PrintMEMO TO MAILERS - AUGUST 2005 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 40 NUMBER 8
AUGUST 2005
WHAT'S INSIDE
MAIL MOMENT
SWEEPSTAKES
ADDRESS MANAGEMENT
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
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AMERICA'S PARTNERSHIP: U.S. POSTAL SERVICE AND POSTAL CUSTOMER COUNCILS
The name says it — it’s all about the customer.
Postal Customer Councils (PCCs), located nationwide with more than 120,000 members, bring business mailers, small businesses and other customers together to work closely with local Postal Service officials to promote mail use, and to support the introduction of new products, services and technologies.
This successful partnership will be celebrated with a special day that puts the spotlight on PCCs and their efforts to help the Postal Service keep the mailing industry strong and vibrant.
Every PCC in the country — 216 in all — has committed to take part in National Postal Customer Council Day on Sept. 14.
By sharing information and exchanging ideas about new and existing products, programs and procedures, PCCs serve an important role in helping USPS add value and make the mail work better for customers. PCCs have grown increasingly more important in fostering a close working relationship between the Postal Service and business mailers.
“We want to make it easier for our customers to do business with us,” says Deputy Postmaster General and Chief Operating Officer Patrick Donahoe. “We want to help businesses succeed. We are more customer-focused than ever and Postal Customer Councils help us connect with our customers on the local level.”
National PCC Day will feature a nationwide satellite broadcast and keynote address by Postmaster General John E. Potter, who is expected to cover a range of topics including the next phase of postal transformation and issues that the Postal Service will face in the coming years.
“The PCC program is a successful partnership for the Postal Service,” says Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “We have the products and services to help our customers be successful and the PCCs are helping us educate business customers about our quick, easy and convenient solutions.”
The broadcast will originate from the Lakeland Mailing Expo in Middelton, WI. The event will be hosted by five Wisconsin-based PCCs — Central Wisconsin, Fox Valley, Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee.
PCCs across the country will be holding or attending local and regional events where the national broadcast will be televised. The level of participation for the annual event will be the highest in its history, organizers say. You can find the meeting nearest to you at www.usps.com/nationalpcc/day.htm.
“Our theme is ‘Celebrating Postal Customer Councils — America’s Partnership’,” says Mike Mahnke, the Lakeland District marketing manager for the Postal Service, “and our nationally acclaimed speakers will talk about building winning teams, mailing trends and innovations, and how to use the mail more successfully. There’s a lot of excitement here in Wisconsin and our five PCCs are energized about National PCC Day.”
The broadcast, which will be distributed to local and regional meetings coast-to-coast, will be seen by a projected audience of more than 13,000 business mail customers, almost twice the number that tuned in to the 2004 National PCC Day broadcast.
“National PCC Day showcases the partnership we have with our customers at the local level,” says Susan Plonkey, vice president of Customer Service for the Postal Service. “Through the PCC Network, we can better build knowledge of the value of our products and services, and a better understanding of mail’s power to drive business results.”
For more information, go to www.usps.com/nationalpcc or www.nationalpccday.org.
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DMA AND POSTAL INSPECTORS JOIN FORCES TO BATTLE SWEEPSTAKES SCAMS
Every day thousands of Americans receive sweepstakes offers, but not all of them are legitimate. How can consumers tell the difference between a real sweepstakes and a scam?
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) have joined forces to launch a nationwide consumer education initiative to tell Americans how to avoid being scammed by fraudulent sweepstakes.
Chief Postal Inspector LeeHeath says the key message is “consumers do not have to pay to enter a sweepstakes or to collect a prize. If the consumer is asked to pay, the sweepstakes is a scam.
“Legitimate sweepstakes offers state that no purchase is necessary to win and buying a product will not increase the chances of winning,” says Heath. “This consumer-awareness campaign points out the characteristics of fraudulent promotions and will help to limit the number of victims of these scams.”
This multimedia campaign includes radio spots, print articles and magazine ads.
“The goal of this initiative is to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed decisions about participating in sweepstakes programs,” says Pat Kachura, senior vice president of consumer affairs for the DMA.
“The Postal Service, through the Office of the Consumer Advocate, is pleased to be working in concert with the DMA and U.S. Postal Inspection Service to keep our customers informed of the pitfalls of sweepstakes scams,” says Acting Vice President, Consumer Advocate Mike Spates.
The campaign directs consumers to USPIS and DMA online consumer guides, which provide details on preventing sweepstakes fraud, as well as where they can go for help. The guides also help consumers to recognize the difference between legitimate sweepstakes, including prize promotions, and illegal promotions that misrepresent themselves and seek to defraud.
