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MAILING SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
(ISSN 1088-2677) [Volume 37 Issue 4] is published six times per year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by MadMen3, PO Box 259098 Madison WI 53725-9098, 608-241-8777. Periodical postage paid at Madison WI and additional offices.
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THRIVING, NOT JUST SURVIVING
BY AMANDA ARMENDARIZ
This year’s National Postal Forum was a great one. I know, I know, I say that almost every year, but it’s true. Each year, there seems to be more and more energy, more excitement, more passion. And yes, I realize that excitement and passion aren’t the typical words that one would associate with the mailing industry, but that really is the best way to describe the atmosphere at this year’s show. From the sessions to the exhibit floor to the networking events, people were brimming with ideas about how to capitalize on this enduring communication method. Yes, of course, there was some discussion of declining mail volumes, the burden of rate increases, and increased competition with digital methods, but overall, the mood was optimistic that mail will be around for a long time to come. And even more encouraging was the fact that we were surrounded by industry experts who are willing to fight to make that happen.
One of the biggest signs that the mailing industry is a viable one, despite any problems it may have, is that we have two fantastic shows to attend each year, not just one. National Postal Forum has always been an industry mainstay, and will continue to be for years to come, but PRINTING United is making waves in the industry as the place to be in the fall. I’m so excited to be attending and speaking again this year; if you can, I’d love to see you at my panel on maximizing the effectiveness of direct mail while keeping costs down, on Tuesday, September 10. And that is just one of many reasons you should attend; check out Amanda Kliegl’s article on page 18 for more reasons to head to Las Vegas. You can also visit www.PRINTINGUnited. com for more information.
As always, thanks for reading Mailing Systems Technology.
THE POWER OF LIKEABILITY!
BY WES FRIESEN
To be effective leaders in the long-term, we must strive for results while simultaneously building positive relationships. A key step is intentionally developing our emotional intelligence — and a major component of emotional intelligence is striving to improve our likeability with others. Why is likeability in leaders so important?
Employees that perceive their managers as likeable are more engaged, motivated, and loyal, according to a UCLA study. Another study by Jack Zenger found that only one in 2,000 unlikeable leaders are considered effective. A survey of 2,000,000 employees at over 700 companies found that the number-one factor that determined the length of time they stayed at an organization was the employee’s relationship with their manager. A different survey found that 57% of employees have quit their jobs because they did not like their managers, and 32% have seriously considered leaving. A recent study found that 86% of employees believe that if they like their bosses, they are more productive. A report from Bain & Company found that good relationships between a manager and her employees can improve effectiveness, while poor relationships can hinder employee performance by a staggering 25% to 50%. Wow — likeability matters!
Twelve Tips to Improve Our Likeability
1. Be Positive. Are you most attracted to people that are negative and pessimistic or those that are generally positive and optimistic? The answer is obvious, and when we convey positivity, it influences others to react in the same way and helps create an environment that is motivating and enriching. Being
positive includes what we convey with our words, actions, and attitude. Leadership expert John Maxwell spoke to the importance of a positive attitude when he said, “People may hear your words, but they feel your attitude.”
2. Be Friendly. Sounds obvious, but when we take the time to smile, greet, and make small talk with people, it makes a difference. Our team members are all under the stresses of life and work, so genuinely taking time to check in enhances our humanity and likeability. And taking time to regularly smile has been shown to improve our health and wellbeing and triggers positive responses in others. I appreciate the quote from broadcaster Vin Scully: “As long as you live keep smiling, because it brightens everybody’s day.”
3. Practice the Golden and Platinum Rules. A version of the Golden Rule is found in all the major religions of the world, and in a nutshell is about treating people positively like we would like to be treated. We know in general how the people we meet would like to be treated — such as with love not hate; kindness not harshness; respect not disrespect, etc. The Platinum Rule goes a step further for people that we know well. It encourages us to treat a person specially how they prefer to be treated. For example, one team member may like to receive praise in public, while another team member would much prefer to receive praise in private only.
4. Listen Actively. We all appreciate people who actively listen to what we have to say. Author Ralph Nichols spoke to that when he wrote, “The most basic of all
human needs is the need to understand and be understood, the best way to understand people is to listen to them.” We can be an appreciated active listener by giving our full attention to others, paraphrasing what we hear, and asking clarifying questions.
5. Show Compassion and Empathy. We can put ourselves in our team members’ shoes and have compassion and empathy for their trials and tribulations — but also celebrate their accomplishments and successes. Having and showing true compassion may take time and effort, but the results are well worth it. People will respect us, and our likeability quotient will take an uptick!
6. Show Appreciation and Gratitude. After years of research, psychologist William James concluded that the number-one need people have was the need to feel appreciated. We can regularly acknowledge the efforts and achievement of our individual team members as well as overall team success. A heartfelt simple “thank you” means a lot to people. We can layer on other expressions of appreciation — including emails and texts, written notes and cards, food, fun events, gift cards, and occasionally money.
7. Be Transparent, Authentic, and Vulnerable. Highly respected CEO Alan Mulally said, “Transparency is so important in business.” Even though it is not always easy to be transparent, Mother Teresa encouraged, “Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.” To be likeable leaders we should be transparent, authentic, and avoid duplicity (being two-faced). We should admit mistakes, seek input from others, and show humility. When we model transparency and authenticity, we create a safe place for others to do likewise.
8. Be Available and Approachable. Author Ramanathan M said, “The best leaders are approachable and accessible. They are truly part of the team and not merely a figurehead.” How true! We can prioritize our time to ensure we are available to meet with our team members, including regular 1:1s and on an as-needed basis. Surveys have shown that employees appreciate their managers having an open-door philosophy and
showing genuine interest in their concerns, ideas, and feedback without fear of judgement or reprisal.
9. Control Our Emotions. Psychologists use the term “emotional hijacking” to describe when a person loses emotional control and engages in behaviors like throwing things, screaming, or making people cry. Exploding at anyone, even if they might “deserve it,” can cause people to view us as unstable, intimidating, and unlikable. On the other hand, when we control our emotions even when someone wrongs us, we gain respect and our likeability increases.
10. Avoid Gossip and Slander. We look bad and are unattractive when we get carried away with gossiping. Wallowing in talk about another person’s misdeeds or misfortunes makes us look negative and small — and people may wonder what we say about them behind their backs! Likewise, slandering another person never turns out well and makes us look petty. Author Wentworth Dillon
reminds us that, “words spoken can never be recalled.”
11. Be Open to Asking for Help. Researcher Adam Grant has found that when someone does a favor for us, they unconsciously justify why they are willing to help. For example, “she would help me if needed,” “I like her,” etc. The result is the person likes us better than before. Another benefit when we ask for help is it shows our humility, and humility is an attractive trait, isn’t it? I agree with this quote from President Obama: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.”
12. Balance Passion and Fun. Dr. Travis Bradberry has shared that people tend to gravitate toward those who are passionate because we find passion appealing. However, enthusiastic people can become too absorbed in their passions. The most likeable people balance their passion with an
ability to have fun. Our goal is to be serious when needed, but also be friendly and take time to relax and have fun with people. Author Dale Carnegie counseled, “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing”. And Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos once summed up his business philosophy as to work hard, have fun, and make history (i.e. make a difference).
John Hancock wrote, “The greatest ability in business is to get along with people and to influence their actions.” Improving our likeability will help us increase our influence and gain better results for us and the teams we lead!
Wes Friesen (MBA, EMCM, CMDSM, MCOM, MDC, OSPC, CCE, CBF, CBA, ICP, CMA, CFM, CM, APP, PHR, CTP) is a proven leader and developer of high-performing teams and has extensive experience in both the corporate and non-profit worlds. His book, Your Team Can Soar!, has 42 valuable lessons that will inspire you and give you practical pointers to help you — and your team — soar to new heights of performance. Wes can be contacted at wesmfriesen@gmail.com or at 971.806.0812.
INITIATE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT WITH PHYSICAL MAIL
BY MIKE PORTER
When companies think of customer engagement, they focus on the interaction that occurs online or in person. Sometimes forgotten are the methods companies must use to attract people to those online or physical destinations. Those methods often rely on the powerful influence of physical mail pieces.
A physical transactional document or a direct mail marketing piece that gives customers good reasons to visit websites, landing pages, and retail stores gets noticed. If you use the mail to guide customers to relevant offers or information they can get online or on-site, that desired customer engagement will happen.
Physical mail holds a unique advantage — it stands out. Unlike emails buried in overflowing inboxes or digital ads that customers easily ignore, a tangible mail piece captures attention.
For businesses looking to drive meaningful customer interactions, leveraging the tactile impact of a physical mail piece can be incredibly influential.
