Postal Digest – News from La Poste, Norway Post, Itella and USPS
Some more of the latest news from around the global postal sector, including a digital mail trial in Finland and a pledge by La Poste to help migrants access postal services.
La Poste in pledge to help migrants
La Poste Group has signed an agreement with the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) that should lead to better access to postal services for migrants in France.
The French national postal service said it has already been working in this area since 2006 with its Diversity and Disability Management unit, but the OFII will now develop and implement a policy to help foreigners in France to understand the postal system and services available through the post office.
La Poste said the partnership comes into force this month, and should see OFII engaging with the La Poste network at a departmental level, with both organisations working to better accommodate migrants in mail, parcel and financial services.
Norway Post simplifies customer service operations
Norway Post has reorganised the structure of its customer service operations, so that Post and Bring customers are server from a single platform.
The company said starting this week, its customers will now have a simplified system with only two different numbers to call – one for retail customers and small businesses, and one for larger business customers.
Nora Steinvik, the director of Post and Bring Customer Service, and Jo Inge Wangen the director of Large Business Logistics Customer Support, said: “Finally we are on a common platform for all customer service nationally. This bodes well for our interaction.”
Tributes for USPS veteran Frank Neri
The US Postal Service has paid tribute to veteran operations manager Frank Neri, and his “key role” in developing the ongoing network consolidation plan.
Neri passed away last week following complications from a sudden illness. He first joined USPS in 1984 as an industrial engineer trainee in New York, serving in engineering and operations positions in various states until becoming Philadelphia District manager in 2005. He has spent the past four years as processing operations manager at USPS headquarters in Washington DC.
Megan Brennan, the USPS chief operating officer, said: “Frank was a dedicated postal executive and made lasting contributions to our organisation. We will miss him as a colleague and friend.”
Polish Post seeking ecommerce business
Polish Post has launched a new advertising campaign designed to attract customers in the ecommerce sector.
The campaign will include web advertising, direct mail, TV and bus advertising in major Polish cities. The Post said it is aiming to make its delivery services the natural choice of consumers when they are making purchases online.
Marcin Szymkowiak, the director of the Post’s office of promotion and marketing, said the company was confident once customers chose the Polish Post service, they will return again the next time they are shopping online.
Itella trials email delivery service
Itella Posti is trialling a new email delivery service for newspapers, magazines and direct mail in the islands of southwest Finland.
The service will send items electronically to subscribers in via the Netposti digital mail platform, thereby avoiding the sea voyage needed for the delivery of the physical versions. The project is being run in cooperation with periodical publishers, with testing involving about 100 households.
“These periodicals have certainly been long available in electronic versions, but their distribution has been patchy. Itella Posti can provide various ways for the mail recipient to log in and read the contents of their papers and letters.”
