Making the USPS even better! Much better.
The USPS can make more money exploiting some new business models
If you aren’t familiar with the United States Postal Service’s Informed Delivery service (USPS-InD) check https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm.
With a few tweaks, we can really enhance USPS revenue and customer perceived value of USPS-InD, but first, a quick refresher.
USPS-InD adds value for people receiving paper mail by informing them what’s coming to their physical mailbox.
It electronically delivers a digest of mail and packages scheduled to arrive shortly, along with grayscale images (address side only) of incoming letters so you know what’s coming shortly.
For more current USPS-InD value statements, see the website.
But that’s not enough, they can do more!
USPS-InD could be modified to bring tears of joy to your eyes.
Imagine if the email digest form contained a DESTROY — DO NOT DELIVER! push-button alongside every item in the digest whether the item is regular mail, catalogs or merchandise. How would you like that?
Automated delivery destruction would be a fantastic advance!
But there’s more:
The USPS could then add a special fee for senders who want their mail delivered even if you don’t want it delivered? Maybe five times the standard postage rate or $5 per item, whichever is greater. To be paid by the sender, not the recipient.
The extra revenue generated by these guaranteed access fees could either go to the USPS or be split between the USPS and the targeted recipient, compensating those customers for having to reject yet another unwanted catalog.
Let’s go even further. Why not add an opportunity for Informed Delivery subscribers to outbid or override senders’ paid override price? This could turn delivery into an auction process, ramping postal revenue dramatically.
What would you add to this slate of potential charges that would amplify revenue and profit for the USPS while raising customer satisfaction with NOT receiving mail they do not want to receive?
Who gets hurt? Advertisers who send customers weekly full-color magazine-style catalogs?
Have you ever noticed wastebaskets right by residential mailboxes in Apartments that are filled with mail the residents didn’t explicitly ask for and don’t want?
How would you change these proposals?
Happy New Year All!