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USPS to Integrate AI for Enhanced Customer Service

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is set to implement generative artificial intelligence tools over the next few months, as highlighted by Marc McCrery, the vice president for customer experience at USPS, during a keynote speech at the Salesforce World Tour D.C. event on Wednesday.

In light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, McCrery reported that USPS has been managing up to 100 million calls and 13 million service requests. Although he commented that the agency’s customer operations are functioning at a high level of efficiency in managing this volume, he expressed concern regarding the untapped potential of the vast data collected.

The agency is now focused on utilizing this data to inform decision-making, with McCrery emphasizing that artificial intelligence will play a pivotal role in this effort. He mentioned, “We are working to harness that data for the next best actions, with AI on the forefront,” and expects to implement these changes in the near future.

Beginning in the summer, USPS plans to transition its call center operations to a cloud-based platform that allows for natural language interactions. “That’ll be the start of our AI journey,” McCrery explained, noting that the initiative aims to deliver more precise responses to customers’ inquiries.

For example, McCrery pointed out that approximately 65% of complaints received by USPS stem from inquiries about package statuses. By analyzing specific data about packages linked to certain agency containers, USPS aims to determine whether all deliveries in that batch are facing delays or if the issue is more localized.

“That’s very manual today,” he said, but the incorporation of AI will enable USPS to monitor improvement in problem resolution and integrate these findings into their innovative practices.

However, the agency’s efforts to adopt new AI capabilities are facing potential challenges due to recent developments from the Trump administration and initiatives spearheaded by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Recently, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy disclosed that he signed an agreement with the General Services Administration and DOGE to assist in identifying and enhancing efficiencies within USPS. DeJoy, who plans to resign once a successor is appointed, has prioritized streamlining operations and reducing costs significantly.

Both former President Donald Trump and Musk have previously indicated their support for the privatization of USPS. Furthermore, The Washington Post reported that Trump was considering an executive order to dismantle USPS leadership and integrate the service into the Commerce Department, although such an order has yet to be officially issued.

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