USPS: Junk mail could be new cash cow

[dogtowner]

Sounds like you have some workable ideas. I wonder whether anyone in the Post office is that creative?

Still, the bottom line is that the PO needs to scale back.

with the iron fist of Congress, creative thinking is impossible. and they're already whining about the minor cutbacks around here. politics absorbs all the oxygen in the room.

 

[PLC1]

with the iron fist of Congress, creative thinking is impossible. and they're already whining about the minor cutbacks around here. politics absorbs all the oxygen in the room.

Time to privatize the PO?

Or would a corporate headquarters have the same sort of iron fist that the Congress has?

 

[dogtowner]

Time to privatize the PO?

Or would a corporate headquarters have the same sort of iron fist that the Congress has?

no, a corporate office would want to make a profit.

in a sense it is private, you just have to depolitisize it. ditto Amtrak.

 

[PLC1]

no, a corporate office would want to make a profit.

in a sense it is private, you just have to depolitisize it. ditto Amtrak.

Yes, that would be a good idea, but how do you depolitisize something that is run by the federal government? Maybe they could outsource it or something.

 

[dogtowner]

Yes, that would be a good idea, but how do you depolitisize something that is run by the federal government? Maybe they could outsource it or something.

if you merely outsource that does not remove congressional control.
Congress has to divest it's control. All of it.
And as a good bookend, cut the bailout option as well.

I think this is close to possible as people are fed up with the annual bailouts and their diminishing need. I could live with delivery every week or two or even bagging home delivery.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Its interesting that companies are content with the tiny rate of ROI from direct mail.

every time my company sends out a direct mailer...I call it getting a raise. just 2 weeks ago I made 8000 in sales in one day off 2 people all because they saw our mailer...they had actually planned to go someplace else...I know this because we ask how they heard about us. that was just one of our stores...in one day.. That was more money for the company, and more money for me as well.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

When I get junk mail it either goes right to the trash, or right to a pile to burn in the fire. It never get's looked at beyond the company name that sent it, and that is so I can remember to NEVER buy ANYTHING from companies that send out spam.

I am sure you do, in other words you don't buy from just about any major company..ever...since they all advertise...You know what TV ads are...Junk mail on the tv...I bet you think you never buy anything off there as well....even if you actually tried...you would fail...thats how the brain works..you wont recall why you know the brand or something...just that you know it...and that itself makes you more likely to buy it. You can pretend like your special but your not, and marketing gets you.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Its interesting that companies are content with the tiny rate of ROI from direct mail.

its more interesting that you pretend to know what there ROI is...

 

[pocketfullofshells]

set up their own bill pay service ? not everyone "likes" banks.
set up internet kiosks ? not everyone has computers.

you state the basic problem. anything pertaining to real mail is a loser.

Cut the home delivery to once or twice a week and see about being more of a competitive rival to UPS.

so your business plan is...aim for people who have no bank and no internet...and you think thats a good business model for the furniture? a Net Kiosk in the middle of a dirt road near some farms in the middle of nothing Iowa?

but this goes back the the main problem you have, that you think anything worthwhile must be also profitable...Yellowstone does not make a profit...so get rid of it? Police and Fire don't make profits...get rid of them? Miltary, no profit. NASA no profit...all good things though.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Sounds like you have some workable ideas. I wonder whether anyone in the Post office is that creative?

Still, the bottom line is that the PO needs to scale back.

there are actually rules in place to make sure that the post office does not compete with UPS and such..as they don't want to make it a competition between them, for a few reasons.

as for delivery's 2 times a week. I would hate to see what my mail box looked like stuffed full of mail only twice a week...and I think it would dilute the value of the "junk mail" that actuly makes up most of the income for the post office. it may ruduce costs, but it would put a bigger hurt on money taken in I would bet,.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Yes, that would be a good idea, but how do you depolitisize something that is run by the federal government? Maybe they could outsource it or something.

what would outsourcing it do? its not going make snail mail the common form of mail again or increase its use. and its not like you can make a magic wand make the cost off getting it out to everyone cheaper..Rather then outsource we would be better to just take over the oil companies and lower the cost of shipping anything.

 

[dogtowner]

its more interesting that you pretend to know what there ROI is...

Pretend ? Companies I've worked for have it down to a science. You know, the people who create the ads you benefit from. Did you look ROI up ?

 

[dogtowner]

what would outsourcing it do? its not going make snail mail the common form of mail again or increase its use. and its not like you can make a magic wand make the cost off getting it out to everyone cheaper..Rather then outsource we would be better to just take over the oil companies and lower the cost of shipping anything.

the main purpose in outsorcing is to eliminate the personel overhead.
good luck with your oil company hallucination.

 

[Cruella]

Dont forget, the P.O.'s are also unionized. That's probably the biggest reason Congress won't move on this issue.

 

[pocketfullofshells]

Pretend ? Companies I've worked for have it down to a science. You know, the people who create the ads you benefit from. Did you look ROI up ?

so maybe it did not work for those companies...but you know what...other companies actually do look at what they get for each time they spend money on those...and you know why they keep doing them? because we get it back...if not...they would not do it. My old company saved a lot of money not sending them out anymore...and you know what..they are pretty much dead now. New company spends a lot on them, and traffic is way higher already....But I am sure it has nothing to do with the money spent on those mailers. ( and yes at first that was the main ads we where doing before we did tv and radio.