Tuesday, December 27, 2011

First Class Tracer

USPS will test a new product called First Class Tracer in a limited market area. The product will enable customers to follow their greeting cards, postcards, and personal and business letters as they travel through the mail processing system.

Here's how it will work. Customers will purchase an adhesive barcode that will be placed directly under the postage of their individual letters.They will be able to follow the mailpiece using the tracer barcodes by checking the numbers online at www.usps.com, or by using a unique QR code with their mobile device.

On average, each item with a First-Class Tracer will receive 2-4 scans that customers can follow as it makes it's way to delivery.

This innovative idea is in answer to some customers requests. What do you think?
Would you like to trace some of your letters and cards? Will it catch on?


14 comments:

Grannybunny said...

I think the tracers are a good idea and would use them on selected items. They're also inobtrusive; the recipient probably would not even notice that the item was being traced.

Anonymous said...

I thought you could trace your package with Delivery Confirmation??? Or is it only for the Confirmation of Delivery???

Grannybunny said...

Delivery Confirmation is not available for First-Class letter mail, and only provides delivery event information.

Exhume said...

Planet Codes....This appears to be the same Planet Codes. Which is good as it will give the Customer more information about their piece of mail.
If it does what I think it will then the customer will be able to see what location it was processed at, what time, what machine it went through. Also they will see processing scans at the Destination Processing Plant.
We have had this technology in place for some time it is good to see it used to benefit the public.

ruralcarrier said...

Oh boy, something else to come off and gum up the machinery. Will the customer get their money back if the letter makes it but the tracer doesn't? Are the delivery personnel going to have to scan these too?

Rob Diamond said...

Can you imagine the carrier having to scan a couple thousand letters everyday? The route would never get done.

Anonymous said...

TOTALLY AGREE... SOMETHING ELSE TO GET SCREWED UP!
USPS IS ANTI K.I.S.S. METHOD !!!

Anonymous said...

This is something customers have wanted for a long time, though some won't want to pay even the small cost for it. I don't think this will be something carriers have to scan but will probably be scanned by the mail processing equipment. It will probably tell the customer it is being delivered after it goes through the final DPS pass. For those with the negative comments, we have to be customer focused or it will be real simple - No USPS, No carriers, no clerks, no jobs.

Robert said...

If this doesn't include a scan when the item was actually, physically delivered, I don't really see the value in it. That's just my opinion.

Exhume said...

Robert brings up a valid point. Lets say the USPS closes all the processing plants that they want to..250 or so. If your letter is only scanned by the DBCS machines then this will be a lost cause due to the fact that your mail will still be in route to the delivery station. Case in point would be lets say I live 150-200 miles from the nearest processing plant. Do I care that it went through a machine in bumforked Montana yesterday and should...should be..delivered in the next day or so. Yes and No...the most important scans will be "Out for Delivery" and "Delivered". If you can not give these two crucial scans then I believe Robert is correct...it will not be a big seller.

Anonymous said...

"No USPS, No carriers, no clerks, no jobs."

It's coming sooner than you think...

Anonymous said...

It's too bad most of the new products (giftcards, etc.) are only offered to a "limited market area" I think we could sell more than HQ thinks out here in the sticks!

Anonymous said...

if this requires a recieved and delivery scan by the carrier than they are way too cheep DO THE MATH 18 SECONDS PER SCAN carrier and clerk making 25 dollors per hour 3 scans? NO WONDER WE ARE GOING BROKE! wake the hell up!

greyolddave said...

Actually some friends have tested this. The barcode is scanned automatically as it goes through the sorting equipment at each point through which it passes. No human required. For 40 cents it does not replace delivery confirmation but does show at the end "out for delivery". Works pretty well.