What would you do to save the USPS?

[Zeke]

Before we begin, there is absolutely no reason to send this to PARF. This is a business discussion. If you can't contain yourself, click through.

So, what would you do? I thought eliminating Saturday delivery was a no brainer. Curbside delivery is the norm in all new housing, but it ain't gonna work hard in the city.

The USPS has lost out to competition re packages. UPS got traction in 1930 when the USPS could care less about parcels. Now that there're too few letters, that has turned out to be the biggest mistake of any business model anywhere.

USPS is trying hard to come back and the future looks like they better do whatever it takes to capitalize on the fact that they visit almost every household in the US 6 days a week.

Can the USPS do anything else? Could they take one day a week during the census and do that?

Should they ramp up tracking so that FedEx and UPS has nothing on them when it comes to tracking? Should the USPS simply contract everything with others? Should they BUY one of the big parcel delivery companies?

Just wondering.

[Jferr006]

Didn't they already change tracking? They've made a point to tell me that the last two times I've been to the post office.

There's a start..make customers not dread going to the post office worse than going to the DMV. What to those two have in common, the gubberment.

[70SATMan]

Tracking numbers are now free with Priority mailing.

However, I've found that the tracking information is not as good as FedEx. If they improve that then, they might be able to gain ground as their flat rate mailing boxes do come in lower than FedEx most of the time.

[Halm]

I don't know, this is a tough one. 4th Quarter 2012 deficit was reported to be DOWN TO $1.3billion. That is a lot of money to be losing on a regular a regular basis.

IMHO, they need to go private. Because it is not their money, there is no incentive to improve. Then they should go through a real managed bankruptcy to clear out all the dead weight agreements, contracts and personnel. Maybe then they can totally reorganize and become competitive.

[Por_sha911]

Make it mandatory that every citizen pays for a minimum amount of postage per year (even if they don't use the mail) so that they can lower the cost for those that do desire the service. Charge a penalty on your tax return if you don't pay for the minimum amount of postage.
Require businesses to cover part of the cost.

[Jferr006]

I really hope you are kidding.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Jferr006

I really hope you are kidding.

Why? It seems to be the rationale our govt used for lowering other cost.

[sammyg2]

What would you do to save the USPS?

Absolutely nothing. I'd lift the illegal monopoly granted them by congress and force the USPS to either compete sucessfully with private enterprise, or die and go away.
But first I'd institute a strict no tolerance drug testing policy, that'd weed out at least a third of the PO employees IMO.

[Rikao4]

I find a msg. that I have pkg..
go to get it..
they close by 5..
figure I swing by on my way to work..
they don't open till 9...
no concept of customer service..
last time I used them..
Christmas cards..
perhaps make them seasonal like firework stands..


Rika

[wdfifteen]

They need to simplify regulations and get rid of some of the special rates. Having a special rate for books is crazy. Ending Saturday delivery is a good idea. Few people will miss it. Raise first class rates. In this day and age, $1.00 isn't too much to pay to send letter. It would cost $5.60 to send a letter by UPS. The subsidized communication network has lost some of its importance, but it is still useful and an important part of commerce in the US.

[Jferr006]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Why? It seems to be the rationale our govt used for lowering other cost.

That doesn't make it a good idea. Going private is a better idea than sharing the cost for a service that is all but obsolete. I use the post office maybe 3 times a year, I save my change and sanity by doing it online orleave parcels to a real parcel service.

[dennis in se pa]

They have had unreasonable demands put upon them as far as funding the pension plan etc. A good businessman could find where the revenue leaks are and plug them to start. Possibly renegotiate the employment contracts. 6 day delivery gets us NOTHING but added costs. Why not skip Wednesday delivery too? If that is what's necessary to save all those jobs then that is what has to be done. These decisions are not going to be easy or popular, but they are what is needed to save a business. I am sure the workers at Ford are glad their jobs were not shipped off to Mexico.

[Rick Lee]

End all non-profit and bulk postage discounts. It might be less revenue in the end, but it'd be a lot less junk mail and a hiring freeze would eventually lead to attrition by retirements instead of lay offs.

[dtw]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Make it mandatory that every citizen pays for a minimum amount of postage per year (even if they don't use the mail) so that they can lower the cost for those that do desire the service. Charge a penalty on your tax return if you don't pay for the minimum amount of postage.
Require businesses to cover part of the cost.

I see what you did there.

[RWebb]

eliminate pensions

[VincentVega]

compete sucessfully with private enterprise, or die and go away.

That sounds good but to what end? Are you/we willing to pay $10 to mail something? Assuming no, the price would go up or the service would fold. How much would UPS or FedEx pricing go up if USPS stopped carrying their freight? How much business would Amazon lose in their shipping costs tripled?

I like the idea of every other day delivery except for next day service, assuming you pay a premium for it. Much better customer service is a must, way too many stories of long lines and grumpy employees at the local PO.

Even with cutting service, how much longer does it make sense? Most mail is advertising with maybe 3-5 incoming and 1-2 outgoing pieces of mail per week that are important.

[Jferr006]

Ii think you forgot the green.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Jferr006

There's a start..make customers not dread going to the post office worse than going to the DMV. What to those two have in common, the gubberment.

I don't know why people dread going to the post office. It's a heck of a lot more convenient than a UPS store or Kinko/Fed Ex, going to the actual UPS office is a nightmare compared to the post office. Of course part of it is where you live. If you are in the sticks, there really is no alternative to the post office because Fed Ex and UPS don't find it convenient to have an actual office you can go to.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Jferr006

Ii think you forgot the green.

They forgot to write the code for our recently started mandatory enrollment in green but it is still now the law.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

That sounds good but to what end? Are you/we willing to pay $10 to mail something? Assuming no, the price would go up or the service would fold. How much would UPS or FedEx pricing go up if USPS stopped carrying their freight? How much business would Amazon lose in their shipping costs tripled?

I like the idea of every other day delivery except for next day service, assuming you pay a premium for it. Much better customer service is a must, way too many stories of long lines and grumpy employees at the local PO.

Even with cutting service, how much longer does it make sense? Most mail is advertising with maybe 3-5 incoming and 1-2 outgoing pieces of mail per week that are important.

Did you ever take an economics class?
the PO has an illegal monopoly now. No one else is allowed to deliver first class postage. That inneficiency, that lack of competition drives up the price.
If that monopoly was lifted, the competition for that part of the business would drive the price DOWNWARD!

If the postal service couldn't compete and died, they'd die because they were REPLACED with a more efficient, less costly competitor.

The price to "mail something" as you put it would be regulated by competition.
If it got too high, someone else would step up and do it a little cheaper and take away their business. that's how free enterprise works.