New Bill Designed to Help the Post Office Compete

SANDY SPRINGS, GA, February 25, 2020 - The United States Postal Service (USPS) reported another year of losses marking the 13 year of consecutive losses, according to the Citizens Against Government Waste. Late in 2018, the Task Force on the United States Postal System presented its findings and then earlier this month the House of Representatives passed the USPS Fairness Act (H.R. 2382) as a step to help the post office become more competitive.

How will the post office continue to evolve? Slowly should be your expected response. While Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and the other players can form new alliances, create new services, and adapt new technology, changes to the United States Postal Service (USPS) literally require an act of Congress.

While the post office slowly evolves, consumers often complain about their level of service - delayed mail, lost mail, long lines, and disgruntled employees. What can consumers do? Here are some trends to be aware of:

1. Mail may be delivered at different times. You might remember the same letter carrier bringing the mail to your house when you grew up, but today the delivery routes are designed around volume and employee schedules. Routes can be shared and traded on a daily basis.
2. You may not receive any mail some days. The post office manages first class mail, junk mail, certified mail, Priority Mail, and several other classes of mail and it does not all move through the system uniformly. Some days you may receive more first class mail, other days more advertisements, and some days you may not receive anything. Sign up for Informed Delivery® by USPS. Receive a daily email that shows the mail that will arrive soon.
3. Employees change and routes change, but usually your home is still serviced primarily by the same person. Get to know your regular letter carrier and they can answer a lot of your questions about your delivery and pickup.
4. First class service is not a premium service. Take advantage of a cheap 55¢ stamp to send a greeting card or invoice, but pay the premium when premium service is needed for important documents that you cannot afford to lose or need to be delivered within a specific time frame. Turn to FedEx and UPS for their guaranteed delivery time frame.
5. Mail is lost or stolen everyday. Drop off important items at a post office or another trusted location, never send cash, keep receipts for gift cards, and pay the premiums for tracking and declared value coverage when sending valuable items.

For more information about Mail Center Etc in Sandy Springs or to speak with someone about sending and receiving your letters and packages, please call them at 404-843-0425 or visit their website www.mailcenteretc.com.

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