SLOWER THAN LAST WEEK, FASTER THAN LAST YEAR
Deliveries for First-Class Mail were slow last week. It must have been that big Nor’easter, right? Umm, probably not – service was generally OK along the Eastern Seaboard. It was the central area where service was at its worst, though we may see some repercussions from the snow in the east when next week’s report comes out. In the Central Area, only 40% of First-Class letters were delivered on time, and 25% of First-Class flats. A First-Class letter delivered in the Central Area took a full two days longer than a First-Class letter delivered in the WestPac Area.
Marketing Mail performed fairly well across the country, largely because it is inducted into the system much closer to its delivery point. All of this would point to transportation issues with USPS moving from facility to facility. A good rule of thumb is only use First-Class when there is a statutory reason too. Ideally, drop ship or commingle Marketing Mail where you can.
There is no real surprise with today’s report. Spring is almost always a bad time for delivery. I’m never sure why. Keep an eye on delivery times with your mail in the coming weeks – other than the lead up to the holidays, this is generally the slowest season.
On the plus side, even with this week’s disappointing results, it is better in every category than the same week last year. So, when USPS says service is better this year, they are not wrong…just be sure to temper your enthusiasm…and track your mail.