Here are some strategic reasons to include direct mail in your customer engagement toolkit:
Higher Engagement Rates: People pay more attention to physical mail than digital content. They open, read, and
even keep mail pieces longer. Physical mail gets noticed while customers may actively take steps to ignore digital messages.
Targeted Marketing: You can leverage a wealth of demographic data tied to postal addresses as you segment and personalize mail pieces. Use this data to make your communication highly relevant and tailored to each recipient.
Tangible Experience: Physical mail provides a sensory experience that digital formats cannot match. The texture, weight, and even the scent of paper can leave a lasting impression.
When you integrate physical mail into your strategy, you don’t just add another channel; you create the spark that launches customers and prospects on the customer journey.
Start With the End in Mind
Picture your customer’s journey. What actions do you want them to take as they progress from brand awareness to buying?
Once you identify those steps, design a direct mail strategy that guides your customers down this path. Develop messaging and offers that will entice them to take these actions. Create interesting call-to-actions (CTAs) that drive
traffic to your online platforms or physical locations where the next steps in the customer journey occur.
Clearly highlight the desired action introduced by your direct mail piece and make it easy to accomplish. Customers should never wonder what to do after reading your mail piece. Do not make them search for the phone number or other important information.
Double-check all web addresses and QR codes to be sure they are working and the online messaging and imagery are consistent with the mail piece. Nothing is worse than successfully getting your targeted individuals to take the desired action, only to have them abandon the effort because the landing page didn’t work, or it was unclear about the next steps.
Mail pieces are more effective if the benefit of taking the desired action is obvious. I’m not a fan of a CTA like “Visit our website to learn more.” You don’t want customers to ask themselves, “Why bother?” The response you’re going for should be, “This seems easy. I’ll do it right now!”
Use print to create urgency and relevance, fostering immediate interactions with your brand.
You can leverage different direct mail pieces to boost customer engagement, as illustrated in the table on the next page. Here is how each type of interaction can prompt desirable actions.
Appointment Setting
When clients receive a postcard featuring a QR code or a phone number, they have everything they need to schedule an appointment. This direct approach not only simplifies the process for them, but also adds a personal touch. Of course, the mail piece must be clear about the benefits of scheduling a call or agreeing to a meeting (free trial, complimentary assessment, discount on first service, etc.).
Content Download
A personalized letter with a pURL or QR code can direct customers to download a valuable white paper, guide, or playbook. This method serves triple duty:
1. Engages customers with useful content
2. Drives traffic to your website
3. Allows you to track the actions of individual customers
Valuable and relevant information your company produces positions your brand as a trusted resource and drives engagement. Send mail pieces that offer access to educational content, such as how-to guides, industry insights, or expert tips. This approach builds credibility and encourages customers to seek out your brand for further knowledge.
Video Views
A well-designed brochure containing a video teaser can entice customers to visit your site to view a demo video or customer testimonials. This tactile element builds anticipation and offers a glimpse into the value of your product or service, further explained in the video.
Event Registration
A flyer packed with event details can encourage recipients to register for a webinar or in-person event. Highlight the benefits of the event and include simple registration instructions to cultivate a seamless experience from receiving the mail to attending the event.
Invite customers to exclusive events, such as product launches, in-store demonstrations, or online webinars, driving both online and in-store traffic. Physical invitations make the event feel special and important, prompting recipients to attend. Highlight the unique benefits of attending, such as early access to new products, expert advice, or networking opportunities.
Loyalty Recognition
Inform customers about your loyalty program and the benefits they gain by participating. Use physical mail to
update customers on their current loyalty points, upcoming rewards, or special member-only events, encouraging them to engage more often with your brand. Motivate them to check out landing pages to earn bonus points or to redeem their earned points for rewards.
In-Store Visits
Exclusive, mail-only discount coupons are tangible incentives that create a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging recipients to take immediate action. This tactic creates an opportunity for further customer interaction and upselling once customers are in the store.
Use data analytics to understand customer purchasing patterns and demographic details. Send personalized mail pieces that cater to their specific interests and structure the discount offers appropriately.
Contests
Promote hosted contests or giveaways through physical mail to drive engagement. By requiring customers to visit your website or store to enter the contest, you increase traffic and create a buzz around your brand, opening the door for further customer engagement. Contest entry forms should capture opt-in contact information to allow for follow-up activities. Contests and giveaways encourage sharing and word-of-mouth promotion.
Mail Ignites Customer Engagement
Each of these strategies creates a solid bridge between the offline and online or in-person worlds, ensuring your customer engagement efforts remain robust and effective — all begun or strengthened by physical mail.
Direct mail enables you to cut through the digital noise and capture your customers’ attention. Physical mail pieces resonate on a personal level, making them difficult to ignore. These tangible items create memorable experiences that digital mediums cannot match.
Account-based marketing efforts profit from this approach, as you can tailor each mail piece to specific accounts, fostering a deeper connection and strengthening relationships. An integrated campaign that combines well-timed direct mail with digital ads and emails results in a seamless workflow, driving higher engagement and conversion rates.
People like getting mail when it seems valuable and personal. Do not undervalue the tactile experience of handling a mail piece or its effectiveness in moving prospects and customers along the customer journey.
Incorporate direct mail strategies into your marketing plan as the number one method to start or continue processes that result in your organization’s desired outcomes. Whether your goals are new customer acquisition, customer retention, or upselling/cross-selling to your existing customer base, look for ways to use the unique advantages of postal mail to support your organization’s customer engagement objectives.
Mike Porter at Print/Mail Consultants creates content that helps attract and retain customers for companies in the document industry and he assists companies as they integrate new technology. Learn more about his services at www.pmccontentservices.com. Follow @PMCmike on X, or send him a connection request on LinkedIn.
DON’T OVERLOOK THE POWER OF PERSONALIZATION!
BY KAREN KIMERER
Modern consumers crave authentic connections and a sense of community with the brands they do business with, especially in our increasingly digital world. Marketers are well aware of this desire and are pouring resources into creating a sense of belonging through digital channels. Unfortunately, even the best efforts can fall flat and leave consumers feeling like just another face in the crowd. Personalized print offers a potential solution. This tangible form of communication can foster a sense of connection and bridge the gap between a customer's desire to be recognized and the impersonal nature of one-sided, digital-only content. If you've been in the industry for a while, you already know something about the value of personalized print and what it can deliver. Personalized print is not a passing trend and is certainly worth paying attention to. In addition to highlighting recent data that strengthens the case for personalized print, this article explores its psychology and explains why it’s such a powerful way
for brands to connect with their audience and build a real community.
The Cheers Effect
If you’ve ever watched the 1980s sitcom Cheers, you might recall that the small Boston bar had a reputation for being
the place where everyone knew your name. The characters thrived because they were welcomed and recognized despite the ups and downs of their daily lives. That sense of connection is what personalized marketing is all about. Rather than being just another pub that was focused on making a high volume of transactions, Cheers provided a customized experience. Today’s print service providers (PSPs) have the same opportunity to help their clients move away from high-volume, generic touchpoints to personalized communications that recognize their clients’ habits and preferences. Personalized print creates a feeling of being known and valued, just like becoming a regular at a favorite bar. This can lead to stronger customer relationships and higher-value print communications.
While many marketers strive to deliver personalized experiences, they often overlook a key ingredient: social capital. Think of social capital as the value that is gained from a network of relationships. Strong connections with customers build trust and loyalty, which translates into a powerful social currency. Companies with high social capital are more likely to experience sustainable growth because they have loyal customers who support them.
In his book entitled The Great Good Place, sociologist Ray Oldenburg describes "third places" — those spaces outside of home (first place) and work (second place) where people gather and connect — communities like the bar in
Cheers, where customers feel a sense of belonging. Marketers can create similar "third places." To be perfectly clear, these aren't physical locations, but rather spaces where customers feel a sense of connection with other customers and, most importantly, the brand. And it just so happens that personalized print is a powerful tool for building these communities. Relevant messaging resonates with customers, just like a familiar restaurant where people remember your name. Unlike generic marketing, which feels impersonal, relevant messaging fosters a feeling of being valued. It's like the difference between stopping at a fast-food drivethru and entering your favorite restaurant filled with people that you’ve already established connections with.
Rejuvenation of Community through Relevant Messaging
Now more than ever before, today’s brands have a golden opportunity to build loyalty by fostering a sense of community. As more people stay home and rely on the convenience of digital channels like the internet and television, the essence of community might seem like it’s on the decline, but desire to connect with others remains strong. The truth is, consumers of all ages crave relevance! According
to Keypoint Intelligence’s most recent Customer Communications Experience Consumer Survey, relevant content makes a difference. As shown in Figure 1, consumers under the age of 43 were especially likely to pay attention to mail that was personalized to their specific interests.
