The Postal Service on Monday plans to formally propose eliminating “overnight standards” for first-class mail, as it makes sweeping changes in a bid to avoid insolvency.
Sue Brennan, Postal Service spokeswoman, confirmed to Fox News that the service is moving forward with the overnight standard change. If approved, it means first-class mail would generally take more than a day to reach its destination.
“For example, D.C. mail to Northern Virginia could take an additional day,” she said.
First-class mail currently is guaranteed to arrive within a one-to-three day window.
Brennan explained that the Postal Service needs to overhaul service standards as it closes hundreds of processing facilities. The office announced in September it would look at closing 252 more facilities, aimed at saving up to $3 billion — after closing nearly 190 over the past five years.
It’s looking at losing up to 35,000 positions as well, and ending Saturday delivery.
First-class mail volume has dropped precipitously in recent years, contributing to the Postal Service’s financial woes. According to the office, total mail volume over the past five years dropped by more than 43 billion pieces.
The latest proposal will come before the Postal Regulatory Commission.
(Source: Fox News)
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5 Responses
In effect, Priority Mail is the new First Class. Express Mail is available if you really need next day delivery in a different city. The old First class along with the other classes are for when you are not in a hurry.
And if you need to get in some fast, use email.
Totally rediculous. The United States Postal Service First Class Mail is truly “First Class.” 2 or 3 days door to door to California? Nobody else does it better, for as cheap. With service like that, they should be rolling in dough.
The problem is mismanagement of revenue. Ask any mailperson and they will tell you that there are employees that just sit around counting mail. There are people there who just get paid for being there, that’s it.
When they switched some of their mail delivery trucks to electric or some other type of efficient fuel, they put the trucks in a zone that the closest refilling station was hundreds of miles away.
They also need to devise some kind of incentive system for their employees. That will make them more efficient and happy to do their jobs. From speaking to various mail carriers, right now there is just the opposite, they knock their employees.
There are serious management issues that when once these things are cleaned up, they will start seeing a profit.
not to mention the lousy service at some post offices that make people look for alternatives that waste less of their time
#3- Most Americans have already switched to an alternative (email) which is why the post office is going the way of the typewriter companies or the ice delivery companies (just consider how hard it is to get your horse shod in Boro Park these days – which I bet wasn’t a problem 150 years ago).
As the internet became more and more popular, the need for parcel delivery has INCREASED, not decreased, largely due to the ease of online shopping. True, for that letter from college and that cute picture to Grandma, email has taken over, but shipping small parcels has increased and nobody does it quicker and cheaper than the US Post Office. I ship all my online orders with them and I NEVER had a lost mailpiece. Yes, once in a blue moon a piece will get routed wrong, but usually in a day or two, it gets to where it has to go.