USPS is one of the most important companies in most people’s lives. It delivers mail and at very affordable rates. It’s probably one of those organizations that most people feel is an integral part of their lives. However, many people don’t know much about USPS other than the fact that it’s a mailing company. You will be surprised to learn that it’s actually a very interesting company. Here are 5 things you didn’t know about it.
1. It is very easy to change an address with USPS
Most people don’t know this but changing your address on USPS is as easy as A-B-C. You just need to visit the USPS change of address page and fill a simple form. The form asks for your name, email, and the type of move you are making. It’s a process that anyone can do in less than 5 minutes, without any problems. Besides, you can always contact the company if you face any problems when changing your address.
2. There was a time when a baby was mailed via USPS!
Sounds crazy, right? Well, in 1913 a parent sent an 8-month-old baby via USPS. The baby was being sent to her grandparents and the parents were charged 15 cents for it. It’s one of the craziest hallmarks of the company in its early days. Other than this case, there were several other instances of parents trying to send their children via USPS. This just goes to show how trusted USPS has been over the years, to the extent that someone can entrust a baby to the company.
3. The company issued the best-selling commemorative stamp
We all know Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock and Roll” and how greatly he influenced the music industry. Well, USPS took that fame a notch higher and created a stamp commemorating him. That stamp became a bestseller, which goes to show the power of USPS as a brand. The company didn’t stop with the Elvis Presley stamp. It has over the years come up with all manners of unique stamps with different shapes. For instance, it came up with the holographic stamp, which was a first in the mailing industry.
4. USPS came up with the concept of airmail
What comes to mind when you see the word airmail on a letter from a mailing company? You probably think that it means the mail came by air, right? Well, the term airmail actually started in the 1850s, when USPS mail clerks would throw mail out to their owners from moving trains. They would then grab outgoing mail that residents threw into the moving trains. This crazy concept came to be known as airmail and this term has been used since then.
5. USPS has always cared for the elderly
While most other companies only care about profits, USPS has always believed in societal welfare as well. In 1982, the company started a program where it could alert authorities in case the home of an elderly person had so many uncollected mails. This is a program that not many companies would think of in the 1980s.
Home-based business owners can utilize USPS services to streamline communications and work with a trusted company to deliver invoices, products, or contracts. Efficiency can make or break a business, and companies should always work to simplify all aspects of operations. USPS has played a vital role in connecting our nation over the years and will continue to make its mark on history.