MPA Comments on Proposed Changes to Service Standards

October 26, 2011

On October 21, 2011, MPA-The Association of Magazine Media submitted comments in response to the USPS Proposal to Revise Service Standards for First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail as published in the September 21, 2011 Federal Register. The proposal suggests “eliminating the expectation of overnight service for First-Class Mail and Periodicals, and… narrowing the two-day delivery range” for these classes.

In the comments, MPA supported the need for the USPS to right-size its network and address the widely acknowledged excess capacity in the current infrastructure.  However, MPA cautioned the Postal Service against changing overnight service standards to avoid driving away more mail volume. MPA’s recommendations are as follows:

1. The Postal Service should not eliminate the overnight service standard for destination-entered periodicals. If publishers’ meet Critical Entry Times that allow overnight delivery, that level of service should be provided.
2. Critical Entry Times need to mesh with processing times yet be workable for publishers
3. Service Standards must be achieved with regularity

To read the comments in their entirety please click here: MPA Comments on Proposed Changes to Service Standards