Post Office asks customers to mail early; offers mailing tips

With the volume of cards, letters and packages expected to mushroom with the countdown to the holidays, Michelle Saracusa, acting manager of marketing for the Massachusetts Postal District, advises customers to mail early.

“Our goal is to provide quick, easy and convenient service to accept and deliver increased holiday mail volumes at our normal year-round service levels to make your holidays magical,” she said, adding: “Although we have taken extra measures to handle the added volume, we are asking customers to mail early to avoid a backup of mail the last days before Christmas.”

U.S. Postal Service customers will bring nearly 19 billion mailpieces to Post Offices throughout the country during the holiday season, Thanksgiving through Christmas.

The postal official said customers can help speed Post Office transactions by providing retail clerks with full information on packages, such as requirements for insurance, delivery confirmation, and desired time for package arrival.

Other helpful mailing tips to avoid glitches include:

• Write, type or print delivery address neatly.
• Always use a return address.
• Always use complete address information, such as Ave., Blvd. and St. Use the apartment number or suite number as well as correct directionals, such as N, W and SW.
• Don’t let an incorrect ZIP Code delay delivery of cards and letters. Local Post Offices and the Postal Service website—www.usps.com—offer ZIP Code information, as does the National Call Center, 1-800-275-8777.
• Select a container that is strong enough to protect the contents. Leave space for cushioning inside the carton.
• Always use tape that is designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive tape, nylon-reinforced craft paper tape or glass-reinforced pressure-sensitive tape.
• Plain air-popped popcorn, shredded or rolled newspaper, bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts work well for cushioning contents.
• The only addresses on packages for mailing should be the delivery and return addresses. TIP: Place a return address label inside the package.
• Carefully pack glass and fragile hollow items, like vases, with newspaper or packing material to avoid damage due to shock. When mailing framed photographs, take the glass out of the frame and wrap it separately.
• Packages that weigh 13 ounces or more must be taken to the Post Office for mailing.

She said the Postal Service’s website at www.usps.com can prove to be a helpful resource during this holiday season, offering a wide variety of links to mailing and shipping tools.

“The holidays are here, and we want to make sure your mail is delivered on time. Just help us by mailing early,” she said.