Customer Connect Adds Up For USPS B - Nalc

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NewsCustomer Connect adds up for USPSBy touching every address inthe United States at least six daysa week, letter carriers naturallydevelop special relationships with theircustomers. Since USPS’s Customer Connect program began in 2003, thousandsof carriers have successfully leveragedtheir interactions with business customers to encourage them to use the PostalService, rather than rely on private delivery and mailing services. Below are somerecent stories about Customer Connectleads submitted by letter carriers thathave helped USPS earn new revenue.Carrier’s sharp eye keyto scouting new businessesPhiladelphia, PA Branch 157 memberJoe Delmont had been keeping an eyeon the newest business on his route for awhile. The 23-year carrier quickly struckup a rapport with his new customers,who turned out to be the owners of astartup e-commerce fulfillment company, IK Marketplace.“After a few times [delivering tothem], when I heard what they did, Isaid, ‘Hey, can I get someone to talk toyou?’ ” Delmont recalled.After the owners agreed, the carrierpassed their information along to his Customer Connect coordinator, who loggedthe lead and helped facilitate the sale.Following further discussion, thesales team then closed a deal to handleJoe Delmont30 The Postal Record October 2021the company’s shipping, generating anestimated 6.9 million in new annualized revenue for the Postal Service.Delmont has submitted several otherleads for the Customer Connect program,and said that he always tries to keep alookout for potential new customers.“If I see anything on a loading dock,even if I don’t go in [to deliver mail] myself because they have a P.O. box, I relayit to the Customer Connect coordinator,”he said. “Sometimes, we strike gold.”Delmont added that his best advice tonewer carriers would be to “keep youreyes and ears open,” he said. “If younotice a couple of packages at a houseor business, or you’re seeing UPS orFedEx, just write down the address andgive it to Customer Connect.”In Iowa, two carriers deliverbig for the Postal ServiceTwo letter carriers from Central IowaMerged Branch 352 recently struckbig with sales leads for the CustomerConnect program, generating almost 200,000 in new estimated revenue forthe Postal Service.Branch 352 member Travis McCraysaid that as a T-6 working on mostlycommercial routes, he keeps an eye outfor possible leads while delivering—buthis most recent lead came from a sourcecloser to home.The carrier’s wife works for a lawfirm, and she asked McCray for assistance when the firm was swamped withan especially heavy mailing period.“I’ve got my wife’s boss asking mequestions about postage,” the six-yearcarrier said. “I was on vacation at thetime, so I called the station.”Working together, McCray and hisfellow carriers were able to satisfy thefirm’s needs and get everything mailedout. His lead generated more than 125,000 in revenue for USPS.McCray said that his strategy forfinding leads was based on his previousemployment. “I used to work at a placethat did alot of shipping,” heexplained,“so I knewwhat’scheaperthrough usand whatwasn’t.”When hesees a business thathe knowscould save Jason Berkleymoneythrough USPS, he said, “I look into getting them a better deal.”For his lead, Branch 352 memberJason Berkley found a slightly moreunusual business: Crayfish Empire II,which sells all-natural food for shrimpaquariums.“I’m a T-6, so I see a lot of routes andbusinesses,” the carrier, who has alsoserved as a steward for 14 years, said.“[I approach businesses] if I notice UPSstopping there quite a bit.”His approach to leads is straightforward, Berkley said: “I ask, ‘Can I giveyour name and number to someone tolower your shipping costs?’ ”Then, he passes their informationalong to the branch Customer Connectcoordinator, fellow Branch 352 memberDavid Weaver, who takes over the sale.The key, Berkley said, is “to get toknow your customer.” He added, “I’vebeen doing this 26 years, and you learnto speak friendly to people.”Both carriers were enthusiasticabout Weaver’s ability in his role as coordinator, and credited him with a lotof assistance in finding and generatingleads.The carriers also agreed that mostbusinesses, if approached the correctway, are eager to hear ways to save withthe Postal Service.“People hear it will lower their costs,and they’re interested,” Berkley said. PR

