Slashdot Mirror
Internet Usage Boosts Post Office Revenue
setirw writes "Contrary to popular belief, the New York Times reports that Internet usage has actually boosted the USPS's revenue, instead of decreasing it. It is commonly believed that the rise of the Internet has negatively affected the Postal Service's revenue, since e-mail usage is rapidly superseding snail-mail usage. 'Six years ago, people were pointing at the Internet as the doom and gloom of the Postal Service,' said James Cochrane, manager of USPS package services. However, the widespread usage of e-commerce sites has boosted USPS revenue, since millions of packages are shipped from such sites daily."
I think this is obvious without any researches - if we buy stuff on the internet, they ship that stuff.
What would be interesting is how much less *letters* are now being sent via snail mail
I have an extremely entertaining conversation with one UK bank at the moment.
The clowns insist on using snail mail to reply to mails sent using their "secure" webmail. They have stated that they do not send emails to customers as a matter of policy and they are forced to stick to it even if this means filling Royal Mail coffers.
As e-commerce grows there will be more and more cases like this until the end-users start to actively use encrypted/signed email and banks start to require this for communicating with them.
Baker's Law: Misery no longer loves company. Nowadays it insists on it
http://www.sigsegv.cx/
I highly doubt they were scared - considering the quality of service I receive in downtown Philly - job security is not an issue.
Unlike the quality of service one receives when dealing with ecommerce sites on the internet.
If I had to chose between script-reading or even non-existent ecommerce help, or a surly postal clerk -- bring on the surly 45 year old with the beer gut.
I mean, even before the advent of emails, who wrote a letter unless he ABSOLUTELY had to? Instead, people called or, if it had to be written, they faxed it. Simply because of the speed difference.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."
- Alexander Graham Bell
It seems the post office are one of the few places that have found another open door rather than litigating to have the closed door forced open.
As far as I can tell, with all of the junk mail that comes piling into my mailbox, the USPS ain't going anywhere anytime soon.
That junk mail is what allows the post office to offer first class mail for $0.37 when UPS ground and FedEx ground are often $8 and up.
Besides, they more powers and subsidies than any other delivery corporation out there.
Powers maybe, subsidies no, USPS has it's own separate budget.
I highly doubt they were scared - considering the quality of service I receive in downtown Philly - job security is not an issue.
I have never received a more consistent level of excellent customer service than I have with USPS. But if everyone else in dontown philly has your attitude, there may just not be any employees with suitable customer service skills available to hire.
paintball
Inflation + fuel prices + Congress telling them they must put billions into escrow...