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Neighborly help

Carrier’s over-the-fence chats lead to deal

Muskegon, MI, Letter Carrier Brina Uhrbrock recently used the Customer Connect program to help generate $318,500 in new revenue for USPS.

Letter Carrier Brina Uhrbrock’s neighbors own a gift, novelty and souvenir company.

Over the course of a year, the Muskegon, MI, employee chatted with them about their business and how the Postal Service could help them.

“This is a veteran-owned, family-run business,” said Uhrbrock. “They had been using another shipper for their products, but when the pandemic began earlier this year, that shipper fell through on getting their products delivered.”

That’s when Uhrbrock’s groundwork paid off: The business owners turned to their neighbor for help.

She submitted a lead through Customer Connect, a joint program between USPS and the National Association of Letter Carriers that encourages carriers to identify sales opportunities for the organization.

The lead ultimately led to a shipping deal worth $318,500 in new revenue for the Postal Service.

Revenue generated from Customer Connect leads is counted toward the USPS Power of One campaign to raise revenue through sales leads from employees.

“Brina’s sale helped the Muskegon Post Office become a revenue leader in Greater Michigan District, which just goes to show that revenue opportunities can sometimes be found in your backyard,” said Mary Anderson, small-business engagement director at USPS headquarters in Washington, DC. “This is the ‘Power of One’ — one person talking to her neighbors.”

The Sales Blue page has more information about Customer Connect and the Postal Service’s other lead-sharing programs, which include Business Connect, Clerks Care, Mail Handlers, Rural Reach and Submit a Lead.

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