Crestview FL Post Office honored for Passport services

Pictured left to right are Crestview OIC Jamie Cassidy, Passport Specialist
David Strawser, and Passport Specialist Debbie Pruett.

The U.S. State Department has presented a Certificate of Achievement to the Crestview Florida Post Office for "exemplary service to the community through the conscientious execution of passport applications, excellence in customer service and commitment to measures that ensure the integrity of the U.S. passport."

Crestiview PO is one of only seven Passport Application Acceptance Facilities throughout Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to receive a perfect score on their 2012 Acceptance Facility Oversight Program review report.

The recognition is based on a site visit, one-on-one interviews, inspections of facility space/security features, as well as real-time observations of employees accepting and executing passport applications from customers.

The award from Miami Passport Agency's Director Ryan Dooley states: " We thank you for your continued commitment to the Passport Application Acceptance Program and congratulate you on this outstanding achievement."

Great job Crestview!

Home show delivers 110 sales leads in Fort Walton Beach FL

The Emerald Coast Home Show in Ft. Walton Beach has become a regular stop for the North Florida District's revenue drivers. 

As she did last year, Santa Rosa Beach Manager of Customer Services Eileen Wittic contacted all the attending vendors and gave them information about Every Door Direct Mail.

This year's show resulted in 110 Business Connects leads!

One of the vendors, Total Laundry, has previously used EDDM and mailed 10,000 pieces. 

They are doing an additional mailing for 15,000 pieces and have their business information on one side of the card and a pizza place on the other side.   

"I believe that planting seeds at an event like this will reap monetary rewards for the Postal Service," said Wittic.  "We love to inform the community about the services the United States Postal Service has to offer."

Purple Heart Medal Forever Stamp Honors Veterans’ Sacrifices

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Postal Service continues to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who serve in the U.S. military with the issuance of the new Purple Heart Medal Forever stamp.

First issued as a 37-cent First-Class stamp in 2003, this new Forever Stamp differs from the 2011 Forever Stamp design displaying a slightly larger image of the Medal on a pure white background.

Available nationwide today in sheets of 20, the stamps can be purchased online at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24 (800-782-6724). The date and location of the special dedication ceremony will be announced at a later time.

“The Postal Service salutes America’s veterans for their selfless sacrifice in defending our great nation,” said Stamp Service Manager Stephen Kearney. “We hope Americans will buy and use these Forever stamps when corresponding with loved ones and friends to honor these courageous men and women, who in many cases gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

World’s Oldest Military Decoration
The Purple Heart is awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in action. According to the Military Order of the Purple Heart, an organization for combat-wounded veterans, the medal is “the oldest military decoration in the world in present use and the first award made available to a common soldier.”

Established by General George Washington during the Revolutionary War, the badge of distinction for meritorious action — a heart made of purple cloth — was discontinued after the war. In 1932, on the 200th anniversary of Washington’s birth, the decoration was reinstated and redesigned as a purple heart of metal bordered by gold, suspended from a purple and white ribbon. In the center of the medal is a profile bust of George Washington beneath his family coat of arms.

Customers may view the Purple Heart Medal Forever Stamp, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, indicate which stamps they like and vote for their favorite stamp on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/2012-preview. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background information on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.

How to Obtain the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Purple Heart Medal Stamp
Special Cancellations
PO Box 92282
Washington, DC 20090-2282

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by Nov. 5, 2012.

Follow the Postal Service on www.twitter.com/USPSstamps and at www.facebook.com/USPSSTAMPS    

Message to all North Florida District Employees

Each of you will see an article about “Jacksonville missent mail hubs” in the Southern Area Update when it arrives at your home in the next day or so.

This is an article from an old North Florida Newsmaker Blog that was posted and should have been rescinded as it is not in place.

Let me reiterate that we should not have any missent mail hubs in place on a daily basis-anywhere. Our organization cannot afford to spend extra hours as a workaround to finalize daily errors that occur.

Instead, let’s identify the redundant errors, communicate with our Plant partners and put processes in place upstream to correct the error.

However, in the event there is a significant amount of missent mail received in an office for another office- then I encourage you to notify and discuss with your MPOO or Manager for proper finalization of the mail.

I realize that all of you are greatly concerned about ensuring that we provide the best service we can to our customers- we simply cannot afford to have permanent workarounds to achieve this service.

Thanks for all you do every day providing excellent service to our customers.

Eric D. Chavez
District Manager

U.S. Postal Service Offers ‘Everyday Heroes’ Greeting Cards

   

  Send A Salute Through the Mail

WASHINGTON — Using “Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes,” Americans can express gratitude to their own everyday heroes by sending personal messages in keepsake greeting cards.

Patriotic imagery featured on the cards is suitable for heroes from all walks of life — firefighters, police officers, teachers, volunteers and emergency medical technicians. U.S. Postal Service employees may also be described as everyday heroes, with nearly 350 employees recognized last year for life-saving works in the line of duty.

Ideal for expressing gratitude, the card collection offers six different designs, crafted with patriotic symbols and heartfelt expressions sure to make both the sender and recipient proud. Available at select Post Offices nationwide, “Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes” at just $2.95 each provide an affordable way to send a salute through the mail.

USPS Channel Access Vice President Kelly Sigmon notes that two dates in the weeks ahead are particularly suited to honor Everyday Heroes. Sigmon says the National Day of Service and Remembrance (Sept. 11) and Veteran’s Day (Nov. 11) offer all Americans a first-class opportunity to say, “thank you” with a greeting card. “Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes are perfect for expressing how grateful we are to all the heroes we sometimes forget to acknowledge,” Sigmon added. “A beautiful card, with a patriotic stamp, sends a powerful message of appreciation.”

Choosing “Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes” makes creating a memory with the mail quick and easy.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Islanders Surf and Sport Makes the Switch

Carol Smith, Postmaster of Fort Walton Beach at Islander's.

Islander's Surf and Sport in Ft Walton Beach and Gulf Breeze has made the switch from UPS to USPS.  

Gulf Breeze OIC Randy Merritt, C/S Supervisor Bonnie Brooks, Gulf Breeze Supervisor Steve Macleod, and Fort Walton Beach Postmaster Carol Smith were instrumental in getting this customer to switch to USPS.  Islander's was mailing approximately 90 parcels a day with UPS between their two locations.  

Randy spoke with the Islander's CEO and who had concerns about USPS.  With the help of Randy and Carol , we were able to test our processes for the month of August.  Randy and Carol were able to provide a later pick up time for the customer. The customer had requested a later pick up time as he guarantees on is website that if an order is placed by 2 PM it will ship the same day.  

With this request in place, we were able to test his request and  the transition from UPS to USPS was made as seamless as possible.  We continued to monitor the process of this customer through his endicia account as well as communicating by email and phone for the processes that were put in place.  

At the end of the test period, we contacted the shipper and he has decided to continue to use USPS.  Projected new revenues of $56,000 for the Postal Service.  

Randy Merritt, OIC Gulf Breeze

District Manager Commends Retiring Gainesville Employees

From L to R - Carl Downing, Plant Manager; Adrain Brown, 35 years Mailhandler;
Ray Locklear, 27 years, Mailhandler; Mr. Chavez.

North Florida District Manager, Eric D. Chavez, visited the Gainesville P&DF to present a few Service Awards to Adrain Brown  (35 years) and Ray Locklear (27 years).

Both employees retired on Friday, August 31, 2012.