Efficiency of Operations at Billings and Great Falls, Montana, Post Offices

The Postal Service measures the quality of mail service primarily in terms of delivery performance for first-class stamped mail. A review of the quality of mail service in eastern Montana and operation of the Billings and Great Falls, Montana, Post Offices focused on allegations of impropriety relating to the letter sorting machine in Billings, forwarding undeliverable mail in Billings, and personnel issues in Billings and Great Falls.

The Postal Service's statistics for eastern Montana showed performance for about 18 months through December 1976 to be generally favorable in relation to its goal of 95 percent ontime delivery. Although delivery of certain first-class mail fell below the goal, the Billings and Great Falls Post Offices and eastern Montana as a whole almost always equaled or exceeded the Western Postal Region and national averages for ontime delivery. Customer complaints indicated no significant problems relating to the quality of first-class mail service in eastern Montana. The Billings Post Office letter sorting machine saved about $96,000 in 1976, or about 40 percent of its cost, and did not delay mail or cause higher than reported error rates. No instances of unfair hiring practices were found at Billings and Great Falls. Two pending investigations of equal employment opportunity cases were not reviewed. At Billings Post Office, errors occurred which resulted in properly addressed mail being returned to sender.