MAKING A LIST, CHECKING IT TWICE
Postal Service offers tips on holiday packing and shipping
Washington, DC - More than 20 billion cards, letters and packages will be delivered by the U.S. Postal Service between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.
To help make sure that packages arrive safely and on time, the Postal Service has simple recommendations that will make a big difference for consumers.
When preparing packages, consider the following:
PRINT addresses clearly
Include all address elements (apartment numbers, suite numbers, directional information for streets - for example: 123 S. Main St. or 12456 Elm St. N.).
Include both "to" and "from" information on packages - but only on one side.
Always use shipping tape.
Cushion contents appropriately. For example, fill glass and fragile hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage due to shock. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.
Helpful packaging tips include:
Select a box that is strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside the carton.
Package contents with shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap, or Styrofoam peanuts. Plain air-popped popcorn is also good for cushioning; it's inexpensive and environmentally friendly. Pack tightly to avoid shifting.
Always use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape, or fiberglass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape. Do not use wrapping paper, string, masking tape, or cellophane tape.
Placing an index card with the sender's address and recipient's address inside the package will help the Postal Service re-pack boxes that were improperly wrapped and came apart during transporting and processing.
Packages being mailed using postage stamps and weighing 16 ounces or more can be left for the letter carrier to pick up but cannot be deposited into a blue street mailbox.
And don't forget to mark the calendar: ship no later than Dec. 19 so packages arrive on time.
Please Note: Broadcast-quality audio files are being provided for radio reporters on the U.S. Postal Service website. An Audio News Release on this topic featuring Delores Killette, Vice President and Consumer Advocate, is available in the Holiday Press Room: www.usps.com
Saturday, December 10, 2005
POSTAL SERVICE PREPARES FOR BUSIEST MAILING AND DELIVERY DAYS
POSTAL SERVICE PREPARES FOR BUSIEST MAILING AND DELIVERY DAYS
20 billion letters, packages and cards heading across America through Christmas
Washington, DC - If all the mail the U.S. Postal Service will deliver on Dec. 19 was placed end to end, it would circle the globe. Six times.
The Postal Service will deliver 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the busiest mailing day expected to be Monday, Dec. 19, with more than 280 million cards and letters being cancelled - more than twice that of an average day. Total mail volume on Dec. 19 is expected to rise to 900 million pieces of mail, up from 670 million pieces on an average day.
"We know that our customers depend on us during the holidays. We've been delivering holiday cheer for 236 years," said Patrick Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer. "If I could sit down at the kitchen table with every American family this holiday season, I would share just one simple message. We're ready for you!"
About 100 million First-Class letters are processed every day. That number increases to 150 million a day during the holidays. About 1 million packages will be delivered every day through Christmas Eve. The busiest delivery day will be Wednesday, Dec. 21.
"Our commitment to our customers remains strong. We have a challenge ahead that is going to be met. And we have plans in place to meet them," Donahoe said.
More than 7,400 Post Offices across the country have extended hours into the evening and weekends for the holiday season. Within the next two weeks, the National Operations Center will be staffed around the clock, seven days a week, to monitor and coordinate mail transportation nationwide.
More than 2,500 Automated Postal Centers (APCs) have been installed in Postal facilities, reaching into more and more neighborhoods around the country to make visiting a Post Office easier. Just as an ATM is a virtual, stand-alone bank, the APC is a virtual, stand-alone Post Office. The APC does everything short of face-to-face transactions, dispensing stamps, weighing packages and calculating postage for Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail and Parcel Post items.
APCs also provide extensive mailing information and ZIP Code locators.
And, like Santa Claus, the Post Office is everywhere, with 36,000 locations across the country and on every computer in America at usps.com. Almost anything that can be done at a Post Office can be done online at usps.com, at a time that is convenient for the customer.
Ship a package, purchase stamps, hold mail, request a carrier pick up, and design and print greeting cards, and find a ZIP Code. Included in the more than two dozen services available through the Postal Service website are Click-N-Ship and Carrier Pickup. Click-N-Ship allows customers to print labels and pay for postage and insurance from laptops or desktops.
With Carrier Pickup, customers can take advantage of the personal convenience and service of having packages picked up at their home or office, saving a trip to the Post Office, regardless of the weather. Unlike other shipping companies, there is no fee for the service.
Customers simply print Priority Mail and Express Mail labels with Click-N-Ship, then log on to www.usps.com to request a pickup of the package. A letter carrier will pick it up at no extra charge during the next day's delivery.