It's no surprise that relevance is critical. With information overload and shrinking attention spans, generic marketing messages typically fall flat. On the other hand, personalized communications can foster a sense of community while preventing one-sided relationships. When customers feel valued and understood, they're more likely to provide feedback and participate in brand activities, further strengthening their sense of connection to a brand.
Personalized print isn't just a feel-good strategy — it’s a response machine. In another Keypoint Intelligence survey, over half of respondents reported significantly better results with direct mail campaigns that incorporated personalized elements. An additional 41% saw moderately improved response rates. That’s a staggering 97% of businesses that achieved better response rates on direct mail campaigns that incorporated personalized versions within a single campaign.
Personalized print isn't just a trend — it's a game-changer for building relationships and driving results. It taps into the emotional aspects of consumer behavior. By providing timely and contextually relevant experiences, brands can establish a deeper emotional connection with their customers. This approach increases immediate engagement and fosters long-term loyalty and repeat purchases.
Personalized print isn't difficult — many years ago, digital press manufacturers promoted the possibility of personalization because technology made it possible. Although many marketers embraced the concept, IT personnel typically had a list of concerns. Today, we have the luxury of riding on the coattails of consumer behavior and market demands. In addition, advanced technologies now make it easier than ever to leverage personalized print. Inkjet presses, powerful processors, and userfriendly software empower marketers to communicate with customers on a deeper level with minimal effort.
The Bottom Line
In today's hyper-digital world, the tangible impact of personalized print can be truly remarkable, and studies continue to demonstrate its effectiveness. The important thing to remember is that personalized print isn’t just about data and targeting; it's about creating a true human connection in an increasingly digital landscape. It's an opportunity for brand owners to use print to convey a very specific message: "I see you, I value you." Personalized print might seem like a small gesture, but it can have a big impact. It reminds us that behind every customer interaction lies a person wanting to feel valued. In a world that is saturated with screens, the power of personalization and its ability to forge genuine connections shouldn't be underestimated.
Karen Kimerer of Keypoint Intelligence has experienced the many challenges of expanding current market opportunities and securing new business. She has developed a systematic approach to these opportunities, addressing the unique requirements of becoming a leader in our changing industry. She is well-versed in 1:1 marketing, web-to-print, direct mail, book publishing, supply chain management, data segmentation, channel integration, and photo products.
“HALF-EMPTY TRUCKS” IS A CONVENIENT EXCUSE
BY LEO RAYMOND
Virtually since he arrived, Postmaster General — and former trucking executive — Louis DeJoy has been ranting about eliminating the “half-empty trucks” moving within the Postal Service’s transportation network.
The term was used extensively in the Postal Regulatory Commission proceeding in which the USPS sought an advisory opinion (which it ignored) about reducing the service standards for FirstClass Mail and some Periodicals, and has been often cited — such as during an April 16 Senate hearing — as a pervasive and chronic situation requiring the corrective measures advocated in the PMG’s 10-Year Plan.
If the PMG’s claims are to be understood, it would be useful to first understand exactly what “half-full” means — literally, as well as how it’s thrown around by the USPS. However, therein lies a degree of subjectivity that the USPS appears to use, or interpret, to its advantage and, in turn, to justify actions really meant to serve other purposes.
For over-the-road operations, the typical dry van trailer in use by most carriers is 53 feet long, with an interior cargo width and height of 100 inches and 110-112 inches respectively, yielding an interior volume of 4053.3 cubic feet. The maximum floor capacity of such a trailer is 24 to 30 pallets, depending on how they’re positioned, and the maximum weight capacity is about 45,000 pounds. Therefore, a “half-full” trailer would be loaded with 2,027 cubic feet of cargo, or 12-15 pallets, or 22,500 pounds.
But those dimensions are neither offered nor used by the USPS in its citations of “half-full” trailers.
At one time, long-haul trailers would be bedloaded, with sacks of mail or “bricklaid” parcels loaded by hand to fill a trailer end-to-end and to a height of seven feet or more. However, with the increased use of easier-to-load/unload containers and pallets, such a labor-intensive method is decreasingly employed. Instead, particularly for medium stage length and shorter trips, the contents would be in postal mail transport equipment or on pallets or some combination. In those situations, what is meant by “halffull” can mean different things depending on how “full” is measured — or on how the speaker wants to characterize the load.
For example, a trailer loaded with general purpose mail containers or with pallets will be “filled” because its floor area is covered, long before its total cubic space is filled or its maximum load weight is reached.
A GPMC measures 42 by 29 inches, and is 70 inches high. So, theoretically, if the GPMCs were loaded three abreast for the length of the trailer, 15 such rows, or 45 GPMCs, could be carried. The floor area of the van would be covered — “full” — but the trailer would neither be “full” by weight nor by cubic capacity. Each GMPC is 49.3 cubic feet, so 45 would represent 2,218.5 cubic feet, or 54.73% of the trailer’s available cubic capacity.
In another example, a trailer loaded with 40”x48” pallets would make more efficient use of capacity. Under USPS standards, the maximum weight of a
pallet (or of a stack of pallets) cannot exceed 2,200 pounds nor can it exceed 77 inches in height (84 inches for stacked pallets). Therefore, if each pallet (or stack) weighed 2,200 pounds, the allowable load for a trailer would be met by 20 pallets or stacks — well before the trailer was full (based on cubic volume or floor space). Moreover, given the trailer’s total cubic capacity, the maximized stacked pallets, consuming 93.33 cubic feet each, would represent only 1,866.67 cubic feet, or 46.05% of the trailer’s available volume. (Pallet boxes — cardboard sleeves on pallets — or similar “Postal Pak” containers, are up to 69 or 77 inches, respectively, with a lower total weight capacity.)
If facilities used the over-the-road containers initially developed to transport bulk mail and parcels from a BMC (now NDC) to a P&DC, the result would be similar. Each OTR is 63.5 inches long by 43 inches wide by 70 inches high, with a maximum load weight of 2,000 pounds. Loaded two-across, a 53-foot trailer could carry only 18 (nine rows, or 77.89% of total floor space) without reaching the trailer’s maximum cubic or weight limits. In the foregoing examples, the dimensional measurements were of the containers without considering their contents. Therefore, the even more important measurement to use in the determination of “half-full” is the load of each container. So, again using a 53-foot trailer, covering the available floor space with GMPCs that are filled to 80%, or pallets/stacked pallets that are 80% of the maximum height, or pallet boxes or OTR containers filled to 80%, would accordingly represent 43.82%, 44.21%, or 38.99% of total cubic capacity. Naturally, if the containers were less loaded, the percentage of total available volume consumed would be less as well. In no example load would the weight reach the trailer’s maximum.
Of course, all postal transportation isn’t in 53-foot trailers. The agency’s own trailers are shorter and lower, and its 26-foot box trucks (like those of contractors) are smaller still.
Nonetheless, regardless of the vehicle in which they’re carried, GMPCs, pallets, and other containers are the same, filling the same floor space, with the same available capacity. The air space above a pallet or container is unused in a 5-ton straight truck just as it is in a 53-foot trailer.
Regardless of the combinations of equipment and load that could be developed in real postal transportation situations, even if the floor of a vehicle was
covered, it’s unlikely that the total available cubic capacity would be filled or the maximum load weight would be reached.
The Postal Service appears to prefer the ease and speed of loading and offloading containerized loads to the utilization of maximum cubic or weight capacity. Mail is not so heavy as to be a weight issue for a trailer load, and typical intra-service area loads are of containers that, regardless of their loads, leave over three feet of empty vertical space above them. So, compared to mail bedloaded wall-to-wall, front- to-back, and floor-to-ceiling, a typical truck loaded with mail on or in MTE would never, literally, be “full.” Therefore, the apparent meaning of “full” to the Postal Service is that the maximum content was loaded based on the nature of the containers used and the net usable capacity; logically, “half-full” would mean that half the usable capacity wasn’t filled.
Though that seems a sensible conclusion, if it is indeed that obvious, it’s curious why, in all its pleadings, filings, and responses to PRC interrogatories, the Postal Service has never offered such a simple explanation — if, in fact, the real issue of “half-full” isn’t about something else.
In all the statements about “half-full trucks,” the USPS has never explained why, if a vehicle isn’t being filled adequately, a smaller vehicle isn’t assigned in its place. A 53-foot trailer can be replaced by one that’s 48, 45, or 28 feet, or by a 26-foot or 10-foot box truck, or by a cargo van — whichever is most suitable. The USPS logistics and contracting teams aren’t incapable of making adjustments.
Accordingly, making “half-full” the symbol of inefficient transportation is disingenuous and deliberately misleading to say the least, but may be a cover for the PMG’s real purpose.
