The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced it is amending service standards for certain market-dominant services, including First Class mail, periodicals, marketing mail and package services (bound printed matter, media mail and library mail), that will help it save at least US$36bn over the next 10 years.
According to USPS, the changes will enhance service reliability nationwide while maintaining the existing five-day service standard day range for First Class mail, whereas the day ranges for end-to-end marketing mail, periodicals and package services will be shortened. Similar changes will be made with respect to the Postal Service’s competitive products.
“The Postal Service has been historically burdened by service standard regulations and onerous business rules that have not been appropriately adjusted to account for volume and mail mix changes, forcing costly and ineffective operations,” said USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy.
“For decades – and most specifically during the last three years – Congress has actively resisted operational solutions and meaningful change. By implementing the new standards and the operational initiatives to which they are aligned, we will be better able to achieve the goals of our modernization plans and create a high-performing, financially sustainable organization, which is necessary to achieve the statutory policies and objectives established for the Postal Service by law.”
Implementation will be in two phases to facilitate effective operational execution: the first phase will begin on April 1 and the second on July 1. USPS will share information at its retail locations and with commercial customers to ensure mailers are aware of the changes.
The postal operator said it will have multiple, user-friendly tools available so customers understand how long it should take for mail they are sending to reach its destination. There are no impacts to services at retail locations as retail access will not change.
For more information, see USPS’s FAQ document.