USPS Promises to Fix ‘Unacceptable’ Flats Processing Delays

U.S. Postal Service executives resolved to fix problems in their periodicals processing yesterday, as mailers pressed their concerns about significant delays. On-time performance levels for one-to-two-day periodicals delivery have slumped to as low as 44 percent this year as USPS expanded its use of automated flats sequencing systems as a way of improving efficiency in processing flats immediately prior to delivery.

Yesterday’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee meeting saw USPS Chief Operating Officer Megan Brennan state frankly that the situation was “unacceptable” and current service performance for periodicals “lousy.”

The number of delays to Standard Mail flats has increased 16 percent