His latest use of “half-full” allegations is to excuse transportation reductions such as under the “Local Transportation Initiative” (“Optimized Collections”) that eliminates afternoon collection runs from processing centers to smaller post offices. If “half-full” trucks are indeed a major problem, it would seem reasonable for him to first adjust truck capacity (i.e., use a smaller vehicle) before simply eliminating the afternoon runs and delaying the mail that would have been collected.
Of course, it’s unknown outside L’Enfant Plaza whether such a course of
action was ever considered. Moreover, no inquiry has ever sought to detail the scope and severity of the “half-full” truck problem, nor has any ever asked why eliminating transportation was the necessary — or preferred — option to trimming vehicle capacity.
Similarly, no one has pressed the USPS to justify prioritizing “efficiency” and cost reduction over service.
The PMG’s apparent position, that the Postal Service, in the pursuit of financial self-sufficiency, should provide service only to the extent that it’s cost-effective, overlooks the fundamental nature of the agency — as a public service. Sometimes, providing service won’t be cost-effective or efficient, but it’s still the Postal Service’s obligation and mission.
As a result, it seems reasonable to conclude that the PMG’s “half-full trucks” problem is an equally half-factual condition that he’s chosen not to resolve simply by smaller trucks, but rather to use as a convenient excuse to cut service.
Leo Raymond is Owner and Managing Director at Mailers Hub LLC. He can be reached at lraymond@mailershub.com.
OPTIMIZING ADDRESS HYGIENE SERVICES
BY MARK RHEAUME
The best of today’s return mail (address hygiene) services include both “Proactive” and “Reactive” services designed to combat/remediate return mail issues for clients. Services and products that do not offer viable, actionable, and effective options to remediate physical return mail are little more than sweeping sand in the desert.
Accurate address data containing the recipient’s exact name and address is the foundation of any mailer’s business. Whether the database we work with is used for physical mail or digital communication, it must be correct, clean, and compliant to ensure delivery. If the information is inaccurate, mailers will not be able to append additional data, like email addresses, should that be of interest.
Some Background
The “proactive” and “reactive” services available today are excellent. They are
based on industry best practices and supported by industry experts who understand how important the issue of undeliverable mail is to potential and existing clients. This ongoing collaborative support from qualified people who understand the solution’s reports and associated codes is a key component missing from many industry offerings. Many can own the software and run the processes. If there is no deep understanding associated with this, you are left to sweep more vigorously.
A well-designed “proactive” solution dismisses the historical process of only employing an NCOA process just prior to time of mailing. Rather, it is offered as a once-a-month process to keep any organization’s communications deliverable. It is built utilizing CASS, NCOA, and PCOA (with apartment and suite append) services. Services like these feature a monthly cadence to keep outbound communications deliverable (the true measure of effectiveness).
Having a collaboration with skilled providers of these services keeps any organization’s database current, valuable, pertinent, focused, and efficient/vital.
The “reactive” processes/services fix addresses prior to each physical communication (mailing) and concentrate on fixing the mailer’s database around undeliverable records. These processes eliminate (as best possible) the return of the physical mail piece, saving organizations the expense of handling, securely recycling/destroying, dedicated staff hours (labor), and other associated costs like hardware, software, and IT resources to support the processes. Further, it should be noted that valuable real estate and associated utilities for the space are no longer needed for handling physical returned mail. “Reactive” services can convert an organization’s workflow into an “all-data” workflow and provide more timely and accurate information for them to determine appropriate remediation actions when paired with collaboration with postal experts.
This component is where organizations will find the greatest value when the services are properly structured and delivered. Most organizations do not know mail and freely admit it. They want people who do know mail to help guide them. The solution model presented here does this. These experts know how to interpret the reports the different processes generate and should be engaged monthly (at least) to review the information, educate the organizational units involved, and collaborate with them on the choices available to them for address remediation. This is the centerpiece of any well-designed solution and what organizations value highly.
Some Factual Statistics
The mailing industry estimates that each undelivered mail piece has a value to the sending organization of between $3.00 and $10.00/piece
One recent client’s data shows they receive 31,000+ returned mail pieces each month
The solution model recommended here would cost them less than $5,000.00/mo.
7.8% of Americans moved in 2023
That is 25,600,000 people
100,000 people file a change of address with the USPS each day
USPS data shows this represents only 40% of the population that actually moves
This means that 250,000 people move each day in the US
Simple database cleansing through a USPS-certified software delivers results that are not as accurate as those delivered through partners who specialize in these services
The matching criteria is what accounts for the differences and these dedicated providers deliver better, more robust results
This is because most organizations lack the knowledge and expertise to interpret and correctly identify effective remediation strategies without input from postal experts
This expertise is missing from most organizations and is developed as an “art” (not just a science) over time that most organizations are unwilling to internally invest in. This is not the fault of the software itself as there are excellent choices across our industry
These software options have a place in any organization
They are best suited for printers/mailers seeking to achieve postal compliance by meeting the move update and presort requirements of the USPS
They are not recommended as a singular tool for organizations who have no knowledge of the resulting reports and the codes they contain
There will never be a time when the address hygiene services reach an “end,” as it is a lifestyle and not a one-size-fits-all journey
Every organization has “fluid” databases, with new customers,
customers with whom they have done business previously and who have since come back to the company, and customers who need to be located in order to collect outstanding payables, not to mention those customers who change addresses, as mentioned above
The solution being offered introduces organizations to interaction(s) with their databases
This also leads to long-term engagements and other datarelated opportunities like workflow management and preference management for an organization’s communications
Because of properly structured address hygiene services, organizations can count on the addresses they have as the foundation of other elements they may use effectively going forward (i.e., phone numbers and email addresses)
Without accurate addresses, these data points are “suspect” at best
Always Remember
Properly designed solutions address the root cause of the problem: The address at both the record level and the database level
The most effective solutions segment a database into three distinct “buckets:”
Addresses are 100% good and should be used for mailing
Addresses are not 100% good but can be made so if appends/ changes identified are incorporated
Addresses are 100% bad and should not be used for mailing
The services discussed here provide options for the client to consider that remediate the issues and correct the records
Utilizing the USPS's ACS and Secure Destruction services with an effective “reactive” match back component is also a best practice. This facilitates an effective “all data” workflow, as mentioned above, and eliminates the physical
returned mail piece to a large extent. Associated handling and costs are greatly reduced, and these processes can be reported on through the IMb on each piece.
Proprietary Change of Address (with
Apartment and Suite Append Function)
This is another feature of a welldesigned and effective solution
Many industry vendors provide this functionality and access to the comprehensive databases behind it. The quality of these databases allows these vendors to provide superior results and remediation than organizations can generally do for themselves
Scalability
The best address hygiene “proactive” and “reactive” components are fully scalable
They can be packaged individually or in any combination an organization may choose at any point in the engagement
This provides great flexibility throughout the process and allows organizations to make choices as their knowledge increases or as their goals/desires change
Summary
Superior address hygiene “proactive” and “reactive” components are fully supported with monthly collaborative, consultative, educational, and comprehensive reporting to guide an organization to appropriate remediation activities they choose.
Software-only solutions that can deliver NCOA (and CASS) processing leave the client without the essential actionable options, information, and data to guide their remediation efforts. The best service providers leverage their distinct advantage in the industry, which is postal related experience, knowledge, and services that benefit the organizations they serve. Go forward and keep reading about these things in Mailing Systems Technology. There are many well thought out and prepared articles in every issue, and mailers need this information to be successful.
Mark Rheaume is Services Engineer, Ricoh.
ADDRESSING INTERNATIONAL MAIL
BY MERRY LAW
An addresses format is defined by where the elements — building number, street name, city, postal code, etc. — are placed within the address block. Each country defines their own address formats. The format of US addresses is not common among the countries of the world, although it's similar to the ones in Canada and Australia. That leaves more than 200 postal destinations with different formats. For most highly developed countries, the address formats are part of well-known, well-developed standardized national address systems for their domestic postal mail. Less developed countries may not have formal or standardized address systems.
International mail sent from the US requires addresses in Latin letters, like those in this article, and the numbers used in English. Some street names in other countries contain Roman numerals; they are allowed. If you collect addresses in other alphabets and scripts, those addresses will need to be transliterated into Latin characters. Transliteration is the process of changing words to another alphabet or script: (red in Armenian) = karmir (Armenian, Latin alphabet). Translation is changing words
to another language: rouge (French) = red (English) = roja (Spanish). Addresses should not be translated because the translated address will not be understood in the destination country. (Some foreign language addressing is permitted. See the International Mail Manual (IMM), section 122 for details.)
When collecting addresses from other countries, online or printed forms need to accommodate the addresses used in those countries. That includes allowing for longer words and longer names of people, including compound given and family names. For example, Escherheimerlandstraße or Escherheimerlandstrasse (22 or 23 characters), a street in Frankfurt, Germany, is abbreviated Escherheimerlandstr. (20 characters). Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina (48 characters) is a former president of Madagascar.
