We found Megan to be a very knowledgeable and engaging speaker. As part of our value to our clients, it’s critical that we stay abreast of the latest postal regulations and updates. Attending events like this one, where we gain direct access to USPS and in this case, the Postmaster General are invaluable to taking advantage of all of the USPS technologies to deliver enhanced value for our customers.
Here are some of the key points Megan shared with us during her keynote address at the Carolina Postal Forum event:
- The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the second largest private employer in the US
- USPS is roughly a $65B organization and is the conduit for more than $1 trillion in business commerce, representing about 7.5 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
- One area of focus is postal accountability. The new “Informed Delivery” service is one of the recent examples of this. Informed Delivery enables customer to see their mail via an email image prior to its arrival. Customers actually get to see what’s in their mailbox twice—once in an email image and also in their actual mailbox.
- To learn more about Informed Delivery, visit https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action
- In a separate, but related point, PCI Pinpoint technology enables customers to track their outgoing mail from shipping point to the consumer’s mailbox
- Megan also commented on the convergence of digital and printed mail and the importance of relevant communications. She said the whoever is in charge of the household still has that “mail moment”, so businesses still have a golden opportunity to use direct mail get their message across—but they have to make it relevant.
- Millennials are the largest consumers of direct mail
- She spoke about the price increase stating slated for January, 2019 and commented that it is absolutely necessary to maintain the viability or USPS. When asked if Congress is working with USPS – she mentioned the current administration has been very helpful, stating they now have a Postal Governor, which had been vacated since 2010.
- Going forward, she stated that USPS will, among other things, continue to concentrate on the last mile delivery – partnering with Amazon, UPS, Federal Express. She went on to say that partnering with Amazon and addressing the local delivery challenges their customers demand has made USPS a better business
- She understands they have challenges ahead, but she believes they are ready for the challenges and is committed to staying relevant for customers