NewsCustomer Connect adds up for USPSBy touching every address inthe United States at least six daysa week, letter carriers naturallydevelop special relationships with theircustomers. Since USPS’s Customer Connect program began in 2003, thousandsof carriers have successfully leveragedtheir interactions with business customers to encourage them to use the PostalService, rather than rely on private delivery and mailing services. Below are somerecent stories about Customer Connectleads submitted by letter carriers thathave helped USPS earn new revenue.Carrier coordinator retiresafter one last lead“I’ve been the Customer Connect coordinator ever since we started doingit,” Hayward, CA Branch 1707 memberOscar Dominguez said, before his retirement in May. But the 35-year carrierwent out on one final large sales lead.After learning from the owner of alocal paper products supply companythat she was paying enormous shippingcharges, Dominguez spoke to her aboutthe advantages of shipping with USPS.One of the carrier’s biggest sellingpoints? “Mention we don’t charge forpick-ups,” he said.After returning to the post office,Dominguez passed on the informationthrough a Customer Connect lead card.A sales team was able to follow up withthe customer and convince her to makethe switch. Dominguez’s last sales pitchgenerated an estimated 1 million innew annualized revenue for the PostalService.“Oscar really enjoys speaking withhis customers,” said Mary Anderson,the small-business engagement directorfor USPS Headquarters. “With this oneconversation, he saved this customerthousands of dollars a month in surcharges and won new revenue for thePostal Service.”Dominguez says that his years ofadvising carriers about the CustomerConnect program taught him a greatdeal about how to convince customersto make the switch.“If you see a business, even a homebusiness, where UPS or FedEx are picking up stuff, get the name of the personin charge of shipping,” he said he toldnewer carriers. “Then get the name tome, and I’ll start the ball rolling fromthere.”The carrier emphasized the importance of Customer Connect for the futureof USPS. “The union and the Postal Service are working hand-in-hand on this togenerate revenue,” he said. “We get notaxpayer money. All of our wages, etc.,come from what we can generate.”Dominguez’s key tip for carriers whoare hesitant to generate leads: “Don’tbe afraid to ask. If you don’t ask,there’s no chance [they’ll switch].”An alert California carrierseals the deal for USPSOscar Dominguez holds his award recognizing his work with Customer Connectfor the Bay District.Pasadena, CA Branch 2200 memberDavid Savillon completes more than400 deliveries on a daily basis. In addition to delivering the mail, however, healso keeps his eyes peeled for potentialnew customers forUSPS.One suchcustomerwas CarpeDiem Trading, whichsells highquality second-handclothing.“I saw that[the business] wasDavid Savillonshippinga lot,” the eight-year carrier said. “Butthey were using FedEx and UPS.”Savillon approached the owner, ArtSimonian, and inquired if he wouldbe interested in speaking with a USPSsales representative. Without hesitation, Simonian said, “Of course,” andgave the carrier his business card.Savillon then went back to the postoffice and told his supervisor about thesituation.When a sales representative met withthe owner a short time later, Simoniandescribed the products he was sellingand shipping; since his packages werelightweight, the representative explainedthat USPS First-Class Mail and PriorityMail would both be a better fit for thecompany, improving packages transittime and lowering costs for the company.After Simonian shifted his businessto the Postal Service, Savillon’s leadgenerated more than 99,000 of newrevenue.The carrier says that he sticks to thefacts in order to persuade new customers to consider switching to USPS. “I tellthem, we can offer you a great rate,” heexplained.He also believes that a good attitudeallows him to pick up leads whereverhe can. “You never know what you’regoing to find,” he added. “But if you’repositive and open, things are going tofollow.” PRAugust 2021The Postal Record27

alongewis.NewsCustomer Connect adds up for USPSBy touching every address inthe United States at least six daysa week, letter carriers naturallydevelop special relationships with theircustomers. Since USPS’s Customer Connect program began in 2003, thousandsof carriers have successfully leveragedtheir interactions with business customers to encourage them to use the PostalService, rather than rely on private delivery and mailing services. Below are somerecent stories about Customer Connectleads submitted by letter carriers thathave helped USPS earn new revenue.Pennsylvania carriers honoredon Customer Connect DayThe Eagleville, PA, post office celebrated Customer Connect Day on Nov. 17,2020, when the office honored twoNorristown, PA Branch 542 memberswhose leads resulted in almost 900,000in new revenue for the Postal Service.Drew Ritchie, a 26-year carrier, hadrecently submitted two leads throughCustomer Connect that brought in a combined revenue of more than 600,000.One lead was for a golf apparelcompany that was looking to eliminatesurcharges and enhance customer delivery expectations. “I inquired with [theemployees] at the place, ‘Who does yourshipping?’ ” Ritchie recalled, and thenmanaged to get the store contact information to pass along to a USPS sales team.Ritchie’s second lead was for a cleaning supply company that was unhappywith the service provided by anothershipper and looking for better ratesand improved shipping times. “It wasat the start of the pandemic, and theywere overburdened” due to the demandfor hand sanitizer and other cleaningproducts, he explained. “I said, ‘I’ll havesomeone talk to you.’ ”The carrier said that if he sees packagesfrom another shipping company sittinginside a store, he asks the owners if theywould consider switching. “I’m not shy,”he said. “Just don’t be afraid to ask.”Meanwhile, 33-year carrier DonaldFelice Jr. submitted a lead for a companythat sells exfoliators and body sponges.The lead resulted in a shipping dealworth more than 287,000.The company, Clean Logic, hadrecently moved to a storefront on Felice’sroute. “I saw they had a huge warehousein the back,” the carrier recalled, andhe wondered if USPS could pick up thecompany’s shipping business. When thestore opened, he went in and talked toone of the owners.“I asked if they were interested intalking to the Postal Service,” Felice said,“and she gave me her business card.” Hethen passed the information to the salesteam, who closed the deal.“I have a great rapport with customers,” the carrier explained about hissales tactics. “They see me in uniform,and I talk to them and make a personalcontact.” Once he has a familiarity withthe store and its management, he asksthem if they would be interested in saving money by shipping with USPS.“It’s really not that hard—everyone’sinterested in saving money,” Feliceadded. “It’s just a matter of making thatinitial contact.”The two carriers’ achievement wascelebrated in Washington, DC, as well.“Drew and Donald served their customers well by noticing that they could getbetter service from USPS,” said MaryAnderson, the small-business engagement director at USPS Headquarters. “Itis important that we recognize the effortsof all our carriers who help drive newrevenue for the Postal Service.”At pizza restaurant,a carrier delivers for USPSWhen San Diego, CA Branch 70member Daniel Galvan saw a new pizzarestaurant opening up on his route, hedecided to use his tried-and-tested salespitch to encourage the owner to useUSPS to drum up attention for the store’sopening.JWhiledeliveringmail, hetalked tothe owner,SunilGakhreja,and askedhim if hehad everconsideredmailingDaniel Galvan (r) and storeout flyers owner Sunil Gakhrejathroughthe Postal Service’s Every Door DirectMail (EDDM) program. Gakhreja wasintrigued. “He was asking a lot of questions,” the nine-year carrier recalled. “So,I gave him all the information and got hisinformation” in return.Galvan then took the information backto the office and submitted the lead. Whenthe sales team followed up, they spoke toGakhreja about the merits of the EDDMcampaign; the restaurant has subsequently done two advertising campaigns,generating 30,000 in revenue for USPS.This is not the first lead that Galvanhas found for the Postal Service. He saysthat he keeps an eye out on his route forany potential new customers. “I try tolook out for everything: new businesses,[customers who] ship out packages everyday, or have heavy outgoing mail.”Galvan says talking about the plusesof the EDDM program is a great way toconvince business owners to speak to asales representative. “You can tell them,‘Have you thought about advertising?We deliver flyers to every house in thearea,’ ” the carrier explained. “ ‘Whateverworks best for your business,’ I tell them,and they all seem very interested.”Most important of all, Galvan says, isknowing the details behind what USPScan offer. “You have to learn about theservice we provide, and get informed,”he said. “If [the customer] has the correctinformation, then most likely they willfollow through.” PRMay 2021The Postal Record21

NewsCustomer Connect adds up for USPSBy touching every address inthe United States at least six daysa week, letter carriers naturallydevelop special relationships with theircustomers. Since USPS’s Customer Connect program began in 2003, thousandsof carriers have successfully leveragedtheir interactions with business customers to encourage them to use the PostalService, rather than rely on private delivery and mailing services. Below are somerecent stories about Customer Connectleads submitted by letter carriers thathave helped USPS earn new revenue.In Texas, a carrier perfectshis sales pitch“If I see a competitor in [a business onmy route], I see if there is something wecan ship instead,” said Dallas, TX Branch132 member Mandell Moss, describing his strategy for generating leads forCustomer Connect.Moss, who has worked as a carrier formore than 25 years, said that his salespitch revolves around the customer’s specific priorities. “You talk to the contactperson [in the business],” he explained,“and figure out what they need.”The carrier said that if the business isusing a competitor, he looks to see howmuch it is shipping, and then explainshow USPS can serve its shipping needsbetter. “If they ship volumes with UPS,why can’t they do that with the Post Office?” Moss added.One customer that he approachedsaid that “he always wanted to ship withUSPS but never knew who to contact,”Moss said. The carrier was able to takethe customer’s information and pass itonto the USPS sales team.Recently, Moss