A Suggestion for the Postal Service, Flat Rate LP

[Guest Admin]

Fighting to survive a deepening financial crisis, the Postal Service said Tuesday it wants to increase the price of first-class stamps by 2 cents – to 46 cents – starting in January. Other postage costs would rise as well. The agency's persisting problem: ever-declining mail volume as people and businesses shift to the Internet and the declining economy reduces advertising mail. "The Postal Service faces a serious risk of financial insolvency," postal vice president Stephen M. Kearney said, an indication that without significant changes a time could come when the agency would be unable to pay its bills.

While I cringe every time another postal increase looms, I understand why it must happen. Not that anyone in a position to do anything about it will listen, I will offer a suggestion. Why not create a department that focuses on the industries that continue to use the the US Postal Service and think of new ways to capitalize on that business while offering those industries tools it could use. For example, let's say that this department worked with the mailorders and labels that are sending out millions of packages collectively around the world. I suggest the Postal Service create one of their Flat Rate boxes geared specifically at mailing LPs. Many of us use media mail or UPS to mail larger boxes of records. Take for example a 20 pound box (probably around 25 to 30 LPs) sent from Denver to Los Angeles. With Media Mail, this would cost $9.79 and take between 7 to 10 days for delivery. With Priority Mail, the cost is closer to $35.00 and takes between 2 to 3 days for delivery. With UPS ground, the cost is $16.00 and takes 3 business days for delivery, but UPS has far superior tracking. Why not offer a more competitive option for those of us that would typically use UPS to ship a 20 pound package. If USPS offered a flate rate box that held 30 to 50 records and charged $10 to $15 to ship that box, I am certain many of us who would normally choose UPS would consider using USPS. Why not make USPS LP mailers that could be shipped media mail or priority mail. USPS makes so many boxes each year, they could certainly offer a less expensive LP mailer than the ones we all buy. Imagine going to your local post office to buy LP or 7" mailers instead of having paying to have them shipped to you by Associated Bag or Uline. Figure out a better system for tracking packages domestically and especially internationally. Offer eduction to Labels and Mailorders so that they know how to more efficiently and economically ship packages. There is so much that can be done that just isn't being done. UPS offers bulk discounting to companies who ship a lot of packages via UPS. Why not do the same with USPS?

What are your thoughts? Do you have any ideas the Postal Service should consider to get themselves out of their ever increasing hole?

[rockstar71888]

What are your thoughts? Do you have any ideas the Postal Service should consider to get themselves out of their ever increasing hole?

release a new album

[daniel]

haha

[mcm1610]

Fuck it. If the USPS can't run efficiently, it needs to tank. This is one of the few times I seem to find myself agreeing with "let the free market fix it!"

Just because it's a federal program doesn't mean it gets a free pass. You don't need the best damn health insurance and other benefits, plus $50k a year, to walk around the neighborhood every day. Especially when they all seem to suck ass at what they do. Then you get the jackasses behind the counter who move at... well... the pace of government employees.

[ricky]

Fuck it. If the USPS can't run efficiently, it needs to tank. This is one of the few times I seem to find myself agreeing with "let the free market fix it!"

Just because it's a federal program doesn't mean it gets a free pass. You don't need the best damn health insurance and other benefits, plus $50k a year, to walk around the neighborhood every day. Especially when they all seem to suck ass at what they do. Then you get the jackasses behind the counter who move at... well... the pace of government employees.

I pretty much agree... probably because I've been a postal employee for 5 years. The USPS is becoming more and more irrelevant and the vast majority of the shit I see every day (doing mail processing) is bulk rate junk mail or stuff that could easily be handled via email (utility bills, bank statements, etc.). I don't even think the flat rate stuff is a good idea. They give away a shitload of packaging, most of which is never used, and it really isn't all that cheap. But I might just hate my job.

[scully]

I don't even think the flat rate stuff is a good idea. They give away a shitload of packaging, most of which is never used, and it really isn't all that cheap. But I might just hate my job.

Always wondered how much the USPS loses giving away boxes. While I love it, doesn't seem cost effective. As long as they keep media mail around I'll be a happy camper.

[danthemjfan23]

not only the boxes that they're giving away, but the millions upon millions of dollars they spend on the advertising for that stupid "if it fits, it ships" campaign. that money could be so easily spent elsewhere.

and whatever happened to just knocking a day off the postal service's work week? i know this argument is brought up over and over, but they could just say "alright, from this day forward, we're not delivering mail on Tuesdays" and save 16.67% of their expenses right there. just by losing one day. there are so many simple fixes that could be made, but instead of making 100 little ones that would save literally BILLIONS of dollars, they're trying to make one huge one that will just land them exactly where they are now in another year.

[tre]

Stop junk mail.

Get rid of "or current resident"

[caitlinryan]

I think expecting an LP rate is way too specific for the USPS. It would probably cost them way more to develop, implement, and advertise than they would make off of it. 90% of the American population is astonished that records still exist and that anyone cares about them. If they were going to come up with a special rate for mailorders/labels they might as well come up with a special rate for 50 other industries as well and I doubt they'd come out on top.

I'm guessing that Saturday delivery is going to be eliminated soon, which makes sense, but really sucks for Netflix subscribers. Speaking of Netflix, I've read that they are the USPS's #1 First Class Mail users. I wonder what shape USPS would be in without the popularity of Netflix.

[gabpower]

I think the USPS works on saturdays but I'm in Canada so I'm not sure. Here the postal service only works on weekdays so that would cut one day of like the other guy above suggested. But I have to admit that you guys have a way cheaper cost of shipping than Canada (1 or 2 LP from Quebec to British Columbia is about 18$!).

Virgil had good suggestions in his post and since they're good, they will be ignored.

[harryq]

Stop junk mail.

Get rid of "or current resident"

junk mail is probably 90% of the mail that's out there, so stopping it would probably kill the USPS...

how about everyone starts returning the bulk/business reply mail envelopes from junk mail? I get enough junk mail that sending it all back surely makes the USPS at least a couple of dollars a month...

oh, and I had records shipped from UPS, FedEx, and USPS last week, and the USPS thing got here first (despite putting in my order on Saturday the 3rd), so I'm going to continue to do what I can to support them (not to mention one of my friends works for the postal service, and it would suck if he lost his job)

[jhulud]

Stop junk mail.

Get rid of "or current resident"

That is the bane of my existence...some days my solid mail day is marred by junk mail.

[flood]

take the business reply envelopes you get every day... fill them with garbage, and mail them back ... hell tape them to bricks. the sender has to pay for that, and the USPS makes money. if everyone did this it would either stop junk mail, or save the USPS... both great options

[griftors18]

take the business reply envelopes you get every day... fill them with garbage, and mail them back ... hell tape them to bricks. the sender has to pay for that, and the USPS makes money. if everyone did this it would either stop junk mail, or save the USPS... both great options

haha great.

[vinyljunkie]

eliminating junk mail would only make the debt worse, as those people pay a lot of money. Without it, its not worth going from house to house on a daily basis.

also, to the person who said eliminating a delivery day would eliminate 16.6% of there expenses.........what? Just casue you eliminate one day doesnt mean you eliminate the expense. There are still just as many letters/packages to deliver, you just now double the workload the day after the day they eliminate. There are still the same amount of things that need to be processed, so the processing places couldnt cut back, etc. Sure you eliminate one day of carrier payroll but thats about it, and thats not even close to 16.6% of the total expenses.