Postmaster General champions value of mail on national broadcast

From leveraging cutting-edge technology to conducting national elections, mail matters to American consumers and businesses and finding ways to make mail more valuable is invaluable to the future of the U.S. Postal Service.

That’s the message Postmaster General John E. Potter shared with more than 14,000 customers and Postal Service officials gathered at more than 150 sites to participate in National PCC Day today. The Postal Customer Council™ is a network of community-based business mailers and representatives of the U.S. Postal Service, who gather regularly to share ideas and resources to create a closer working relationship. On both the national and local levels, Postal Customer Councils (PCCs) work to continually improve service and communications.

Today there are more than 200 local PCCs with approximately 120,000 members across the country. Regular meetings, education programs, mailer clinics and seminars keep members informed of developments in the Postal Service. All 200 PCCs participated in National PCC Day.

The Intelligent Mail Barcode is one way the Postal Service is leveraging technology to provide greater value and ease to business mailers, he said. Intelligent Mail barcodes provide a wealth of information to mailers, including the ability to track mail end-to-end. More than 200 mailers are using the barcode, according to Potter. Earlier this month, the Postal Service recorded a major milestone: the one billionth barcode was scanned. One out of every 100 pieces of mail sorted daily now contains the Intelligent Mail Barcode — and use of the barcode is entirely voluntary at this time.

Potter was joined during the broadcast by Georgann Dustan of the Elections Division of Multnomah County, OR, who praised the security of the mail and Postal Service infrastructure that helped make voting by mail a success in her state, and by John Greco, president and chief executive officer of the Direct Marketing Association. Greco estimated that marketers will invest more than USD 55 billion on direct mail this year.

Greco shared several changes underway by the direct mail industry to make advertising mail more personal, more targeted, and a smart business decision, saying that marketer receive an extraordinary USD 12.47 return on investment for every dollar spent.

Potter and Greco also addressed the proposals in 15 states that could create Do Not Mail legislation, similar to the Do Not Call registry that became law more than three years ago. Greco said the industry was stepping up to the challenge, adopting a range of business practices that will keep mail welcomed by consumers, including a “Recycle Please” program and other actions that can have a more positive impact on the environment.

But that wasn’t the only legislative issue discussed during the national broadcast. Potter spoke of the new competitive environment created by the postal law and the ways the Postal Service has been working to understand and implement the opportunities, including setting service and measurement standards for every class of mail, being profit-driven, and redefining the rate and pricing processes.

Potter said that no decision has been made yet on the timing or method of the next rate adjustment.