by Lisa.Bowes at intelisent.com

I am very frustrated with the USPS and a serious lack of customer service and attention. I have been working diligently behind the scenes, going through all the proper USPS channels in order to try and compromise and resolve the EMD dilemma.  The dilemma is that the USPS keep trying to eliminate EMD, a process that works for Confirm customers, one that Confirm customers have invested in and utilize in mail tracking, and one that current Confirm subscribers have already paid for.  There is no reason being given (actually, there are about a dozen reasons the USPS has given, all refuted) aside from “because we said so” type-reasoning.

EMD was scheduled to be “replaced” by the USPS in May of 2009.  No replacement was available at that cut off date, so after intense pressure from the Confirm customers, EMD was given a reprieve until November 2009.  This was extended again, when no alternative was presented.

Last official notice from the USPS Confirm department came out in March, 2010, at which time EMD was extended through May 14, 2010. No communication has come from the Confirm department since.

Uh oh – May 14th is this Friday.  Still no alternative solution (one was presented to a group of Confirm users last week, which was deemed unacceptable in its’ current format.  I have gone up the ranks at USPS HQ to get some direction.  I was told that the USPS is working on some analysis of the issues raised at the telecon, which would include the date of EMD retirement, and I would be seeing that shortly.  I am assuming this means that EMD will be extended again, but nothing would surprise me at this point.

My frustrations?  All lacks – lack of communication, lack of cooperation with USPS business partners, lack of consideration with USPS business partners, unwillingness to share information with business partners so they can plan accordingly, and most of all, an overall lack of respect for mailing service providers.  For some reason the USPS thinks it is ok to treat “vendors” differently.  However, in this specific case, we are also Confirm customers, bringing additional revenue into the Postal Service.

If the Postal Service does finally communicate their plans on this, I will post here.  In the meantime, EMD users are in limbo after May 14th.  Service may continue, and it may not.  No pun intended, but, I can’t get anyone to confirm that either way.