Tuesday, December 29, 2009

A Comprehensive Look Back at 2009

The year 2009 will be remembered for the historic declines in mail volume and revenue. Equally important, however, is how USPS employees delivered great service and kept customer satisfaction at an all-time high.

In the face of challenges from the recession, which led to enormous spending cuts and workhour reductions, USPS was voted the most trusted government agency for the fifth consecutive year. The Postal Service also was ranked as one of the most trusted corporations.

The Postal Service made progress on several strategic initiatives to ensure affordable service in the years ahead.

Recent improvements to usps.com now make it easier to use Click-N-Ship and PC Postage, find and pay for a PO Box, schedule a package pickup — including parcels being returned — and apply for a permit for Business Reply Mail.

The Summer Sale showed that USPS can grow the mail through innovative pricing incentives. The popular Priority Mail Flat Rate Box TV ads and realignment of the USPS Sales Force strengthened customer outreach.

The new Customer Experience Management system — which measures everything from mailpiece design to preparation to customer service to delivery — is helping USPS listen more effectively to customers and adapt to their needs.

More customers are using Intelligent Mail barcodes, which provide a wealth of information about the status of mail in transit. Deployment of the Flats Sequencing System is reducing manual handling, resulting in more consistent service and lower costs.

The Postal Service continued its environmental leadership by expanding energy conservation and recycling efforts at facilities nationwide. It became the first federal agency and the largest U.S. organization to measure and report on its greenhouse gas emissions — an important step toward reducing emissions 20 percent by 2020. USPS also remains the only shipper to offer Cradle-to-Cradle certification for its Express Mail and Priority Mail packaging materials, as well as display materials in Post Offices.

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