HOT NEWS: USPS is about to rock our community big time!
Tomorrow the United States Postal Service is changing slightly the way it does business, but in a big way. The impact I believe will have a huge and very positive impact on the spicy products industry. The funny thing is that this is so much flying under the radar, there is hardly anyone in my office as of yesterday that even knows of anything happening. For those of you that do not know, I have been an employee of the USPS for over 25 years now. In my office we have had no management talks to discuss this major change. The only reason I know of it was because I caught a news release on the employee website while I was looking for something else. I discussed it with my manager all week about when we would get some kind of update or service talk and he looked a bit clueless. So, if my co-workers do not know about this, I am guessing the majority of people in the US do not know either.
So what exactly is this change? As taken from the USPS website, where you can find a little information about it, here is what is starting tomorrow, June 28, 2013…
“With the goal of making shipping with the U.S. Postal Service® as easy as possible for our customers, we are updating our domestic Priority Mail® and Express Mail® services. As of July 28, 2013, the Postal Service™ will be providing day-specific delivery information for Priority Mail. In addition, domestic Priority Mail will now include, without additional charge, either $50 or $100 insurance for loss, damage, and missing merchandise*. Priority Mail International® will still be available for international shipments.
To simplify the product names, Express Mail will be called Priority Mail Express™. It remains our fastest product available, offering the same great service as Express Mail just with a new name. Express Mail International® will be renamed Priority Mail Express International™.”
What stands out for you? Is it the re-branding? Is it the day specific delivery time? Which by the way is not guaranteed except with Priority Mail Express. Perhaps it is the FREE INSURANCE for up to $100 by simply using Priority Mail! Yes, ladies and gentleman the day has arrived where sauce makers can ship worry-free, knowing that if their goods are damaged in transit, they will not lose money in the end. The consumer has to follow up on their end of course, which might be a pain, but in the end, this here FREE INSURANCE is a good thing. How many makers have cursed the shipping industry when they had to reship products and end up losing money in the transaction because of they did not pay for insurance? For those makers that took no chances and always spent extra to insure their packages, well that day is over as long as it is under $100 in cost. I am happy to share this news with you all, and I hope it is just as good news for you as well.
To sum up what using Priority Mail gives you now:
1- Free Insurance up to $100
2- Free Delivery Confirmation
3- Day specific delivery information on when the package will arrive at it’s destination
4- Free Priority Mail Packaging Supplies – labels, stickers, boxes, envelopes, even Priority Mail tape if you ask nicely to your USPS representative at your local post office. You can not obtain it through the website. Order supplies HERE.
5- Discounted Regional Boxes, click HERE for details
6- FREE Priority Mail Pickup for as little as 1 parcel to as much as you want to ship
7- Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes
8- Option to purchase Prepaid Forever Flat Rate Boxes and Envelopes
9- For those that care about the environment, the USPS has Eco-Friendly Packaging, the only “Green” Shipping company in the US.
10- Discounted shipping by mailing through the USPS website.
11- The USPS is the Nation’s largest delivery network, we are still open on Saturdays and do not charge extra for delivery.
For more information:
USPS Customer Service (1-800-275-8777)
This is awesome news for our manufacturing friends and for their distributors!
Thanks for the info Al! Diana was shipping a couple boxes the other day and a newly tranferred postal clerk to our post office told her she couldn’t insure anything that was breakable! Makes you wonder…..
It certainly does. Hopefully they train the window clerks for Monday.
so what is new here except the insurance? everything else you mention has existed for a while already with the possible expception of day specific delivery but who cares about that. as for the insurance, are you sure we can insure something that is breakable and liquid? i believe by the USPS policy all liquids have to be presented directly to USPS personnel – how many of us actually do that. sorry Buddah, just don’t see what all the fuss is about. Peace Bro!
You have to declare that there is liquid in the box and that it is fragile. Otherwise you can insure it. Therefore its free to ship up to $100. That is something great in my book. Call the customer service number if your local PO is given you issues.
It must have been all those years of me dogging my PO agents when they asked if I’d like insurance & delivery confirmation when sending out orders. I always replied that “getting it there and in one piece ought to be part of *minimum* service delivery, NOT something I should have to pay extra for!” 🙂
“The USPS is the Nation’s largest delivery network”. The USPS used to give this excuse in the past every time they would raise the price of stamps. 😉
What if the package is stolen off my front porch? Does insurance cover that?
that has happened with a couple boxes of Hot Wheels sent to me.
Guys, you can setup a secure leaving area with your mail person or their supervisor OR you can request that your package never to be left because of the theft. Postal Inspectors can also be contacted and they can setup a surveillance to catch the theft in action. Interfering with the delivery of the mail is a Federal crime.
We received an email about this as we do all our all shipping on line. I also that that nothing had changed. I agree that the insurance is a benefit. Love the FREE boxes. We use the Regional A and B boxes mostly. Love that USPS will pick up shipments. Hoping I can now get tape. Thanks for the info Buddah!!!!
True, True…
my little poe-dunk non-computerized PO was on top of it Monday. Meaning…the post mistress had read all the info and knew what was happnin. 🙂
heck, my Mayberry post office has even left packages sit beside the mailbox next to the street in the rain.