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Brooklyn,____ incBoro Post Office Launches Flan 1 o Deliver Better ServiceBY LIZ KOCHWhile New York City and Brooklyn are offering a series of financial enticements tolure new businesses into Brooklyn, theBrooklyn Division of the United StatesPostal Service is doing its own bit to makethe borough more attractive to businesses.The division launched a campaign in July toshow businesses that a number of servicesand programs are available to save themmoney in their mailings and speed up postaldeliveries.Dennis Draney, new field director ofmarketing and communications at theBrooklyn Division, has proposals forbusinesses already settled in Brooklyn andthose en route to the borough. In his newposition, he predicts improved relations between the Post Office and the business sector, and has been actively pursuing a program of operation that will bring the two incloser contact. In the past, he says, communications broke down between the PostOffice and its business customers. In thefuture, he predicts, the diverging paths willmerge once again.As a most recent example of efforts toestablish a better working relationship between Brooklyn%u2019s businesses and thedeliverers of m ail, the Post Office held aJuly 15 meeting of its Brooklyn PostalCustomer Council, billed as the start of anew era of relations with an emphasis on%u201cjoint commitment to service to the mailingcommunity.%u201dIt was the first meeting of the councilsince Linda Sanchez, the newly-appointedGeneral Manager of the Brooklyn Division,stepped into her position in May andbrought a new flock of postal administrators to the division with a promiseto improve the beleaguered mail service inBrooklyn.The Brooklyn Postal Customer Council isgeared especially toward businesses andeducating the business community on usingthe m ail service. In recent years, the council has foundered on a lack of commitmentfrom both sides, says Draney, but he seesthe organization as a vehicle forestablishing an open dialogue betweenbusinesses and the Post Office and as aforum where postal workers can relay tipsand suggestions to businesses for improvingtheir service. The executive board of theCouncil is made up of members of thebusiness community and a number of postalofficials.The approximately 70 people who attended the meeting were treated to a speciallecture by a U.S. Postal Service executivefrom Washington, John Vargo, who addressed the subjects of Express Mail, Presort and Zip-1-4 programs that Draneystresses are crucial for improving mail service for Brooklyn businesses.%u201cThese are programs that businesseshave traditionally utilized, but not everyoneis aware of how they work or how they cansave money,%u201d Draney explains. Pointing toMembers of the business community met in Brooklyn recently to trade ideas on how their postal service could be improved, as part of the Postal Customer Council meeting. At right, Jay Bell, Postal Tour coordinator demonstrates automated equipment. (Ghiorsi Photo)the Zip+4 system specifically, he says thatthis method of sorting m ail is both fasterand more economical. A four digit numberis added to the regular five number zip codeand allows for a faster mail sorting process,and helps mail carriers to make fasterdeliveries on their routes. Pre-sorted mailrefers to bulk mail presented to the post office in zip code order.%u201cBecause the process reduces the cost ofhandling for us, it also reduces the cost ofpostage,%u201d he explains.Part of Draney%u2019s new job involvestargeting businesses to participate in theIt is important that the PostOffice makes businesses aware ofhow to prepare mail for fasterservice and how they can betteruse their resources, and where tolook for cost breaks.council. To assist him, he has worked withthe Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce tocreate a list of new businesses in Brooklyn.He says the Post Office is also in the process of developing a welcoming package fornew businesses that will explain availableservices. The package will be followed upby a visit from a customer accountrepresentative who is charged with detailing available services and spreading thenews of the Postal Customer Coucil.%u201cIt is important that the Post Officemakes businesses aware of how to preparemail for faster service, how they can betteruse their resources and where to look forcost breaks,%u201d Draney says. %u201cWe need tomake a variety of services available to getthat information out. Mail is a big part anda crucial part of many businesses, andmaybe not the first place they look to cutcosts or improve services,%u201d he adds.In another approach to servicingbusinesses and improving m ail service ingeneral, the Post Office is accepting bidsfor stores interested in becoming postal contract stations. Contract stations makeavailable to the public all postal service except the actual delivery of m ail %u2014 includingthe selling of postage stamps and moneyorders, and maintaining postal boxes.Under this arrangement, the Post Officepays a stipend to the store owner who isbonded and hires and trains a specialemployee.Contract stations, according to Draney,will make services more available to thepublic, as well as benefitting the storeowner. Most recently a postal contract station was opened in a Thriftway Drugstore inthe Trump Village Shopping Center on theeastern edge of Coney Island.Downtown, the Post Office is consideringthe establishment of a contract station inthe Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area,where the Merchants Association of SmithStreet (MASS) has requested a facility.%u201cWe are looking into as many options aspossible that will expand our presence inthe business community, and make peoplerealize that this is a system that can workfor them,%u201d Draney says.The eight business members of the PostalCustomer Council include: Bruce Dunnfrom Crossland Savings; Harvey Cohen,Valeo; Mel Silverman, Worldwide Mailer;Mark Anselmo, Aerodirect Mail Service;Norman Valentine, Brooklyn Union Gas;Ted Gottesman, Brooklyn College; CharlesWildermuth, Polytechnic Institute; and Betty Conniff, Downstate Medical Center.For more information on the PostalCustomer Council and special programsfor Brooklyn businesses call, 676-4815.SCISSORSWhen performance counts. .CLARK LIF (718) 6261400TOF NEW YORK, INC. 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