The Postal Inspection Service guide, Publication 546, Sweepstakes Advertising, is available for printing andviewing at http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub546.pdf, or go to the Inspection Service website at http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors.
For more information on sweepstakes, go to http://www.dmaconsumers.org/sweepstakeshelp.html or visit the DMA website at www.dmaconsumers.org for more consumer assistance initiatives.
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THE POSTAL BULLETIN
The Postal Bulletin is the biweekly, official record of changes in Postal Service policies and procedures. It's online at www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm.
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ADDRESS MANAGEMENT TOOLS: EARLY WARNING SYSTEM
Are you looking for help validating new addresses in your database?
The answer is closer than you may think. The recently patented Early Warning System (EWS) file is now available within CASS Certified address matching software to give list processors and mailers a heads-up about newly created streets and addresses.
CASS — Coding Accuracy Support System — tests the ability of address matching software to accurately match address records to the Postal Service ZIP + 4 database, assign correct ZIP + 4 codes and return a standardized address. ZIP + 4 or ZIP + 4 barcoded mail must be produced from address lists that have been ZIP + 4 coded using CASS Certified address matching software.
Data available in the current ZIP+ 4 product is already 30 days old by the time it’s released to customers. New streets activated after the monthly ZIP+ 4 product don’t show up as valid addresses until the next ZIP + 4 product release. Mailers face a time lag to get brand new addresses online — even if they’re using an Address Information System (AIS) product. The continuous creation of new addresses means updates are almost always pending.
This can cause miscoding of valid but unrecognized new addresses, resulting in what is called “Broken Address Syndrome.”
Once an address is broken-coded to another valid address, the effect is permanent without manual intervention.
That’s where EWS comes in. EWS provides list processors and mailers with weekly updates of all new streets, by ZIP Code.
Consisting of a table of records with partial address information, the EWS file is created from a weekly ZIP+ 4 file.
The bottom line is improved service and deliverability. By preventing an AIS product from trying to “correct” a valid new street name not in its database, mailers avoid costly manual corrections of new addresses appearing in their ZIP + 4 product.
If you’re interested in more information about this valuable tool, contact your CASS Certified software provider, or the National Customer Support Center at 800-331-5746, option “zero.”
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FYI
The Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) has moved. Please address all correspondence to its new location:
PRICING AND CLASSIFICATION
SERVICE CENTER
90 CHURCH ST STE 3100
NEW YORK NY 10007-2951
Last year the Postal Service consolidated the three rates and classification service centers and the nonprofit service center into one unit — the PCSC. It provides pre-production rulings on rates for proposed mailings, giving mailers increased confidence in planning and budgeting for future mailings.
For more information about the PCSC, visit the Postal Explorer website at pe.usps.com and click on PCSC.
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INFO@USPS
SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS
Get new customers.
Meet customer demands.
Around town or around the world.
www.usps.com
SIMPLE FORMULAS
Use the mail to grow your business.
Order a Simple Formulas kit.
800-THE-USPS, ext. AD4433
SEND MAIL FROM YOUR PC
Send postcards, letters, flyers, booklets or greeting cards.
www.usps.com/netpost
THE POSTAL STORE ONLINE
Open 24/7.
Stamps.
Subscription services.
Digital scales.
www.usps.com/shop
SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and package support line.
800-222-1811
PRINT POSTAGE ONLINE
Your shipping label is just a Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship
CARRIER PICKUP
From your home or office.
www.usps.com/pickup
QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office locations.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS
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KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils
www.usps.com/nationalpcc
NEW LOOK, CONTENT AT THE NATIONAL PCC WEBSITE
If you haven’t visited recently, check out the new look and content of the PCC Web pages on www.usps.com!
The pages have been redesigned and rewritten to make their information more relevant and easier to access. Whether you’re trying to learn more about the national organization, the location of a specific Council and how to contact it, or about PCC events in your area, the new pages are the first place to go.
PCC members can even request a postal speaker for a meeting, or schedule a seminar or training session.
In fact, if there’s a Council you’re familiar with that’s doing an outstanding job, you can go to the new PCC pages and download a form to nominate it for a special recognition award, which will be announced at National PCC Day on Sept. 14.
“We’re really pleased with the changes made to the site,” said PCC Advisory Committee member Kim Waltz, president of Fred J. Waltz Co. Inc. “With National PCC Day coming up, the timing is perfect!”
It’s all just a click away, at www.usps.com/nationalpcc/welcome.htm.
CARIBBEAN MARKETING MAIL CONFERENCE: "FIRST CLASS ALL THE WAY"
The third annual Caribbean Marketing Mail Conference, the region’s Direct Mail expo, wrapped up its two days of workshops, exhibits and meetings with praise that the event had been “first class all the way,” according to Caribbean Postal Customer Council industry co-chair Debra Garcia.
