The Postal Regulatory Commission referred 46 inquiries to the Postal Service in December. Customers received responses on average within 13 days.

Inquiries covered various topics that fell into three main categories:

• Delivery services (13) – i.e., the time of delivery, forwarding, and method of delivery.

• Customer services (15) – i.e., hours of service, availability of retail products, and product tracking.

• Policies/procedures (18) – i.e., privacy and Freedom of Information Act requests, obtaining refunds or exchanging postage, and suggestions.

While many of the inquiries were customer specific, the following topics are being highlighted for their possible interest to a larger audience.

FOIA Online Reading Room Provides a Wealth of Information – The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) online Reading Room, located on the U.S. Postal Service Web site at http://www.usps.com/foia/readroom/welcome.htm, allows visitors to find records routinely available to the public and documents previously released through the FOIA which have been the subject of multiple requests. You may select from a variety of categories including Final Opinions and Orders, Agency Policy Statements, Administrative Manuals that affect the public, along with other topics of interest and useful links. Visit the FOIA Reading Room today to learn more about FOIA, the Privacy Act, and Postal Service records management.

Postal History – The Postal Service has a rich history of serving the American public that dates back more than two centuries. Since Benjamin Franklin was appointed as the first Postmaster General in 1775,the Postal Service has grown and changed with America, boldly embracing new technologies to better serve a growing population. Visit the Postal Service Web site at http://www.usps.com/postalhistory/welcome.htm to learn more about the Postal Service’s role in American history. From the Postal History Webpage, you will be able to select from a list of topics including significant dates, stamps and postcards, photo galleries, postal people, uniforms and equipment, research sources and much more.

Postal Facts – Did you know that the Postal Service delivers more mail to more addresses in a larger geographical area than any other post in the world? Learn more about the size and scope of the Postal Service, which delivers to more than 149 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes, by viewing Postal Facts 2009 located on the Postal Service Web site at http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/facts/postalfacts2009.pdf

source: PRC