was also able to assist abusiness that ships 3D LED products. Thecustomer was looking for ways to save oncost while still meeting customer deliveryexpectations, and was convinced by thecarrier’s explanation of the Postal Ser-24 The Postal Record April 2021Mandell Mossvice’s rates and delivery times. Moss thensubmitted the lead to a Dallas businessdevelopment specialist, who persuadedthe owner to switch to USPS for shipping.Thanks to Moss’s connection withthe customer, the sale generated morethan 274,200 in estimated annualizedrevenue for USPS.Ohio Customer Connectcoordinator inspires by exampleLima, OH Branch 105 member NedDeLong has twice been named the topCustomer Connect carrier for his district—but reaching that accomplishment hasonly pushed him to work harder. In addition to working as his branch’s health andsafety officer, DeLong serves as the LimaCustomer Connect coordinator, helpingmotivate and instruct his fellow carrierson how to generate potential sales leads.“When it comes to finding a lead,make it simple,” the 17-year carrier saidhe tells newer carriers. “It’s a business.Get a business card.” This strategy hasproduced many leads for carriers, including some that have generated millions inrevenue for USPS.For his own leads, DeLong says thathe never misses an opportunity to bringbusiness to the Postal Service, includingreaching out to family members and evenmaking connections while on vacation.He encourages branch members to usetheir ties to local businesses as well.“I know a good quality sale [lead] whenI see it,” DeLong said. “You just have tobe knowledgeable on what we can offerthem, and look for an opportunity.”One of DeLong’s key tips is to reachout to customers in the beginning of theyear. Many delivery services raise ratesin January and February, he said, butUSPS “has a competitive rate, with nosurcharges.” Once he’s made his pitch,DeLong then passes the customer’sspecific needs along to the sales team toclose the deal.Despite his busy schedule, DeLongsays that he views his work as essentialfor keeping USPS in business. “I’m drivento keep [the Post Office] going—I love thisplace,” he said. “If you do nothing, thennothing’s going to happen.”Carrier’s attention keepscustomer with USPS“I had a collection route, and I keptwatching the volumes [of shipping] godown” at one of the businesses on hisroute, Oklahoma City, OK Branch 458member Richard Holland explained.The company, Esellsimple, regularly shipsauto parts through USPS, but recently, thestore’s shipping volume had declined dramatically. Finally, the three-year carrierdecided to inquire about the shift.He approached the owners—“they’revery friendly people”—and asked whathad changed. The owners told Hollandthat they were switching to UPS as theirstore’s shipping provider. During thediscussion, the carrier discovered thatthe customers felt let down by the USPSclaims process.The next day, Holland had a chanceencounter with the Oklahoma City postmaster, Mike Allision. He told Allisionabout his customers’ decision to changeproviders, and their specific concerns.The postmaster got in contact withEsellsimple and, along with the sales

Jteam, figured out a way to address theowners’ desire for improved customerservice. The store ended up switchingback to USPS, using Priority Mail with aconsistent pick-up service and improvedtransit times. Holland’s sales lead generated more than 926,000 in revenue forthe Postal Service.Holland was modest about his contribution to the lead, saying, “It’s just one ofthose things—this one happened to be ahome run.” But he strongly encouragedother carriers to follow in his footsteps andreach out to the customers on their route.“As carriers, we are face-to-face withour customers daily; we have the op-portunity to keep every customer a loyalUSPS customer,” he added. For carrierswho are new to the Customer Connectprogram, Holland says to keep the salespitch simple. “You say: ‘How would youlike to get a competitive bid [for shipping]?’ And who is going to say, ‘No, wedon’t want to save money?’ ” PRElection NoticesIndianaThis is official notice of the nominations and elections of the officers of theIndiana State Association of Letter Carriers. Nominations and elections will beheld June 28-29 at the 2021 state convention in Indianapolis. The officers being elected are president, executive vicepresident/director of education, recording secretary, treasurer, director of retirees and seven executive board members.Catherine Bodnar, Rec. Sec., ISALCLittle Rock, ArkansasThis is official notice to members ofBranch 35 that nominations for branchofficers, one trustee and delegates to thestate conventions will be held during theregular branch meeting on May 7. Candidates for branch officers and trustee mustbe present during the nominations to accept nomination for office or have, in thehand of the secretary, written certificationof acceptance for a specific office.Election of delegates to the state convention and trustee will be conductedduring the regular branch meeting on June4. If you have any questions, please contact me at P.O. Box 190872, Little Rock, AK772219-0672, or call 501-565-8106.Jackie Maddox, Pres., Br. 35Martinsburg, West VirginiaNominations for officers and delegates of Branch 1475 will be acceptedat the regular October branch meeting.Elections for officers and delegates willbe by secret ballot at the regular November branch meeting.Chris Lindner, Sec.