Lisa Abbott was delighted when her husband, Jeffrey Porch, called from Kuwait recently to ask about his mail.
Abbott, an Indianapolis-based sales account representative for the Postal Service, encouraged Porch, an Army sergeant who also works for USPS as a building equipment mechanic, to sign up for Informed Delivery last year. She knew he would like to see the mail being delivered to their home while he was stationed abroad.
When Porch received an Informed Delivery email that showed he would soon receive a mailing from Harley Davidson, he asked Abbott to keep an eye out for it.
“He was excited about his Harley Davidson mail and wanted me to send it to him,” she said.
Abbott’s experience is the latest example of how Informed Delivery is helping members of the military and their loved ones stay in touch.
Last year, Southern Area Master Black Belt Trainer Yvette Hixon was relieved when she checked an Informed Delivery email and saw she would soon receive a letter from her son Brandon, an Air Force enlistee who was away at basic training.
“The email raised my level of excitement and anticipation — I kept looking at the front of the letter that he addressed to ‘Mom,’” Hixon said.
Informed Delivery allows users to digitally preview their incoming mail and manage their packages from computers, tablets and other mobile devices. The free feature, which recently surpassed 15 million users, is part of the Postal Service’s core strategy to add value to the mail and improve customers’ experiences.
“Informed Delivery offers benefits for consumers of all kinds, but we are discovering it holds special meaning for members of the military who are eager to stay connected to their lives back home,” said Informed Delivery Program Manager Carrie Bornitz.
Abbott is glad her husband has become a fan — and not just when it comes to keeping track of his own mail.
“He sent me something for Valentine’s Day and called to ask, ‘Did you get something in the mail today?’”