Customers also can call 1-800-ASK-USPS for general information on hours and services. More than 2.2 billion holiday cookie stamps have been printed and are available to customers by calling 1-800-STAMP-24. Stamps also may be purchased at more than 80,000 locations, including supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores and ATMs, in addition to Post Offices.
"With the holidays just around the corner, everyone can use a little help. Let our convenient online services and Postal locations around town give you more time to spend with family and friends this holiday season," Donahoe said.
20 billion letters, packages and cards heading across America through Christmas
Washington, DC - If all the mail the U.S. Postal Service will deliver on Dec. 19 was placed end to end, it would circle the globe. Six times.
The Postal Service will deliver 20 billion letters, packages and cards between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with the busiest mailing day expected to be Monday, Dec. 19, with more than 280 million cards and letters being cancelled - more than twice that of an average day. Total mail volume on Dec. 19 is expected to rise to 900 million pieces of mail, up from 670 million pieces on an average day.
"We know that our customers depend on us during the holidays. We've been delivering holiday cheer for 236 years," said Patrick Donahoe, Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer. "If I could sit down at the kitchen table with every American family this holiday season, I would share just one simple message. We're ready for you!"
About 100 million First-Class letters are processed every day. That number increases to 150 million a day during the holidays. About 1 million packages will be delivered every day through Christmas Eve. The busiest delivery day will be Wednesday, Dec. 21.
"Our commitment to our customers remains strong. We have a challenge ahead that is going to be met. And we have plans in place to meet them," Donahoe said.
More than 7,400 Post Offices across the country have extended hours into the evening and weekends for the holiday season. Within the next two weeks, the National Operations Center will be staffed around the clock, seven days a week, to monitor and coordinate mail transportation nationwide.
More than 2,500 Automated Postal Centers (APCs) have been installed in Postal facilities, reaching into more and more neighborhoods around the country to make visiting a Post Office easier. Just as an ATM is a virtual, stand-alone bank, the APC is a virtual, stand-alone Post Office. The APC does everything short of face-to-face transactions, dispensing stamps, weighing packages and calculating postage for Express Mail, Priority Mail, First-Class Mail and Parcel Post items.
APCs also provide extensive mailing information and ZIP Code locators.
And, like Santa Claus, the Post Office is everywhere, with 36,000 locations across the country and on every computer in America at usps.com. Almost anything that can be done at a Post Office can be done online at usps.com, at a time that is convenient for the customer.
Ship a package, purchase stamps, hold mail, request a carrier pick up, and design and print greeting cards, and find a ZIP Code. Included in the more than two dozen services available through the Postal Service website are Click-N-Ship and Carrier Pickup. Click-N-Ship allows customers to print labels and pay for postage and insurance from laptops or desktops.
With Carrier Pickup, customers can take advantage of the personal convenience and service of having packages picked up at their home or office, saving a trip to the Post Office, regardless of the weather. Unlike other shipping companies, there is no fee for the service.
Customers simply print Priority Mail and Express Mail labels with Click-N-Ship, then log on to www.usps.com to request a pickup of the package. A letter carrier will pick it up at no extra charge during the next day's delivery.
Customers also can call 1-800-ASK-USPS for general information on hours and services. More than 2.2 billion holiday cookie stamps have been printed and are available to customers by calling 1-800-STAMP-24. Stamps also may be purchased at more than 80,000 locations, including supermarkets, convenience stores, drugstores and ATMs, in addition to Post Offices.
"With the holidays just around the corner, everyone can use a little help. Let our convenient online services and Postal locations around town give you more time to spend with family and friends this holiday season," Donahoe said.
'LETTERS TO SANTA' ADD TO THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS
'LETTERS TO SANTA' ADD TO THE MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS
And a letter from Santa is even better!
Washington, DC — Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he writes letters.
In 1912, then Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow individuals or institutions to use letters addressed to Santa Claus for philanthropic purposes. This tradition is carried on today, with Post Offices across the country making "Letters to Santa" available to individuals and groups upon request.
While Santa receives most of his mail at the North Pole, AK, some are sent to Santa's helpers, charitable organizations, Postal Service employees and volunteers who help make a child's wishes come true. Some of these letters will be featured during a one-hour special, "Dear Santa," airing on Dec. 9 on the FOX Network.
Like all mail, it's important that letters to Santa include a complete return address with ZIP Code and a First-Class postage stamp. Santa enjoys candy canes and cookies, and his reindeer are known to enjoy fresh hay. But because these treats can be damaged or crushed when sent in an envelope, Postal officials know that such treats are best left under the tree on Christmas Eve.
