I’m a statistical programs data collection technician for Great Lakes Area’s Detroit District. I travel to Postal Service facilities throughout the district to collect and record statistical data at randomly selected points. This helps USPS allocate the labor costs of employees and the work they perform.
I start each workday by receiving a list of the employees, including managers, supervisors, clerks, mail handlers and letter carriers.
I sometimes travel to facilities to observe and record the activity that a sampled employee performs, and sometimes a supervisor observes the work on my behalf. The questions I ask depend on the employee’s job and the work they perform at the time of the observation.
For example, I may ask a retail associate to provide the last mailpiece that he or she accepted from a customer. I then record the mailpiece characteristics, such as the weight, shape, mail preparation markings and barcode information.
I also perform other statistical programs tests. One example is a test that involves visiting a facility to sample air and surface transportation contract types as mail is prepared for dispatch, or as mail is unloaded from vehicles.
I enjoy what I do. The data that I collect helps USPS determine whether the right amount of postage is collected, and if the mail is delivered accurately and on time.
I joined the Postal Service 21 years ago after I left the Army, and I’m glad that I did. USPS provides me the stability I need to raise my family. I tell colleagues that it’s important to take pride in what you do. Come to work every day and work hard. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek out new opportunities.
When I’m not collecting data, I enjoy going bowling with my husband, Quentin, and three sons, Marsalis, Emery and Blake. We also enjoy attending church and traveling to spend time with our extended family.
“On the job,” a series on individual employees and their contributions to the Postal Service, appears regularly in Link.