The poll of 1,015 adults by ICR was taken Jan. 13-17 and has an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Attitudes about the Postal Service, long the butt of jokes for delayed deliveries, bureaucratic boggle and disgruntled workers, have improved over the last five years. In 1994, just over six of 10 said they viewed the Postal Service as excellent or good. The agency has worked hard over the last six years to improve both its businesslike performance and public perception, officials say. Post offices have been modernized, internal procedures revamped and the service has actually operated in the black, said spokesman Roy Betts.
Customers seem to have noticed.
Almost a third of those polled said they think service is better now than five years ago. Sixty percent think it's about the same. When asked their biggest concern, the leading issue was the speed of mail delivery, mentioned by just over a third. The cost of stamps was mentioned by about one in 10, as was counter service. Forty percent said they had no concerns.