[Dx-qsl] Fw: US Postal Rates

[Robert G. Schaffrath]

I agree with you 100%.  In my original posting I did not mean to 
overlook the fact that diesel and other costs have gone up.  The problem 
is the only solution the Postal Service has come up with is to keep 
raising rates, now automatically on a yearly basis.  Yet this is also 
proving to be driving people away from the service.  So rather than 
explore alternatives or creative price adjustments across the entire 
array of services they raise the prices on the one thing pretty much 
guaranteed to reduce volume and thus force another increase in rates.

I used to work for a major coffee producer.  Green coffee trades like 
oil and is just as volatile.  We were always getting whipsawed by 
fluctuating commodity prices but we did not have the luxury of just 
raising our prices across the board because we had competition to deal 
with.  We had to get creative on what products we increased the prices 
on and those that we left the same or even carried at a slight loss to 
build volume for the brand.  If we raised our prices too high people 
would go elsewhere for a better deal.  I am sure our shareholders would 
have loved it if we raised our prices across the board every May but 
that was not going to be possible.

There are no cost things they could probably do now to increase the 
perceived value, such as free tracking for any first class mail that has 
a free tracking sticker affixed to it, but I doubt they would do that.  
They offer it free to people who generate shipping labels online and it 
is so unreliable that if I really need reliable tracking I use UPS or 
Fedex.  Still it would be perceived as an increase in the value of the 
service.

Robert, N2JTX

Wes Quinn wrote:
> Thanks for the update and for the interesting topic.  The overly high price of oil is the main cause of these increases.  Unfortunately it take gas/diesel to deliver the mail and that won't change.  Unless everyone picked up their mail at the post office instead of having it delivered.  ;-)  The post office should give out free boxes, since it saves them money by not having to drive to deliver their mail.  ;-)  ;-)
>
> I use snail mail less than I ever have.  I don't even mail birthday cards anymore.  I use http://www.123greetings.com/ .  It is free and you can even schedule on when to email the card.  :-)  I also have all of my bills paid electronically.  I can't even remember the last time I mailed a bill to be paid.  It is just too risky to have them mailed these days, since if it gets delayed and paid late, there are late fees.  Plus it is just much more convenient and free to pay them electronically.  I think all bills should be paid that way.
>
> I just mail a package once in a while to a distant relative and that will probably never go away.  And I receive packages from online shopping, which even with the high price of shipping it is still cheaper than the combined cost of driving to a store and buying it there.
>
> 73 es gud dx de k4Wes
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Leonard Kay" <len at k1nu.com>
> To: "Robert G. Schaffrath" <robert at schaffrath.net>; <dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 3:20 PM
> Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] Fw: US Postal Rates
>
>
>   
>> Not to get too far off-topic, but I would be willing to bet that First 
>> Class pieces
>> are a small percentage of the total USPS revenue. I bet we would see lower
>> First Class rates if we upped the bulk rate and other 'discount' rates for 
>> business.
>> Next time you get a credit card or utility bill, see what they're paying 
>> for postage.
>> Not to mention the junk mail.
>>
>> Len K1NU
>> (my only paper mail expenses these days is for these f&#%*^ QSL cards!!! 
>> :-) )
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Robert G. Schaffrath" <robert at schaffrath.net>
>> To: <dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net>
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:47 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Dx-qsl] Fw: US Postal Rates
>>
>>
>>     
>>> What can I say other than "bring it on".  I use snail mail less and less 
>>> all the time and I am sure with every increase more and more people find 
>>> alternatives.  At this rate, the day will come when perhaps three people 
>>> will be supporting the entire Postal Service and each stamp will run you 
>>> about $2B each.
>>>
>>> One would think they might take a page out of New York City Transit that 
>>> tried reducing fares by allowing free transfers, discounts and monthly 
>>> tickets.  Low-and-behold, ridership went up along with income from those 
>>> extra riders.  Perhaps if the Postal Service figured out a way to reduce 
>>> the cost of First Class mail they might encourage people to use it more 
>>> again though you will never be able to get back what you have lost to 
>>> e-mail.
>>>
>>> Other than the odd QSL card that is usually international now, a birthday 
>>> card, Christmas cards or the odd bank that I cannot pay my credit card 
>>> electronically to, I hardly ever use the mail now.  I still have plenty 
>>> of unused stamps from the 34 cent era that I bump up with additional 
>>> postage.
>>>
>>> Robert, N2JTX
>>>
>>> Dick Flanagan wrote:
>>>       
>>>> At 07:07 AM 2/12/2008, Doug Renwick wrote:
>>>>         
>>>>> See
>>>>> http://www.usps.com/prices/
>>>>>           
>>>> According to the notice we can expect additional increases annually in 
>>>> May of each year.
>>>>
>>>> Dick
>>>> -- 
>>>> Dick Flanagan K7VC NV SM
>>>> k7vc at arrl.org
>>>>         
>
>
>
>
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