A conference highlight was the keynote address by Susan Plonkey, the Postal Service’s vice president of Customer Service. Plonkey opened the event, held in San Juan, Puerto Rico, answering the question, “What can USPS do for you?”
Other USPS headquarters speakers discussed the value of Direct Mail and talked about new postal products and services, including Postal Explorer, the recently published Domestic Mail Manual 300, the Quick Service Guide and USPS Internet tools such as Reply Mail Online and Click-N-Ship. Additional topics discussed were the Rate Case filing, as well as First-Class Mail and Standard Mail eligibility.
“The sessions were very educational, and people loved them,”commented Garcia. “In Puerto Rico, it’s difficult for mailers and mail customers to travel to the National Postal Forum. An event like this is often the only way for them to get this kind of information.”
Next on tap for the Caribbean PCC is National PCC Day, Garcia reported. The San Juan GPO will be viewing the Sept. 14 satellite broadcast and hosting a local members’ meeting. “We started our planning as soon as the conference ended,” she said.
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SMALL BUSINESS. SMART BUSINESS.
Nine national organizations serving small business interests are among the founding members of the U.S. Postal Service’s Small Business Marketing Council.
The council’s objective is to serve and address the postal needs of the nation’s 20 million small businesses. It will focus on developing this vital economic sector’s ability to grow and prosper through the use of mail as a business and marketing vehicle.
“The Small Business Marketing Council is an opportunity for the Postal Service to expand its outreach to the small business community,” says USPS Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto. “Not only does it give us an opportunity to make this community aware of our products and services, it provides a forum where we can build a better understanding of the needs and challenges faced by small business across the country.”
Bizzotto will co-chair the council with Gene Del Polito, president of the Association for Postal Commerce.
The founding members of the Small Business Marketing Council are:
National Small Business Foundation
Association of American Chamber of Commerce Executives
National Black Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
The U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce
National Association of Women Business Owners
National Restaurant Association
Association of Small Business Development Centers
American Society of Association Executives
“This council brings associations serving small businesses together with the Postal Service in a formal way,” says Del Polito. “It strengthens the partnership among the mailing industry, the Postal Service and its business customers, and has the potential to open exciting and new avenues for growth opportunity.”
The Association for Postal Commerce and the Direct Marketing Association also have joined the council as members.
The Small Business Marketing Council will work with USPS to address and understand the domestic and international needs of small business.
Council activities may include seminars, workshops, trade show exhibits, publications and electronic media sponsored by its members. Small business market research conducted by the council also is planned.
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POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
PASSPORT PROS
Need a passport? The Postal Service offers convenient, one-stop payment and document processing — including Express Mail expedited service to the Department of State for customers who need passports in a rush.
Pick up forms at the local Post Office or download them from http://www.usps.com/passport/.
USPS AT EBAY LIVE!
eBay, the online auction site that revolutionized business on the Internet, celebrated its 10th anniversary in June with a huge conference in its hometown of San Jose, CA. Prominently on display was the shipping choice of eBayers everywhere — the United States Postal Service.
It’s been two years since the Postal Service and eBay partnered to make shipping hassle-free for the estimated 125 million auction site users worldwide.
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DELIVERING THE PACIFIC RIM
In an historic agreement, the U.S. Postal Service has joined the postal administrations in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and the Republic of South Korea to offer an enhanced expedited shipping service to these destinations.
“The Pacific Rim continues to grow in global significance as the nations there experience unprecedented growth in trade. It’s where our customers want to be,” said Jim Wade, vice president of International Business for the Postal Service. “The combined dependability, high performance and modern technology this alliance brings allow us to better satisfy our current customers and to acquire new ones,” Wade added.
Enhancements to the Postal Service’s Global Express Mail provide day-certain guaranteed delivery to the Pacific Rim and United States — with the security and safety customers have come to expect from USPS and without hidden surcharges.
This offering is available at all Post Offices in all 50 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Customers can track a shipment’s progress online at www.usps.com or by calling 1-800-222-1811.
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MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 40 Number 8
Ilze Sella
Editorial Services
David Ostroff
Designer
Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist
John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO
Thomas G. Day
Senior Vice President, Government Relations
Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
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United States Postal Service.
© 2005 United States Postal Service. The following are among the many trademarks owned by the United States Postal Service: USPS®, U.S. Postal Service®, United States Postal Service®, Postal Service™, Post Office™, Priority Mail®, Express Mail®, Standard Mail™, First-Class Mail®, Registered Mail™, Certified Mail™, Delivery Confirmation™, Signature Confirmation™, ZIP Code™, Click-N-Ship®, NetPost® and The Postal Store®. This list is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service marks.
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