USPS LOOKS TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR NEW IDEAS

PMG Potter

EXPLORING INNOVATION
USPS LOOKS TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR NEW IDEAS

When PMG Jack Potter last March announced the Postal Service’s plan for what he termed a “leaner, more market responsive Postal Service that can thrive far into the future,” he challenged anyone with a vested interest in a viable postal system to put forth ideas to help the organization move forward.

Since March, postal officials have been meeting regularly with customers and other stakeholders to bring them into the process. In August, Senior Vice President, Customer Relations, Steve Kearney organized an “Innovation Symposium” with the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee, during which 130 of the Postal Service’s largest customers addressed 10 topics, ranging from the future of the organization to a discussion of which areas could be more innovative.

Ideas submitted included ways to increase electronic services to hybrid mail and suggestions on how to restore the “mail moment” — when delivery of a mailpiece is eagerly anticipated by residential customers.

The search for ideas continued on Sept. 15 — National Postal Customer Council (PCC) Day — when the 200 local PCCs were asked for feedback on ideas. “PCCs regularly provide us with valuable feedback,” said Vice President, Sales, Susan Plonkey. “They’ll do the same as we explore potential innovations to respond to an evolving marketplace.”

The latest event for gathering innovative ideas took place this week near Washington, DC, when more than 100 stakeholders representing Congress, regulators, customers and USPS heard presentations from experts on the future of the mail and shared their thoughts. “You are the movers and shakers of a $1 trillion industry,” Potter said in remarks at the start of the event. “This industry is at a fork in the road, and your input is critical to us.”

Scott Bedbury, CEO of Brandstream, a market branding consultant and former marketing executive at Nike and Starbucks, provided an upbeat view of the Postal Service’s place in a digital world. He said the mail offers a unique “physical” experience that digital media can’t provide. He urged his audience to “rekindle and leverage the nobility and greater good that is in the DNA of the USPS with a new generation of products, services, brand experiences and messages.”

Bedbury also discussed the role of employees in a rejuvenated USPS. “Never underestimate the value of dedicated employees that have a sense of mission and nobility,” he said. “Imagine what you could do with 600,000 such employees.”

14 Responses to "USPS LOOKS TO STAKEHOLDERS FOR NEW IDEAS"

  1. We need to get 21st century. Bring in Postal Buddy 2. Get these small PO’s automated and designed with Zero Energy thinking. We could make money with an internet café in some locations. Faster and easier transport/docking/delivery will save money… Automated delivery vehcles, electric – hydrogen – other clean fuels are available. Plenty of ideas to save and make money and keep jobs too…

  2. Get with it. Suggested New Stamp. A stamp “sales” competitor with the Elvis Stamp. Last week the Three Stooges, mentioned in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette comics section, Drabble. Again, Get With It.

  3. Improve letter carrier morale and save money for postal service. Create workweek 4 days week 10 hrs day on rotating shifts to cover 6 day service week. Treat 10 hour days like the current 8 hr day; overtime only kicks in after 10 hours. Save post service hundreds thousand dollars, by decreasing overtime payments; and boost morale of carriers

  4. I have great Idea for a series of commercials, to whom or where do I submit this Idea to?

    William – we don’t know the answer to your question – try usps.com

  5. U.S.P.S. should connect with Hallmark for a nationwide campaign. They could difinitely use each other. Great to know you can send grandma a birthday card from Wisconsin to California for less than 50 cents. It’s clearly a bargain!

  6. Obviously you did not like my idea of having a national art contest at the HS level to create the next book of stamp- or printable stamps at the APC. It doesn’t matter- since you could have directed the general public to the USPS website to vote, I am not surprised by a no response.

    One thing I like about Fed EX- is their hold at location for pick up option, they screwed up once, but if I have tickets coming- I will always select that option. Oh well- I expect another non response. Jack Benson – rural carrier 85268 42.

    Jack – When you post comments at PEN USPS does not have to respond. PEN is not affilitated with USPS other than being a news and resource site for employees and retirees of USPS. Thanks for visiting PEN. Rick Owens

  7. I have an idea. Express is a premium product but it not treated as premium product. You have to wait in a long line to purchase it in the post office. I suggest that there be an “express only” counter. As a carrier in No Va, I saw a customer, who after being served at the counter, was outside when he realzed he wanted Express mail. However, he did not want to wait back in line. We lost a customer for exress that day!! Treat it as a premium product. The clerk who is working the “Express” counter cn take the next person in line when there are no express customers. This may encourage people to use express if there is a line for it.

  8. I have a wonerful idea….stop micro-manageing every single move we make on the job. allow us to carry mail in whatever way works for each individual. stop with all the harassment and BS and clipboard guys. Let us do the job in peace. I’ve been a carrier on Long Island for 8 years….every year they give us more stupid stuff to scan or sign for or redundant activities like the 3m case or hitting in your milage 47 times a day! Put more clerks on the window so our customers dont loathe going to the Post Office….you’ve automated all the mail but the forwarding system dosen’t work. some of us used to actually enjoy the job and helping our customers, now we all hate it (11795) and we’ve had our routes added to so much we dont have time to tie our shoes or sneeze let alone helping out a customer (geez maybe generate some business) ok Im wasting my breath here you get the point… the people who do all the work but arent alowed to think are held accountable for every stupid decicion made by the layers and layers of stupid managers who couldnt do the job themselves…etc. etc. Dont even get me started on FSS…. I give up!

  9. our porposal, as stated in the progressive populist, is to bring back POSTAL BANKING. It is done in New Zealand, Germany, Japan and is a HUGE success.
    I have done that in germany and it worked like a charm! saving us many trips and fees but also supporting the postal system.

    Also, support the a bill introduced by Rep. Steve Lynch to REPEAL the postal accountability and enhancement act.

    Union bosses: GET TO WORK

  10. I don’t work for the post office but have an idea that could bring some of the postal services practices into the future, get people to enjoy and use the postal service more, and create more revenue overall. I have had the idea for a while, but don’t know how to get it off the ground, with all the expensive fees it takes. I only have the idea. No prototype etc. If the postal service was interested, feel free to email me for my address to send an NDA.

  11. Easy. The Postal Service can no longer provide free home deliveries. We pay carriers to travel nearly every street and county road in the US and do not charge a penny. I say stop the free service and start collecting a fee for the service. Duh. It sure would be nice if internet service was free.

  12. You will have to access eIDEA in the Lite Blue page at the post office where you work. I submitted one last November that has the potential to make USPS millions of dollars while fulfilling a national need. Haven’t heard from them yet.

  13. Hi, I am a letter carrier at 129 Main StreetStony Brook New York 11790. I have a great idea to save millions for the post office. I have been a letter carrier for 14 years.

    1.What are the incentives if it goes national?

    2. Will I still get the bonus money if I leave the Post Office before my idea is implemented?

    3. Where do I go to submit my idea? Thank You for your time and patience. Jeffrey Woelfel- Stony Brook Letter Carrier

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