The U.S. Postal Service is conducting a telephone survey of mail delivery times with the help of technology from iVoice.com, Matawan, NJ, a speech recognition technology vendor.
The USPS has created an interactive voice response application designed to identify problems in an effort to improve mail delivery times. It is testing the system in southern Georgia and using it to try to find out what time of day people receive their mail.
Using an access database, the USPS created an IVR application that callers can access when telephoning the postal service with a touch-tone telephone.
Customers residing in southern Georgia are given a personal identification number and a toll-free number that places callers directly into the application. The application prompts callers to enter their PIN. The IVR then prompts callers to enter their ZIP code and the date and time the mail carrier delivered their mail. With the information acquired by the application, the post office will be able to improve delivery times by adjusting routes, increasing carriers or taking other appropriate action.
Donna Ricks, a spokeswoman for USPS, said the application has met expectations during the test.
