Social Media 12 Feb 2009 01:03 pm
Technology’s Effect on the Postal Service
I was recently watching the news and heard that the postal service is considering cutting back from delivering mail six days a week to five days a week. This made me think about the impact that email, social media and other web technologies are having on the postal industry.
If you think back to ten or so years ago, the main way that people got mail was by sending it through the postal service. Today, that is no longer the case. I personally can’t remember the last time I actually mailed something; I usually receive information technologically. I receive messages via email, Facebook, or Twitter. You can also pay your bills online using a credit card versus mailing a check. This is all having a negative impact on the postal service industry.
The Postmaster General, John E. Potter told Congress “that massive deficits could force the post office to cut out one day of mail delivery per week.” Potter asked lawmakers to lift the requirement set in 1983 that the agency deliver mail six days a week.
Why is the postal service facing massive deficits? The service is faced with decreasing amounts of mail and rising costs. Potter claims “that the post office was $2.8 billion in debt last year and if the current trend continues they could face a net loss of at least $6 billion this year.”
202 billion items were mailed last year; that is more than 9 billion less than the year before. Potter also said, “even though the annual rate increases, 2009 could be the first year since 1946 that the amount of money collected by the post office declines.” Taking this into consideration, the cost of six-day delivery may now be unaffordable.
When you hear this, you automatically assume that mail will no longer be delivered on Saturdays. This isn’t necessarily the case; they would suspend mail delivery on the day with the lightest volume.
Social media is also becoming a very popular communication tool amongst Public Relations firms and other companies. All of this makes you wonder if email and various social media are going to one day completely take over the communication world?
Amanda Deluca
Save This Page
Subscribe to this site