Talkin’ about the box: PO Boxes offer revenue opportunities

Cutting workhours, budgets and programs are important steps in helping the Postal Service overcome its economic challenges. But revenue generation — and more of it — is an equally important factor as USPS moves toward a more secure financial future.

That’s why increasing PO Box revenue is so important. With their high profitability, PO Boxes have become a popular service, not only with USPS, but with its competitors.

Here are some ways Postmasters can increase PO Box rentals:

• Use postcards, PO Box tags or banners to let customers know they’re available.
• Tailor sales pitches to customers with an expressed need. Customers who regularly hold their mail might be interested in a secure way to retrieve it without waiting in line.
• Manage the waiting list by keeping it current.

Personal touch also is important — upselling customers who may need larger boxes and asking for e-mail addresses to notify them when rental payments are due. No Postal Service product is as high a contributor to the bottom line as PO Boxes, so every dollar taken in from PO Box rentals is one that doesn’t have to be earned somewhere else.