USPS
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
The best place to gauge the impact of the current recession on the United States Postal Service is in your mailbox. An economic decline generally leads to a drop in mail volume, and we are seeing the biggest mail volume decline in history. When big mailers like the banking, insurance and housing industries struggle - mail volume suffers, too.
Mail volume in Indiana is down 15.2 percent from 2008 figures. Volume fell nationally by 9.5 billion pieces (4.5 percent) in the last year, resulting in a $2.8 billion net operating loss after paying $5.6 billion to prefund retiree health benefits, as required under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.
The Postal Service is self-supporting, funded by postal products and services, not through tax dollars. Like other businesses, we make changes to match the decline in sales. It's the only fiscally responsible course available as we strive to maintain affordable service and remain viable to best serve our customers.
The Postal Service has offered early retirement to tens of thousands of eligible employees. We're restructuring delivery routes, adjusting post office hours and relocating blue collection boxes to reflect customer demand. We're also adjusting hours in processing plants, consolidating mail processing operations and postponing construction on new post offices.
We're continuing to adapt products and services to contemporary lifestyles and to improve customers' experiences in Post Offices, on usps.com, and by phone. We're launching competitive shipping prices, and continue to use our service to every home and business to create value for customers.
These logical business measures will have an impact on employees. Some of the changes will be difficult as people find themselves doing a different job, working different hours or in a different facility. But they are necessary steps we have to take in order to prepare for the future.
We will not change our unwavering commitment to service excellence and earning our customers' trust. Our goal is to continue providing quality service at reasonable prices to more than 149 million American homes and business, including 2.5 million here in Indiana. When the economy rebounds, we'll be ready with more efficient practices and new processes and systems that continue to revolutionize the value of mail and how it is delivered to benefit customers.
E. Lynn Smith
District Manager, Customer Service and Sales
Greater Indiana District, U.S. Postal Service
Indianapolis[[In-content Ad]]
The best place to gauge the impact of the current recession on the United States Postal Service is in your mailbox. An economic decline generally leads to a drop in mail volume, and we are seeing the biggest mail volume decline in history. When big mailers like the banking, insurance and housing industries struggle - mail volume suffers, too.
Mail volume in Indiana is down 15.2 percent from 2008 figures. Volume fell nationally by 9.5 billion pieces (4.5 percent) in the last year, resulting in a $2.8 billion net operating loss after paying $5.6 billion to prefund retiree health benefits, as required under the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006.
The Postal Service is self-supporting, funded by postal products and services, not through tax dollars. Like other businesses, we make changes to match the decline in sales. It's the only fiscally responsible course available as we strive to maintain affordable service and remain viable to best serve our customers.
The Postal Service has offered early retirement to tens of thousands of eligible employees. We're restructuring delivery routes, adjusting post office hours and relocating blue collection boxes to reflect customer demand. We're also adjusting hours in processing plants, consolidating mail processing operations and postponing construction on new post offices.
We're continuing to adapt products and services to contemporary lifestyles and to improve customers' experiences in Post Offices, on usps.com, and by phone. We're launching competitive shipping prices, and continue to use our service to every home and business to create value for customers.
These logical business measures will have an impact on employees. Some of the changes will be difficult as people find themselves doing a different job, working different hours or in a different facility. But they are necessary steps we have to take in order to prepare for the future.
We will not change our unwavering commitment to service excellence and earning our customers' trust. Our goal is to continue providing quality service at reasonable prices to more than 149 million American homes and business, including 2.5 million here in Indiana. When the economy rebounds, we'll be ready with more efficient practices and new processes and systems that continue to revolutionize the value of mail and how it is delivered to benefit customers.
E. Lynn Smith
District Manager, Customer Service and Sales
Greater Indiana District, U.S. Postal Service
Indianapolis[[In-content Ad]]
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