Foreign addresses may have additional information that is not used in US addresses. They may include a second street name or a city section or quarter, for example. A few countries specify a region and a district in addition to a town or city. Altogether, up to 10 lines may be required. If mailing to a business, lines for a title and internal delivery information may add to that. The table below gives some indication of the space requirements.
Some basic suggestion for address forms include:
Use forms that accommodate longer address lines and more address lines.
Do not limit the state or province to two letters. A full line is sometimes needed.
Allow the postal code (ZIP Code) to use numbers, letters, spaces, and hyphens.
The last line of the address is the destination country name in English. The IMM has a country index that uses the names accepted by the USPS with some cross-references.
Information on country addresses can be found on the UPU’s web site, www. upu.int. WorldVu LLC publishes the Guide to Worldwide Postal-Code and Address Formats. (Full disclosure: I am the editor of that Guide.)
Merry Law is President of WorldVu LLC and the editor of Guide to Worldwide Postal-Code and Address Formats. She is a member of the UPU’s Addressing Work Group and of the U.S. International Postal and Delivery Services Federal Advisory Committee.
TRANSITIONING FROM PEER TO SUPERVISOR
BY JIM BURNS
While attending the National Postal Forum 2024 in Indianapolis, I had the opportunity to meet many new people across the mailing industry. Over the course of the four-day conference, I was approached multiple times by individuals who had attended one of my sessions. These folks represented the private sector, military, and colleges/ universities, but they had one common question: How could they make the transition from being a peer, coworker, or friend, to now being somebody’s supervisor? My advice to them was summed up into one word: accountability.
I encouraged these new supervisors to hold staff meetings where they explain departmental and personal expectations for their mail centers. I assured them it was ok to say that they applied for the position, having the same opportunity available to them as everyone else, and senior leadership decided to instill their trust in them.
I also motivated them to share their vision and detail what staff could expect from them as their new boss. The first step to setting the tone and direction for their department was to identify and explain what their leadership style would look like. When asked about my
own leadership style, I illustrated the most important behaviors I consciously exhibit that contribute to my leadership style. First, I am a communicator and collaborator. I believe in providing staff with the training and tools necessary to perform their job autonomously. Second, I encourage cross-training. In other words, I feel that employees become more valuable to the organization when they develop skills outside of their job description and promote learning across different areas. Third, I am patient and hold my employees to that same expectation. I have a system in place for every new hire where they are paired with an experienced employee from whom they will learn how to perform the duties of their role. The objective is for them to fully understand and successfully perform those tasks on their own, so they can begin taking on new tasks and learning other areas of the department. This thorough approach helps create a working environment that prepares our new employees for long-term success.
I stressed to them the importance of accountability. As leaders, they are now being held to a higher standard than they were in their associate-level positions. This means being accountable for meeting departmental goals, both
financially and from a productivity standpoint.
One common theme that shined throughout these impromptu meetings was how crucial it is to create a working environment that fosters training/crosstraining, education, and teamwork to achieve operational goals. In every conversation I’ve ever had with other mail center managers around the country, these elements are the cornerstone and guiding principles that lead to a successful operation.
Then came the main question: “How do I manage going from someone’s peer, coworker, or friend to someone they report to?” I understood the fragility of this situation and told them to prioritize not putting themselves in a position where anyone on their team, or their boss’s team, could question their character. Whether somebody is a new hire, peer, coworker, or friend, you must be fair and consistent in your interactions with staff that you oversee.
The moment you show inconsistency on a corrective action, or any penalization, you will come across as playing favorites. For example, if your company policy is to place an employee on a verbal warning after “X” number of absences, then make sure that applies to everyone, no matter how “close” you are. If you choose to be harder on some employees than others, you will find yourself in the uncomfortable situation of being called into your boss’s office to explain why actions of the same magnitude did not warrant the same response.
Being a new supervisor comes with its own set of challenges. If you ensure your character is never questioned, consistently apply departmental and organizational policies and procedures, and promote education and training opportunities to everyone in your department, in the end you will oversee a first-class mail operation.
Jim Burns is Sr. Operations Manager, Materials & Mail Services, Linen, CS/Equipment for MGH Materials Management.
MAXIMIZE LEARNING: MAKING EDUCATION A PRIORITY AT INDUSTRY EVENTS
In today's ever-evolving printing industry, staying ahead of the curve requires constant learning and adaptation. Industry tradeshows and conferences, both large and small, offer a unique opportunity for professionals to engage in a wide variety of educational experiences, ensuring they remain at the forefront of industry advancements. The breadth and depth of education available at these events are crucial for fostering innovation, enhancing skills, and driving the industry forward. Those attending or considering attending PRINTING United Expo this September 10-12 should bookmark this article to maximize all that is at your fingertips this year in Las Vegas.
The Value of Education
When registering to attend an event, take special note of the diversity of its educational offerings. From seminars and workshops to panel discussions and hands-on demonstrations, look to truly stretch your time and investment at an event that caters to a broad spectrum of learning preferences, market segments, and professional needs. At largescale events, such as PRINTING United Expo, you should have the ability to learn from a variety of sources; not
only run-of-the-mill classroom sessions (though those are just as important). Great examples of educational offerings include, but are not limited to:
Seminars and Workshops
Seminars and workshops provide in-depth knowledge on specific topics, ranging from the latest technological advancements to effective business strategies. They are typically led by industry experts and offer valuable insights that can be directly applied to attendees' own businesses.
Panel Discussions
These sessions bring together multiple experts to discuss current trends, challenges, and opportunities in the printing industry. The interactive format allows for a dynamic exchange of ideas, providing attendees with a well-rounded understanding of complex issues. Mark your calendar for a special panel discussion led by Mailing Systems Technology’s very own Amanda Armendariz at the Expo on Tuesday, September 10, titled: “Maximizing the Effectiveness of Your Mail While Keeping Costs Down.”
Hands-on Demonstrations
Seeing new technologies and techniques in action is one of the most effective ways to learn. Especially in the popular Apparel Zone, PRINTING United Expo features numerous live demonstrations, giving attendees the chance to witness the latest innovations firsthand and understand how they can be implemented in their own operations.
Networking Opportunities
Education at trade shows isn’t limited to formal sessions. Informal interactions with peers, industry leaders, and exhibitors often lead to valuable learning experiences. These conversations can spark new ideas, foster collaborations, and provide practical solutions to common challenges.
This year, join in a special Happy Hour at the PRINTING United Expo Knowledge Center on Wednesday, September 11 from 4:005:00 PM and engage with peers, industry media, and associations.
Engaging with Educational Opportunities
Maximizing the educational benefits of a tradeshow like PRINTING United Expo requires planning. Here are some tips on how attendees can make the most of their experience:
Plan Ahead — Review the event’s education schedule in advance and identify the sessions that align with your interests and professional goals. Make a list of must-attend seminars, workshops, and panel discussions, and allocate time for exploring the exhibition floor and networking.
Be an Active Participant — Engage with the speakers and panelists by asking questions and contributing to discussions. Take
Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
Keeping your critical communications running so nothing comes between you and your customers
www.mailgard.com • Paul J. DePaoli 203.572.3887 • paul.depaoli@iwco.com
notes during sessions to capture key points and ideas that you can refer back to later.
Explore the Show Floor — The Expo floor is a treasure trove of educational opportunities. Take the time to visit different booths, especially as the Expo’s one-roof approach encourages and represents convergence, where you can tap into areas for business diversification. Attend product demonstrations and interact with exhibitors. This hands-on experience can provide practical insights that are difficult to gain from lectures alone.
Follow-up — After the event, review your notes and reflect on what you’ve learned. Follow up with new contacts and explore ways to implement the insights and ideas gained at the Expo in your own business.
Stay Current in a Rapidly Changing Climate
The vast educational opportunities offered at industry events and tradeshows like PRINTING United Expo are invaluable for professionals looking to stay current in a rapidly changing climate. By engaging proactively with these opportunities and choosing events that offer high-quality, relevant education, attendees can gain the knowledge and skills they need to drive their businesses forward and remain competitive in the marketplace. Register today to attend the Expo and put some of this insight to the test: www.printingunited.com/register.
Amanda L. Kliegl serves as the Vice President of Public Relations at PRINTING United Alliance, where she uses her many years in the industry and extensive experience in strategic communications and media relations to elevate awareness of the Alliance's initiatives, events, and member services. She can be reached at akliegl@printing.org or 407.346.9800.
