Post Office delivery fix
Posted on 16. Aug, 2009 by zevmo in Misc, Technology
OK, it isn’t exactly a “high-tech” post, I admit. But this does have to do with technological advancement affecting the nations postal delivery. The post office has been slow in modifying the way they transition in the modern age. They took a long time to change their prices on standard first class mail, and once they did, it seems like they change it every 3 months. What they really didn’t get on the band wagon with, was priority mail shipments for stuff people buy on the internet, or sell on ebay. UPS/FedEx/DHL/Airborne took the majority of this market. FInally, they got smart and introduced their ‘if you can fit it, you can ship it for one low price’ strategy. This was the change they needed.
Now, the problem is, the majority of home delivered mail is junk mail. That is where the Post Office get most of the offset of the revenue. Two problems, people hate it, and it is totally unnecessary. The expense of the Postal Service can be fixed by switching to a 3 day delivery for standard mail (M, W, F) and a 6-day Priority Mail delivery schedule, (T, Th, Sa- exclusive; M, W, F- delivered with the standard route). If you need it to get there, send it Priority, if you want to send a birthday card, or get your bank statement (if you don’t get it online already) you can wait.
I can hear people crying already. But I want to get my deliveries every day! OK, so send it priority, or just wait the extra day, you really won’t know the difference, be honest.
The other upgrade that needs to be made to the system is tracking. The USPS has tracking, but they need to make it better. Approx. the delivery time, and give a package an rfid in the label. En-mass, it is an extra .10-.20 cents per package, and you can call this an upgraded tracking option and charge an additional .50.
Here’s an idea, have an optional “no advertisement” option, where people could pay $25/year NOT to get junk mail. I would do that.
The bottom line is, the system is good now, I have never lost a package with USPS (I have with FedEx and UPS), but the system needs to become more streamlined and updated with the needs of the current customers, not those 50 years ago.
Good luck!
