Post Office asks customers to mail early, offers tips

LYNN – With the volume of cards, letters and packages expected to mushroom during the holiday season, Lynn Postmaster John P. Meuse advises customers to mail early.”Our goal is to deliver increased holiday mail volumes at our normal year-round service levels to make your holidays magical,” he said. “Although we have taken extra measures to handle the added volume, we are asking customers to mail early to avoid a backup of mail the last days before Christmas.”U.S. Postal Service customers will bring nearly 10 billion pieces of mail to various locations during the holiday season.The postal official said customers can help speed up post office transactions by providing retail clerks with full information on packages, such as requirements for insurance, delivery confirmation and desired times for package arrival.Other helpful tips include; write, type or print delivery addresses neatly, always use a return address, always use complete address information such as Ave., Blvd., and St., and always use the apartment number as well as correct directionals.Don’t let an incorrect zip code delay delivery of cards and letters, local post offices and the Postal Service Web site, www.usps.com, offer zip code information, as does the National Call Center, 1-800-275-8777.Select a container that is strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside the carton. Always use tape that is designated for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure sensitive tape.Plain air-popped popcorn, shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts work well for cushioning packages.The only addresses on packages for mailing should be the delivery and return addresses.Carefully pack glass and fragile hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage due to shock. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.Packages that weigh one pound or more must be taken to the Post Office for mailing.When writing to Santa, be sure to use a return address, Santa may write back. Also, when writing Santa, please do not place any cookies for Santa or hay for his reindeer as this can gum up our mail sorting equipment and delay delivery.The Postal Service Web site can prove to be a helpful resource during the holiday season, offering a wide variety of links to mailing and shipping tools.”The holidays are here, and we want to make sure your mail flies like an eagle as is delivered on time. Just help us by mailing early,” said Meuse.