THE IMPACT OF THE ENVELOPE
BY CRYSTAL MAY & MORGAN MCGOVERN
The envelope is most often thought of as a simple and forgotten object in a drawer for the average individual, only to be rummaged for when it comes time to send a bill through the mail or a card to a loved one. It is sometimes seemingly so trivial and common in our lives that it is taken for granted. But, for those that utilize envelopes for the success of their businesses and to deliver important communications, what an impact it can truly make! Hence, the struggle to assist companies with their envelopes has led to optimization in multiple areas. Analyzing everything from sourcing strategies, cost containment, machinability standards, security, window placement, messaging to improve openability, and address formatting strategies to ensure optimal delivery becomes critically important to know and understand the impact of the envelope for each company and its success.
Envelopes have been around longer than many may realize. The envelope, as a flat container with a flap used to enclose a letter or a document, was used by the Babylonians as far back as 2000 BC. It was a simple clay wrapper used to protect bookkeeping accounts, deeds, mortgages, and quite possibly early letters. In fact, it was highly secure as the outside wrapper
had to be completely destroyed in order to gain access to the information within. The importance and the impact of envelopes have been present throughout history and evolved over time, from those clay wrappers to nothing more than folded sheets of paper with a wax seal to the modern-day envelope with diamond-shaped backs first introduced in the 1800s and the windowed envelopes we commonly see, which were designed in the early 1900s.
If you were to type “envelope” in your search engine today, the results would yield numerous envelope sizes, colors, and weights with different heights, widths, envelope flaps, windows, and linings, including recycled vs regular content. The most often overlooked element of ensuring envelope success, regardless of which one is chosen, is the machinability. For any large-volume, mass-produced mailings, inserting the contents into the envelope needs to be done quickly and efficiently by production equipment. The factors that affect machinability differ not only by equipment manufacturer by also by model of inserting system. These can include paper weight, side seams, throat depth, glue application around the window, die barbs, flap height, flap angles, and the window size and position. If any of these elements aren’t optimal for the
equipment, it can drastically impact efficiency and production schedules.
EXAMPLE: If a service provider is attempting to run 100,000 quarterly statements with an SLA of two days and the equipment can run up to 12,000 pieces an hour for the single shift, conservative projections mean 10,000 pieces an hour outputted for a total of 10 hours. But an hour into production, a new pallet of envelopes is brought in and immediately they start causing crashes on the inserting system. The operator is told that new, less costly envelopes were recently sourced for the job. Unfortunately, these new envelopes are not machinable and production on the machine grinds down to 4,000 pieces per hour.
RESULT: Aside from the wasted material and frustration from battling with materials, the job is now going to take close to 25 hours. That’s 2.5 times the labor and the SLA most likely will be missed, resulting in potential fines and possible loss of a customer. All due to the
“impact of an envelope.” In the end, shaving a few cents off each envelope resulted in the potential loss of a multi-million dollar account.
Understanding the specifics of your equipment, testing envelopes with input from equipment engineers, asking for sourcing recommendations from your vendor, and involving the marketing and procurement departments ahead of time to ensure the optimal envelopes are always used leads to success.
But even if an envelope is machinable, there are other factors such as size and window size/position that can contribute to costly outcomes. The height, thickness, length, and aspect ratio for envelopes could lead to unexpectedly high postage costs that send a project way over budget. The envelope window is incredibly vital to ensure the placement of the address within the window will pass the USPS “TAP” test (where if you tap the envelope on a table the address still stays in the window). This ensures the mail piece will be read through the USPS processing systems and get delivered to the intended recipient. In addition, if the window of the envelope is not well-adhered to the paper and comes loose during production on high-speed insertion equipment, it will cause production
to grind to a halt as well as lose valuable hours and productivity.
EXAMPLE: Imagine a new client or line of business with an address block that contains two extra lines of information. The address block is now too large to fit within the standard stock envelope window. Production requires an “internal keyline” to be added to the address block and the Document Composition team decided to put the IMB on the bottom of the address block. When the final, folded mail piece is inserted, the IMB slides slightly below the window, potentially causing the mailing to fail inspection when presented for induction into the mailstream. This could result in the entire mailing being rejected, delays at drop-off, potential disqualification for automation discounts, or, for Seamless Acceptance mailers, a ‘ding’ on the mailer scorecard, potential fines, potential delays to in-home delivery dates, etc.
ADVICE: Always be sure to test the envelope window while involving your
procurement and Document Composition teams. Running proofs and conducting the “TAP” test prior to production is the key to success.
With each envelope sent, a message is being conveyed with a goal in mind. By applying more discernment to the envelope delivering that message, it will undoubtedly result in better response rates. There are multiple options with the USPS to help impact response rates, such as the postal evidencing method chosen. For example, permit imprint, meter indicia, stamps, adding a QR code, personalized messages, color, unique fonts, or even RPN (repositionable notes). And now with the tactile and sensory promotions, the sky is the limit. The goal of any envelope is to be opened, and learning how to leverage these techniques will impact that outcome substantially.
In an age of data security, physical mail is making a resurgence, and for some people, it is considered a safer way to receive communications. For many companies, understanding and adapting communication strategies to accommodate their customers’ communication preferences is the magic key to establishing customer loyalty. There are many people who still do not have the access or the desire to use a computer and receive email communications, so receiving envelopes is a lifeline
for them. To guard confidential communications, creativity in security tints, use of heavier weight envelopes, and achieving a secure envelope seal is paramount.
And there are still millions of pieces of BRM (business reply mail) used to remit payments or return critical information every day. The impact of these types of envelopes is undeniable, and in some cases, the only option. Therefore, it is imperative to fully weigh the impact of remittance envelopes and choose wisely when determining whether courtesy or business reply is the best vehicle. Then checking window size, placement, barcodes, FIM marks, permit info, and whether QBRM might be more beneficial are all important items to review, since they will impact the envelope and the delivery outcome.
age buying power by increasing quantities of fewer styles, a “white paper factory” approach yields many benefits. Variables in machinability are eliminated, and many of the items previously discussed above can be printed directly on the mail piece instead of the envelope. Adapting to factors such as address block size or position can simply be accommodated by use of a cover sheet as opposed to ordering and stocking costly specialty envelopes.
Millions of critical communications in the form of physical mail, contained within an envelope, are sent and received every single day. For some customers, it’s important to understand that a physical mail piece is their ONLY means of communication. Factors such as the sourcing, cost, construction, machinability, messaging, and address formatting strategies all play a part in the envelope’s success or failure. Despite the ongoing digital transformation initiatives that are taking place; the perception that certain generations possess a disdain for physical mail; or the debate about whether paper, as a renewable and recyclable resource, might actually be an environmentally responsible choice after all, the envelope remains one of the most familiar and widely used forms of communication.
We must carefully consider not only the importance of the envelope but the incredible impact it has because the right envelope with the right design, the right format, and the right postage, delivered successfully in the right hands, can make a world of difference.
Ancillary service endorsements (ASEs) are also something that can impact the envelope to a great degree. Some of the ASE options such as address service, return service, change service, forwarding service, and temp-return service requested provide the necessary instructions to the mail carrier on what exactly the sender wants done in the event the recipient is no longer located at the address presented. The choice and placement of the ASE is critical to keeping costs down and achieving that goal. If checks or highly critical communications are being sent, then “Return Service Requested” makes sense, but it’s not necessary on a direct mail piece or as a standard practice. In some cases where mail delivery is tied to federal regulations, incorrect use of an ASE could result in costly litigation. Working with an expert in postal regulations to determine exactly which ASE to apply when is always recommended. For companies looking to standardize their envelope inventory and better lever-
Acknowledging this fact, we must carefully consider not only the importance of the envelope but the incredible impact it has because the right envelope with the right design, the right format, and the right postage, delivered successfully in the right hands, can make a world of difference.
Crystal May is Postal Source’s President of Sales and Marketing. Before working at Postal Source, Crystal owned her own company and worked in the print industry with IKON. Crystal has over 30 years of experience working in the print and mail industry. She has served on many boards in the print and mailing space and spoken at many national mailing conferences, including the National Postal Forum and local PCC events. She is currently the chair of the Madison PCC.
Morgan McGovern is Postal Source’s National Director of Customer Success. Prior to holding that position, Morgan worked in the insurance industry for several years, and spent several years working in higher education. Her expertise in client implementation and ensuring client success, while managing additional projects throughout the company has helped guarantee her clients achieve their goals with the help of Postal Source.
I first delivered this presentation at NPF 14 years ago. At that time, I showed examples of how much impact one envelope could have. I showed a picture of the Oscars with the host saying the famous line, ‘May I have the envelope, please.’ I showed a picture of my son receiving his college admissions letter to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, his dream school. And I showed a picture of a gangly 13-year-old girl with braces receiving her first-ever recruiting letter from Penn State University’s legendary volleyball coach, Russ Rose.
Fast forward, and that gangly 13-yearold accepted a scholarship to UCLA, and while she was there, over the course of five years and two sports, we exchanged many care packages, letters, and lots of flat rate envelopes stuffed with letters from family and friends.