-Treas., Br. 1475McAlester, OklahomaBranch 1166 will be holding a mergervote at the May regularly monthly meeting. The meeting will take place on May18 at 6:30 p.m. at the VFW. The addressis 1426 Morris St., Krebs. All membersare encouraged to attend.The merger agreement will be betweenMcAlester, OK Branch 1166 and Muskogee, OK Branch 1042. If passed, the newbranch will be Muskogee Merged Branch1042. All McAlester assets would becomeMuskogee’s. Muskogee’s bylaws will bethe surviving bylaws. If passed, the proposed agreement to be voted on will become effective on June 1, upon approvalof NALC Headquarters.Jacob Evans, Pres., Br. 1166OhioThis is an official notification to allmembers of the Ohio State Associationof Letter Carriers that nominations andelections for the offices of president, vicepresident, secretary, treasurer, directorof legislative and political affairs, director of retirees and board members will beheld during the 70th state convention.The convention will be held at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown July 23-24. Theterm of each office shall be two years.Dale M. Liptak, Sec., OSALCPawtucket, Rhode IslandThis is official notice to all membersin good standing of Branch 55 thatnominations for all officers will takeplace on Wednesday, May 12. Our meeting and the nomination of officers willtake place outdoors, rain or shine. Wewill meet in the rear parking lot of theLincoln Post Office, located at 203 FrontSt., Lincoln. The meeting starts at 7 p.m.Any member in good standing wishing to accept a nomination and unable toattend the May 12 meeting must submita letter in writing to the recording secretary, Kenneth Cahoon, and signify theacceptance of the specific nominationby the same May 12 meeting. The following positions are up for nomination:president, executive vice president, vicepresident, financial secretary-treasurer,recording secretary, health benefit representative (must be enrolled in theNALC Health Benefit Plan), sergeant-atarms and three trustee positions.The officers/positions will be electedfor two-year terms. The election resultswill be by secret mail ballot, and electionresults will be shared with the membersin accordance with the Branch 55 bylaws.Kenneth Cahoon, Rec. Sec., Br. 55Santa Fe Springs, CaliforniaThis is official notice to all membersof Branch 4941 that nomination for officers will take place at the regular branchmeeting on May 19. The election will beat the regular branch meeting on June 16.Dave Donovan, Pres., Br. 4941TennesseeThe Tennessee State Association ofLetter Carriers will hold its state officers’nominations on May 2. They will be heldvia web after receiving a dispensationletter from President Fredric Rolando.Laurie McLemore, Pres., TSALCTexasThe nomination and election of officers for the Texas State Associationof Letter Carriers shall be conductedby mail. The nomination form shall bemailed to all delegates, as well as to eachbranch in Texas. Any regular member, ingood standing with their branch, shall beeligible for any office of this association,and candidates running for a districtboard member position must be a member of the branch for that specific district.Candidates running for a district boardmember position shall be elected by delegates of their respective district. No person shall nominate themselves for morethan one office. The nomination formmust be acknowledged and signed byeach candidate running for office. Everynominee must certify that he or she hasnot served in a supervisory capacity forthe 24 months prior to being nominated.Upon its completion, the nominationform must be received by May 31, andshall be mailed to: TSALC Secretary Julian Alvarez, 181 W. 87th St., Odessa, TX79764-2326.This election by mail shall includeonly duly elected delegates by and fortheir branch. All ballots shall be mailedto the delegates’ address of record withNALC membership. Ballots must be received by Aug. 26 to be counted at theirweighted value (weighted value totalnumber of branch members, divided bythe total number of delegates voting).A branch may choose to vote unitrule for the entire membership, and thisdecision must be made in writing andreceived by TSALC by June 30.All candidates running for TSALC office may contact Reilly Echols PrintingInc. (214-428-8385) to print and mailtheir campaign material to all delegates,at the candidates’ expense.Julian Alvarez, Sec., TSALCTorrance, CaliforniaIn accordance with Article 5 of theNALC Constitution, this is official noticeto all members of Branch 2207 that nominations for the offices of president, vicepresident, secretary, treasurer, sergeantat-arms, MBA officer, health benefit officer and three