flat will increase to $1.02, and the rate for the three-ounce parcel will jump 61% to $1.40.
“The proposed pricing structure encourages use of flat and letter mailings whenever possible to take advantage of automated processing,” says Marvin Makofsky, president of Conformer® Expansion Products, a Long Island-based company that maximizes mailing efficiency with its patented line of expanding envelopes. “Organizations that rely heavily on mass mailings can save thousands of dollars by converting flat mailings to letter mailings and parcel mailings to flat mailings.”
DVDs, for instance, typically ship in padded mailers as parcels. Innovative products like the Conformer Expansion Envelope enable the post office to process DVDs as flats. For companies that mail these items in quantity, the savings add up quickly: $10,000 on a mailing of 50,000.
In some cases, organizations can reap huge savings by literally thinking out of the box. For example, a national bank that mails personal checkbooks to 500,000 clients per month can cut annual postage costs by $2.3 million, simply by switching to expandable envelopes from traditional check boxes.
“Conformer Expansion Products (CEP) remains committed to helping our clients overcome the challenge of rising postage rates by providing creative, cost-effective mailing options,” says Bob Makofsky, General Manager of CEP.
Conformer Expansion Products offers creative marketing solutions—including envelopes, portfolios and presentation folders—that feature the company’s award-winning, patented designs. These multifunctional products use revolutionary expansion technology and are compatible with industry-standard mailing systems.
CONTACT:
Bob Makofsky
Conformer Expansion Products, Inc.
516-504-6300 - Ext. 307
bmakofsky@conformerinc.com
Send press releases to pr@postalnews.com