My daughter is now a professional volleyball player and spent the first two years in Italy and this last year in Poland. During that time, she established a routine with her 87-year-old grandmother, who lives in rural Wisconsin. Every couple of weeks, they would exchange letters in an envelope affixed with international postage. I can’t begin to describe the impact the sight of each international envelope had on that woman. It provided insights, a sense of connection, and love from all the way across the world and allowed an 87-year-old and a 25-year-old to stay in touch and create a very special bond.
This year, to commemorate the impact of those envelopes, and continue the established tradition of exchanging letters as my daughter heads to Japan for her next volleyball season, she proudly wears a tiny tattoo on her arm of an envelope with a heart on it to remind her of the impact it makes in her life.
—Crystal May
BETTER SOFTWARE = BETTER MAIL
Making the changes that are necessary to improve the workflow and delivery of your mail can be as simple as contacting the following companies. Almost any challenge or problem you have can be solved by these solutions, helping you deliver a better overall experience for your customers and clients. Go to their websites for all the details or, better yet, email or call them.
Current USPS estimates are that 4-5% of mail is undeliverable-as-addressed, so reducing this number is critical to communications efforts. MaxCASS Plus™, Anchor Software’s CASS Certified™ solution, updates mailing lists and databases with the most complete, correct, and current address information available. Executable as a blazing fast batch process for mailing lists or in real-time mode for quick address lookups, MaxCASS Plus helps organizations stay in touch with their customers. MaxCASS Plus is Anchor’s newly released flagship product, reengineered from the ground up, that takes efficiency and speed to the next level — achieving over 500 million records processed per hour!
Better software equals better results. With over four decades of postal and address quality expertise, BCC Software’s products balance the needs of successful direct communication leaders with compliance. We offer the industry’s widest range of solutions — including data enhancement services, postal preparation software, and mailpiece tracking. BCC Software’s solutions range from GUI-based desktop products like BCC Mail Manager to fully integrated solutions, such as BCC Ignite, that allow mail processing in an automated workflow, to cloud-based solutions and APIs like BCC Architect. All our products and services are supported by experienced industry professionals. Contact us at bccsoftware.com.
Click2Mail: Your cloud-based postal solution. Send mail as easily as email, no mailroom needed. Our SOC 2 & HIPAA-certified platform digitalizes your entire mailing process with inline document proofing, address standardization, mail tracking, and mobile job status updates. Perfect for remote work, our SaaS solution offers hassle-free Certified Mail. Enjoy next-day print-and-mail service, cutting costs compared to traditional methods. Experience seamless workflow automation with simple drag-and-drop PDF tools, ideal for offsite users and work-from-home setups. Streamline your business mailing with Click2Mail — where postal meets digital efficiency. No buying, no installing. Just click and mail.
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Melissa delivers a full range of fresh and affordable solutions to help you acquire, manage, and retain more customers. We offer 100s of consumer, business, and specialty mailing lists; data enhancement and hygiene services including USPS NCOALink, Canada Post NCOA, consumer demographics, and premium email/phone append; a flexible line of mailing software — all CASS and PAVE Gold Certified for address correction and postal presorting. Generate new leads, clean up your marketing lists, and lower postage costs so you can be on your way to more efficient, cost-effective outreach efforts.
UTILIZING THE MAILER SCORECARD TO IMPROVE MAIL QUALITY
By Nick Lethert
Mail quality is an important component to any successful direct mail campaign, which is why the USPS Mailer Scorecard is such a powerful tool. As the direct mail ecosystem continuously evolves, understanding the intricacies of the Mailer Scorecard and learning how to avoid common mistakes can significantly enhance mailing efficiency, reduce costs, and ensure timely delivery. We’ve outlined a Mailer Scorecard overview for mailers, highlighting key aspects of the Mailer Scorecard, common pitfalls to watch out for, and best practices to ensure your mailings are up to standard.
How the Mailer Scorecard Works
The USPS Mailer Scorecard is designed to provide detailed feedback on the quality and compliance of mailings. By utilizing electronic documentation and Full-Service IMb, the Mailer Scorecard serves as a comprehensive report card for mailers,
highlighting areas where they are meeting standards and where improvements are needed. The scorecard measures quality metrics relating to Full-Service compliance, Move Update, eInduction, Seamless Acceptance, and Mail Irregularities.
Full-Service Compliance: The Mailer Scorecard measures how well mailers adhere to full-service mailing requirements. It includes checks on Intelligent Mail barcodes (IMb), electronic documentation (eDoc), and other critical components that ensure mailings meet USPS standards.
Move Update: The Move Update standard requires mailers to reconcile their mail lists to match Change-of-Address filings with the USPS. This reduces the volume of undeliverable mail and improves delivery accuracy.
eInduction: The electronic induction process evaluates whether shipping containers are properly documented, and that entry data matches the physical mail.
Seamless Acceptance: Seamless Acceptance assesses the efficiency and accuracy of mail entry and acceptance processes, which streamlines the verification process and reduces manual handling by USPS staff.
Mail Irregularities: The USPS reports on processing issues relating to physical mail, including items such as poor barcode quality, label issues, and bundle breaks.
NEW TO 2024: The Mailer Scorecard now provides images for certain mail irregularity metrics. This provides mailers better visibility into the quality issue being reported by the USPS.
Assessments and Common Errors
The total mail volume submitted each month by an eDoc submitter is aggregated and measured against various quality metrics. A metric that exceeds the allowable threshold percentage for errors will be charged an assessment.
Below are examples of common scorecard errors for mailers:
Undocumented Pieces: All scanned IMb pieces must be linked to a finalized eDoc submitted within the previous 45 days.
By/For Errors: The Mail Owner and Mail Preparer need to be properly identified in eDoc.
Piece Barcode Uniqueness: An IMb must remain unique for 45 days from the postage statement mailing date. If a MID, Serial Number, and Mail Class are duplicated in more than one mail piece, then an error will be recorded for non-uniqueness.
Nesting/Sortation (MPE): Pieces scanned at the USPS must be sorted within the same tray or bundle that was identified in eDoc.
Move/Update: An error is logged when the address on a mail piece has not been updated with a recorded Change-of-Address. The USPS reports any addresses with a Change-of-Address record between 95 days and 18 months to capture records that should have been corrected through an allowable move update method prior to mailing.
Bundle Breaks: When prepared bundles of flat-sized mail pieces break, there is a chance of delays for processing and delivery of the mail, and an increased possibility of damage to individual pieces.
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Despite the availability of detailed metrics and reports, many mailers continue to make common mistakes that can lead to penalties and delays. Here are some of the most frequent errors and tips on how to avoid them:
1. Inaccurate or Late eDoc Submissions: Electronic documentation must be submitted accurately and on time. Mailers should:
a. Ensure that data systems are up-to-date and compliant with USPS requirements.
b. Implement automated systems for eDoc creation and submission to minimize errors.
2. Inconsistent Mail Piece Quality: Mail pieces that do not meet USPS standards for size, weight, and packaging can cause processing issues. Mailers should:
a. Conduct regular quality checks on mail pieces and bundles to ensure they comply with USPS guidelines.
b. Train staff on proper mail preparation techniques to maintain consistency.
3. Poor Address Lists: Maintaining accurate address lists helps reduce undeliverable as addressed (UAA) mail. Mailers should:
a. Use USPS-approved Move Update methods and regularly update their address lists.
b. Track and analyze Move Update performance metrics on the Mailer Scorecard to identify areas for improvement.
c. Implement strict data entry standards and routine audits.
Best Practices for Optimizing Your Mailer Scorecard
To make the most of the Mailer Scorecard and avoid common mistakes, consider implementing the following best practices:
1. Regular Training and Education: Keep your staff informed about USPS standards and Mailer Scorecard metrics. Regular training sessions can help ensure that everyone involved in mail preparation and submission understands their roles and responsibilities.
2. Monitor Performance Metrics: Regularly review your Mailer Scorecard metrics to identify trends and areas for improvement. Utilize the drill down features to research metrics in greater detail. Look into setting up mail quality data feeds from Informed Visibility to automate and better manage Mailer Scorecard reporting. Set performance goals and track your progress over time. Use the insights gained from the scorecard to make data-driven decisions and optimize your mailing strategies.
3. Invest in Quality Control: Implement robust quality control measures at every stage of the mailing process. From address validation to mail piece preparation, ensure that all aspects of your mailing operations meet USPS standards.
4. Use Available Technology: Leverage technology to automate and streamline mailing processes. Use advanced mailing software to manage address lists, create eDoc, and track mailings. Automation can significantly reduce the risk of human error and improve overall efficiency.
5. Engage with USPS Resources: Take advantage of the resources and support provided by USPS. Attend webinars, participate in training programs, and consult with USPS representatives to stay informed about the latest updates and best practices.