trustees will be taken tothe floor at the October branch meeting.Any potential nominees who cannot bein attendance must submit a letter of acceptance at the October branch meeting.The election of officers for Branch2207 will be held at the Novemberbranch meeting. The election of delegates to the national and state conventions will also be elected.All elected officers will serve from Jan.13, 2022, to January 2024.Joyce Cudanes, Sec., Br. 2207Western Wayne Co., MichiganThis is official notice to all membersof Branch 2184 that nominations forbranch president, executive vice president, vice president, recording secretary, financial secretary-treasurer, healthbenefits representative, sergeant-atarms, retirees’ officer (who shall be aretired member), three trustees and allstation stewards, as well as the stateand national convention delegates forthe 2021-2023 term, will be taken at aspecial meeting, to be held on Sunday,May 23, at 2 p.m. at the Branch 2184office at 6969 Monroe St., Taylor. Allbranch officers, by virtue of their positions, are automatic delegates to thestate and national conventions.Elections will be conducted by mailand the results will be announced at theexecutive board meeting on July 26.John Hite, Sec., Br. 2184April 2021The Postal Record25

NewsCustomer Connect adds up for USPSBy touching every address inthe United States at least six daysa week, letter carriers naturallydevelop special relationships with theircustomers. Since USPS’s Customer Connect program began in 2003, thousandsof carriers have successfully leveragedtheir interactions with business customers to encourage them to use the PostalService, rather than rely on private delivery and mailing services. Below are somerecent stories about Customer Connectleads submitted by letter carriers thathave helped USPS earn new revenue.A simple question sealsthe deal in South CarolinaColumbia, SC Branch 233 member Chris Mullen has found that thesimplest way is best when it comes toreaching out to customers for CustomerConnect. “If I run into someone [on theroute], I tell them about it,” the 18-yearcarrier said. “It” is Mullen’s key question:“I ask if they want to see if we can savethem money,” he explained.This persuasive line worked perfectlywhen it came to Carolina Clutches, a storethat sells high-quality handbags and accessories. The customer came to Mullen’sattention once he saw that she was receiving a lot of deliveries through competitors.“If I see they have a lot of UPS packages, Ireach out and ask,” he said.After Mullen discovered that thecustomer was looking for affordableshipping rates, he offered to connect herwith the USPS sales team. A representative followed up with the customer andwas able to recommend Priority Mailshipping for her business.Mullen says that he has seen Carolina Clutches grow from the ground up.“When [the business owner] started, shewas working out of her garage,” he said.Mullen added that it was not a questionof convincing her, but about letting herknow about USPS’s capabilities. “I didn’t26 The Postal Record October 2020have to say much of anything,” he said.“She was looking to expand.”Mullen’s willingness to reach out to hiscustomers resulted in 50,830 in new annualized revenue for the Postal Service.Texas carrier receivesMillion Dollar Lead awardOn Sept. 9, Dallas, TX Branch 132 member Kathy Brown received a certificatesigned by NALC President Fredric Rolandoin recognition of her extraordinary feat.Brown, a 32-year letter carrier, had secureda sales lead that generated more than 1million for the Postal Service.Brown said that when she saw a FedExtrailer parked in a company’s lot, itpiqued her interest. The business was alogistics company that she regularly delivered to on her route. “I saw the trailer,and I inquired, ‘Can we get some of thatbusiness?’ ” Brown recalled.The carrier knew one of the salesrepresentatives, so after getting thecompany’s information, she made sureto follow up on the lead. The sales representative met with the owners, and wasable to convince them to switch some oftheir shipping. “[USPS] got their businessfor the smaller packages,” Brown said.“We have better prices.”Though Brown has since left her business route for a residential route, the carrier said that her ability to generate leadswas mainly based around the instinctsshe has built up over her years on the job.Kathy Brown (l) holds her award alongside Branch 132 President Kim Lewis.“It’s an acquired ability,” she said.But she believes her personal connection also helps when it comes to convincing her customers to hear her salespitch. “I show that I’m concerned, that Ideliver,” she added. “You have to showthat you can walk the walk.”In California, a carrier comesthrough for

The Eagleville, PA, post office celebrat-ed Customer Connect Day on Nov. 17, 2020, when the office honored two Norristown, PA Branch 542 members whose leads resulted in almost 900,000 in new revenue for the Postal Service. Drew Ritchie, a 26-year carrier, had recently submitted two leads through Customer Connect that brought in a com-