The U.S. Postal Service began a program in Albany, NY, last month in which letter carriers on business routes provide brochures and information about the agency's Priority Mail and Express Mail services to its small-business customers.
The postal service plans to roll it out nationwide early next year.
Carriers ask small-business owners or employees questions such as how many packages they ship. The postal service follows up with the company via a telesales call or a visit from a USPS salesperson. Carriers also ask customers whether they wish to buy a Priority Mail subscription. Earlier this year, the USPS began offering consumers and businesses 10 packs of flat-rate Priority Mail envelopes for $39.50.
“This is a carrier lead program, where the carrier connects the customer with the [USPS] salesperson whenever there is an opportunity,” said Steven Hernandez, acting vice president, sales, USPS.
“The [National Association of Letter Carriers] has been totally involved in this, and NALC members, [USPS] labor relations and the [USPS] sales group have had high-level meetings about this,” he said. “They have been with us for the entire time and have helped us launch the program.”
Meanwhile, the NALC announced Oct. 28 that William H. Young, 56, was elected president of the National Association of Letter Carriers. A native of San Luis Obispo, CA, Young has been executive vice president of the 307,000-member union. As president he succeeds Vincent R. Sombrotto, who had led the union for 24 years.
