September 21, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-010) The Postal Service’s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system attempts to quickly resolve a customer inquiry without transferring the caller to a customer care agent. Between fiscal year (FY) 2018 and the first eight months of FY 2021, the IVR system’s containment rate – the rate of calls not transferred to agents…
September 2, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-008) A service standard is the number of days the Postal Service has determined it should take a specific type of mail to be delivered. Service standards set customer expectations and provide accountability for quality of service. The OIG provided an overview of the intricacies of USPS service standards. Specifically, we explained…
August 26, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-007) Over the past decade, the Postal Service has focused its technology development efforts on two areas: mail innovations and data analytics. Advancements in these areas will continue to lead transformation in the postal industry going forward. Other emerging technologies that have not yet had a major impact on the Postal Service,…
August 4, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-006) As the Postal Service experiences disruption in its industry, it can learn from the experiences of organizations that navigated change in their markets. The OIG researched the experiences of organizations in three disrupted industries to identify strategic takeaways for the Postal Service. Over the past 20 years, digital diversion of communication,…
April 12, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-003) The Postal Service’s more than 31,000 post offices constitute the largest retail network in the U.S. by number of locations, but 42 percent do not generate enough revenue to cover costs of operation. Opportunities exist for the Postal Service to increase revenue or lower costs at post offices without reducing access…
April 9, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-002) An OIG survey administered during the COVID-19 pandemic found a majority of people across the United States held a favorable view of the Postal Service (91 percent) and agreed or strongly agreed that mail is important (96 percent). Respondents checked and read their mail more frequently in 2020 but sent less…
March 11, 2021 (RISC-WP-21-001) There are numerous gaps in the health and wellness services made available to Americans, a problem made more critical as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several potential partnership opportunities would allow the Postal Service to help play a larger role in bringing health services to underserved areas in the U.S….
September 22, 2020 (RISC-WP-20-009) Generation Z is familiar with the Postal Service and a majority both send and receive mail and packages. To encourage Generation Z to engage with postal products and services as they transition to adulthood, the Postal Service could identify ways to educate and boost awareness of mail. Generation Z (Gen Z),…