Understanding the Mailer Scorecard and avoiding common mistakes is essential for any direct mail campaign. Closely monitoring key metrics, implementing best practices, and staying informed about USPS updates helps mailers improve mail quality, reduce costs, and ensure timely delivery.
The Mailer Scorecard is available on the USPS Business Customer Gateway. If you have questions about using the Mailers Scorecard, reach out to the USPS Business Acceptance Solutions analyst in your area. Contact information for analysts is available on PostalPro.
Nick Lethert is a mailing industry expert at IWCO, specializing in postal affairs and direct mail optimization.
2024 NPF WRAP-UP:
A RESOUNDING SUCCESS
By Amanda Armendariz
This year’s National Postal Forum in Indianapolis was absolutely phenomenal. For the first time in many years, the show was sold out, which is a huge accomplishment! The four-day conference saw an impressive total of 4,526 participants, including 902 USPS representatives, 1,065 exhibitors, and 2,559 mailing industry attendees. On the exhibit floor, 163 companies, including 57 first-time exhibitors, and 93 sponsoring partners showcased the latest products, solutions, and information that those in the print and mail industry need in order to make their organizations a success.
As always, the keynote address by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy was a highlight of the event. Whether one agrees with his strategy for the future of the USPS or not, almost everyone agrees that he’s a captivating speaker. He touched on the impressive legacy and history of the USPS, saying, “The Postal Service has the world’s largest delivery operation, handling 123 billion pieces of mail and packages each year, accounting for 44% of the world’s mail. We have nearly 336,000 delivery carriers, located in approximately 19,000 delivery units, delivering on 234,000 routes using over 230,000 delivery vehicles. We deliver
to 167 million delivery points, six days a week across our nation. We go to the far reaches of Alaska, where I have been, and to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, which fortunately has not yet appeared on my schedule. In fact, 95% of the American public lives within five miles of a Post Office.”
He then pivoted to discussing the challenges that the organization faces, saying, “We are a complex organization with complex problems and situations. Today, we provide many services, that require us to compete, for customers, employees, and revenue in a world that has dramatically changed, not only since
our beginnings in 1775, but also since our creation as an Independent Agency in 1971, and for the conflict and constraints that began our decline in 2006, with the passage of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. In this world of dynamic and rapid change, we have operated in a “Twilight Zone” of policy, rules, regulations, opinions, demands, legacy, folklores, and fairy tales.”
He then described the disastrous PAEA of 2006, the effects of which are now well-known throughout our industry, especially with respect to the USPS’s bottom line. He finished on an optimistic note, however: “We have achieved much
over the last three years, pursuing the strategies identified in the Delivering for America plan, too many to list… [but] I will mention one achievement; it is the most important, most impactful, and most long lasting. The DFA plan is about inspiring a change to the culture of the Postal Service Team through our work together. This is happening. The men and women of the United States Postal Service are engaged in transforming the organization, into a vibrant one — which is necessary, for the long-term service the nation requires. Thank you for your support of our efforts and thank you for joining us at the Forum! Enjoy it. Feel the energy.”
“The National Postal Forum is the premier educational conference for the entire mailing and shipping supply chain community, and this year absolutely reflected that. We had thousands of industry and USPS attendees taking advantage of over 100 educational workshops, fun and exciting networking opportunities, and a sold-out exhibit hall with 50 new exhibitors. I am especially encouraged by the many first-time attendees at this year’s NPF as well. Education is a key part of NPF’s mission, and we are excited to continue building upon that for the many newcomers to our exciting, innovative, and rapidly changing mailing and shipping community.”
—
Chris Lien, Executive VP Industry Affairs for BCC Software, and NPF Board Chair
And what energy there was! From sessions on understanding your Mailer Scorecard to the current USPS postage promotions to green mailing, and everything in between, there was a plethora of educational material that attendees were able to engage with and take back to their own organizations for implementation. My only complaint was that there was no way for me to attend two sessions at one time, so I had to invariably miss out on some great content! (But when that’s my only complaint, that’s the sign of a fantastic show).
I hope you enjoyed this peek into the 2024 National Postal Forum, and I look forward to seeing many of you in Nashville in 2025!
By Adam Lewenberg
THE JULY 14, 2024 USPS RATE CHANGE: WHAT’S THE IMPACT?
USPS raised rates on July 14, 2024 for the sixth time in three years, with some of the largest increases in history and at a significantly higher pace than inflation (see Figure 1). We can expect these rate spikes to continue as the USPS has stated that two increases per year will be the new norm.
We have been creating comparison charts that go over the changes in rates to show how it will affect budgets. The reason we do this is to provide a true comparison versus the overall average percentage increase that the Postal Service talks about. Based on the type of mail you send, the increase could be higher or lower. Also, when you look at the new rate charts provided by the USPS, they typically will not show the level of detail needed, such as previous and new rates, side by side, to see these differences. Hopefully, this will help you budget by seeing the impact of the most common services that you use today. At the bottom of this article, there is a link to an excel tool where you can plug in your mail volumes to see the impact to your organization. Here is a link (https://postaladvocate.com/ rate-change-tools/) to a simple chart of all the rates below
In Figure 2, you can see the price of a stamped First-Class Mail Single Piece letter and Metered letter are seeing a $.05 increase to $0.69 and $0.73. A single piece flat is increasing from $1.39 to $1.50. The biggest change is with the additional ounce rate. For letters it is $.28 per additional
ounce (vs. $.24), which is a 17% increase. Flats are going up to $.27 per additional ounce (vs. $.24), which is a 13% increase. This is the first time we have seen a different additional ounce rate for letters vs. flats. Also, as items get heavier, you will have to budget for much larger price hikes.
Figure 1
Figure 2
Automation letters are going up six percent and Flats by seven to 21% (see Figure 3). To help to offset this increase, the credits for Seamless Acceptance have increased from $.001 to $.002 (100% increase), and for Full Service Intelligent Mail, the credits have increased from $.003 to $.005 (67%). With any increase, it becomes more important to look for ways to reduce costs. These are the options available (see Figure 4):
Use meters or online postage to save $.04 on letters.
Consider presort services if you run over 500 pieces per day or have one-time mailings over 1,000 pieces.
Automating your mailings in-house or through third-party mail services can have drastic postage savings.
Presort and automation levels go up to 3.5 ounces for the same base rate.
Flats and postcards can have the same automation rates as letters.
Consider moving generic content mail from First-Class to Marketing Mail.
Marketing Mail Letter rates are increasing at approximately zero to four percent, while Flats are going up at four to 13% (see Figure 5). The biggest change is occurring with heavy weight flats over four ounces. With these items, there is a per piece and per pound rate needed to calculate the rate. As you can see from Figure 6, the per piece rate is going up three to 13%, and the per pound rate is going up by a whopping 37-47%.
Marketing Mail: 0-13% Increase
Increases of 29%-64% in three years are unheard of and are impacting every organization.
The best way to save money is to move mail closer to its final location by utilizing destination entry level discounts (see Figure 7). The savings for letters and lightweight flats decrease by seven to 23%, but the savings for heavy weight flats are seeing an amazing 423-531% increase. This can offset the 47% increase we are seeing in the per pound rate above.
USPS Competitive Services
The good news is Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, and Ground Advantage are not changing rates. We expect they will increase with the January 2025 rate increase, similar to what occurs with UPS and FedEx.
Special Services are seeing their largest rate hike in years averaging over 10% (see Figure 8). The most common special service is Certified with Return Receipts where the overall increase is 11%. One bright spot is the cost of USPS insurance went down by 10%.
Conclusion
Increases of 29%-64% in three years are unheard of and are impacting every organization. Mailers are going to need to look for savings strategies to help offset these changes. Our recommendation is to create visibility into all mailings and look for automation methods where applicable to reduce the cost and streamline production.
To budget for this increase, you need to look at the type of items you are sending, and the weight and zones that are most common, to truly estimate the impact. We have developed a Microsoft Excel-based budget calculator that you can download for free (https://postaladvocate.com/ratechange-tools/) that should help you better plan for this year. Some of the most popular USPS classes are going up at the highest rates but luckily there are ways to help mitigate this through automation and technology.
Adam Lewenberg, CMDSS, MDC, President/CEO of Postal Advocate Inc., runs the largest Mail Audit and Recovery firm in the United States and Canada. They manage the biggest shipping & mail equipment fleet in the world and their mission is to help organizations with multi-locations reduce mail and parcel related expenses, recover lost postage funds, and simplify visibility and oversight. Since 2011, they have helped their clients save an average of 56% and over $81 million on equipment, presort, avoidable fees, and lost postage. He can be reached at 617.372.6853 or adam. lewenberg@postaladvocate.com.