Interested organizations should contact their local Post Offices to receive and respond to Letters to Santa.
There are simple steps for families to follow if they are interested in having a "response" from Santa postmarked from the North Pole.
Parents, families or friends helping a child write a letter to Santa should mention some of the child's requests and information in the letter from Santa. Adding a line or two about the child's accomplishments or successes this year is encouraged.
Once the response is written, place the letter in a stamped envelope addressed to the child. "North Pole, AK" should be the return address. Then place the envelope into a larger, properly stamped, First-Class Mail or Priority Mail envelope and mail to:
North Pole Christmas Cancellation
Postmaster
5400 Mail Trail
Fairbanks, AK 99709-9998
North Pole postmark requests must arrive in Fairbanks, AK, before Dec. 15. Parents should send letters by Priority Mail after that date.
For bigger "kids," several cities participate in the holiday re-mailing, including Bethlehem, PA; Garland, UT; Nazareth, MI; Antler, ND and Snowflake, AZ. For a complete list of cities participating in the re-mailing program, visit the Holiday Press Room at usps.com and click on "Holiday Cities."
Those interested in having postmarks from these cities should place all addressed and stamped cards and letters in a larger envelope addressed to Postmaster and include city, state and ZIP Code. Use the ZIP Code Locator on usps.com if a ZIP Code is unknown.
"Santa has a lot of helpers this year, and we're happy to do our part to deliver the holidays. It's what we do best," said John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service.
And a letter from Santa is even better!
Washington, DC — Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. And he writes letters.
In 1912, then Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local postmasters to allow individuals or institutions to use letters addressed to Santa Claus for philanthropic purposes. This tradition is carried on today, with Post Offices across the country making "Letters to Santa" available to individuals and groups upon request.
While Santa receives most of his mail at the North Pole, AK, some are sent to Santa's helpers, charitable organizations, Postal Service employees and volunteers who help make a child's wishes come true. Some of these letters will be featured during a one-hour special, "Dear Santa," airing on Dec. 9 on the FOX Network.
Like all mail, it's important that letters to Santa include a complete return address with ZIP Code and a First-Class postage stamp. Santa enjoys candy canes and cookies, and his reindeer are known to enjoy fresh hay. But because these treats can be damaged or crushed when sent in an envelope, Postal officials know that such treats are best left under the tree on Christmas Eve.
Interested organizations should contact their local Post Offices to receive and respond to Letters to Santa.
There are simple steps for families to follow if they are interested in having a "response" from Santa postmarked from the North Pole.
Parents, families or friends helping a child write a letter to Santa should mention some of the child's requests and information in the letter from Santa. Adding a line or two about the child's accomplishments or successes this year is encouraged.
Once the response is written, place the letter in a stamped envelope addressed to the child. "North Pole, AK" should be the return address. Then place the envelope into a larger, properly stamped, First-Class Mail or Priority Mail envelope and mail to:
North Pole Christmas Cancellation
Postmaster
5400 Mail Trail
Fairbanks, AK 99709-9998
North Pole postmark requests must arrive in Fairbanks, AK, before Dec. 15. Parents should send letters by Priority Mail after that date.
For bigger "kids," several cities participate in the holiday re-mailing, including Bethlehem, PA; Garland, UT; Nazareth, MI; Antler, ND and Snowflake, AZ. For a complete list of cities participating in the re-mailing program, visit the Holiday Press Room at usps.com and click on "Holiday Cities."
Those interested in having postmarks from these cities should place all addressed and stamped cards and letters in a larger envelope addressed to Postmaster and include city, state and ZIP Code. Use the ZIP Code Locator on usps.com if a ZIP Code is unknown.
"Santa has a lot of helpers this year, and we're happy to do our part to deliver the holidays. It's what we do best," said John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO of the U.S. Postal Service.
SANTA’S ZIP CODE
SANTA’S ZIP CODE. The Postal Service not only helps get letters to Santa, we’re there to help the big guy when it comes to getting letters from Santa. So, if you know people who want that prestigious North Pole postmark on their greeting cards, tell them they should stamp, address, seal, and mail their cards together inside a larger envelope to:NORTH POLE CHRISTMAS CANCELLATIONPOSTMASTER5400 MAIL TRAILFAIRBANKS AK 99709-9998The cards will be postmarked and delivered as addressed. North Pole postmark requests must arrive in Fairbanks, AK, before Dec. 15, 2005.
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