Postmaster delivers bundle of bad news

[RightinNYC]

washingtonpost.com

The U.S. Postal Service estimates $238 billion in losses in the next 10 years if lawmakers, postal regulators and unions don't give the mail agency more flexibility in setting delivery schedules, price increases and labor costs.

...

The Postal Service experienced a 13 percent drop in mail volume last fiscal year, more than double any previous decline, and lost $3.8 billion. The projections anticipate steeper drops in mail volume and revenue over the next 10 years. For the first time, the agency is acknowledging that it seems unlikely mail volume will ever return to pre-recession levels.

In an effort to offset some of the losses, the agency is pushing anew for a dramatic reshaping of how Americans get and send their letters and packages. Potter is seeking more flexibility in the coming year to set delivery schedules, prices and labor costs. The changes could mean an end to Saturday mail deliveries, longer delivery times for letters and packages, increases in postage-stamp prices that exceed the rate of inflation, and -- possibly -- future layoffs.

That's just mindblowing. It's a rapid change from the Service's previous stability, but I guess this was predictable given our increased reliance on the internet.

 

[liblady]

washingtonpost.com



That's just mindblowing. It's a rapid change from the Service's previous stability, but I guess this was predictable given our increased reliance on the internet.

no reason why they shouldn't raise rates, even at a buck a letter it's an incredible deal.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

washingtonpost.com



That's just mindblowing. It's a rapid change from the Service's previous stability, but I guess this was predictable given our increased reliance on the internet.

My company just had it's Q4 meeting with all of us and they had a larger drop in production and orders.

Guess what they did to keep revenue, after costs, the same?
They cut employees, streamlined and consolidated production.

Why doesn't the post office do the same thing?

 

[Navy Pride]

Except for packages I rarely use the post office......EMAIL is so much easier and quicker.......

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

Except for packages I rarely use the post office......EMAIL is so much easier and quicker.......

Truth in that.

I just eliminated all but 1 of my monthly bills with online bill pay.
Buying stamps sucks.

 

[Councilman]

Were I in charge policy I would look into reducing delivery to 3 days per week. You would receive mail on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Reduce the work force through attrition and early retirement and reduce retirement benefits by freezing all payments at current levels with no chance of increase.

With email letter writing is pretty much a thing of the past. As an insensitive for people to buy a computer I have a one time Government provided coupon offer for $150 on the purchase of a basic no frills computer, and mandate a low price of about $10 a month for dial up internet connections to be added to the phone bill.

The coupon offer would last for 6 months and I would also like to see a tax credit of $150. This would make the cost of a Computer only the cost of a monitor key board and Mouse which is very little.

Today most all bills can be payed online and you could recieve your bills on line. I get reminders of such things on line every day.

A little thought and the Postal Service could find it's self in the green in no time.

 

[Arch Enemy]

I heard this Post employee who wrote to a podcast that lambasted junk mail in an episode, he said that without junk mail he wouldn't have a job.

 

[WI Crippler]

My company just had it's Q4 meeting with all of us and they had a larger drop in production and orders.

Guess what they did to keep revenue, after costs, the same?
They cut employees, streamlined and consolidated production.

Why doesn't the post office do the same thing?

When companies cut jobs its called corporate greed. When the government does it, its called fiscal responsibility.

I do agree that the PO should follow suit. In fact, I think they should contract with power/utility companies for online bill pay services, since many of them have third party contractors that charge $4 for online bill pay service.

 

[Councilman]

I heard this Post employee who wrote to a podcast that lambasted junk mail in an episode, he said that without junk mail he wouldn't have a job.

Actually that sounds about right since in my case junk mail comes in at a rate of at least 15 to 1 against the few bills I get. The bulk rate is pretty cheap but creates a lot of trash.

 

[Ethereal]

no reason why they shouldn't raise rates, even at a buck a letter it's an incredible deal.

Absolutely. The USPS is operating far below market prices. They need to increase their prices.

 

[Slartibartfast]

My company just had it's Q4 meeting with all of us and they had a larger drop in production and orders.

Guess what they did to keep revenue, after costs, the same?
They cut employees, streamlined and consolidated production.

Why doesn't the post office do the same thing?

Given that they want to have flexability in compensation and delivery, it sounds like thats what they are trying to do.

 

[Deuce]

Declining usage isn't a bit surprise the way things are today.

 

[Harry Guerrilla]

When companies cut jobs its called corporate greed. When the government does it, its called fiscal responsibility.

I do agree that the PO should follow suit. In fact, I think they should contract with power/utility companies for online bill pay services, since many of them have third party contractors that charge $4 for online bill pay service.

Your behind the times man, ING Direct has free online bill pay and free mail a check for companies that don't accept online bill pay.

Online banking FTW!!

 

[randel]

no reason why they shouldn't raise rates, even at a buck a letter it's an incredible deal.

agreed....i asked my local post office lady why the post office just doesnt raise rates to 50 or 75 cents a stamp, instead of dicking around with a penny or two here and there...she says they can't because they are not allowed to make a profit....she says an end to saturday mail delivery is all but certain within the next year from what she hears.

 

[danarhea]

agreed....i asked my local post office lady why the post office just doesnt raise rates to 50 or 75 cents a stamp, instead of dicking around with a penny or two here and there...she says they can't because they are not allowed to make a profit....she says an end to saturday mail delivery is all but certain within the next year from what she hears.

2 days a week would work, and also put the Postal Service in the black.

 

[Zyphlin]

no reason why they shouldn't raise rates, even at a buck a letter it's an incredible deal.

I agree completely. When it was a time where it was the primary form of written communication or communication outside of real time the rates needed to remain low to be able to actually allow for communication to be reasonable in the larger quantities that it'd occur.

With the proliferation of the internet, email, forums, chat rooms, instant messengers, faxes, and texting the need for actual snail mail communication is severely lowered and is much more narrow focused. As such I think a rate hike due to the reduction in quantity is likely a reasonable and necessary thing.

 

[Deuce]

I agree completely. When it was a time where it was the primary form of written communication or communication outside of real time the rates needed to remain low to be able to actually allow for communication to be reasonable in the larger quantities that it'd occur.

With the proliferation of the internet, email, forums, chat rooms, instant messengers, faxes, and texting the need for actual snail mail communication is severely lowered and is much more narrow focused. As such I think a rate hike due to the reduction in quantity is likely a reasonable and necessary thing.

I'm inclined to agree. I can't even remember the last time I mailed something.

 

[ludahai]

That's just mindblowing. It's a rapid change from the Service's previous stability, but I guess this was predictable given our increased reliance on the internet.

Frankly, I am surprised it has taken this long...

 

[ludahai]

2 days a week would work, and also put the Postal Service in the black.

Amazing the US postal service is reduced to considering this when I live in a country where the post man comes past several times a day with a mail rate a fraction of that in the U.S. -- of course, with a much higher population density, it does make the enterprise more efficient.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Except for packages I rarely use the post office......EMAIL is so much easier and quicker.......

Same here.

I might ship something a few times a year at the USPS and that just costs a few bucks a pop.