MEMO TO MAILERS - JUNE 2005(text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 40 NUMBER 6
JUNE 2005

WHAT'S INSIDE
NETPOST
DMM 300 ONLINE
STANDARD MAIL ELIGIBILITY
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
There is no question more important. “It’s all about how we can add value and make the mail work better for our customers,” says Susan Plonkey, vice president of Customer Service, the postal organization whose role is to understand what customers need to be successful and how the Postal Service can help.

“We’ve been busy focusing on our customers and what they want,” says Plonkey. “And we’ll keep that focus.”

The Customer Service group, formerly called Service and Market Development, plays a pivotal role in responding to the needs of postal customers, particularly business mailers.

It engages with these customers through the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee, Postal Customer Councils, National Postal Forum, the Business Service Network and usps.com, and involves customers in the development of products and services that benefit the mailing industry as a whole.

Expect her group to continue to focus on “quick, easy and convenient” products and services and growing the value of the mail for customers, Plonkey says.

“We’re going to work to improve mail acceptance, to implement seamless acceptance,” she says. “Our latest PostalOne! release begins the transition to seamless acceptance.”

The PostalOne! system lets mailers and USPS business mail acceptance units exchange information electronically. It provides a wealth of online information customers can use to manage their businesses more efficiently, including electronic documentation and postage statements and improved access to mailing information.

Plonkey says the “Customer Gateway” will continue to evolve to simplify customer contact with the Postal Service. Located on usps.com, the gateway gives the Postal Service’s largest customers one place to go online for access to PostalOne!, Business Service Network (BSN), mail tracking and reporting, and other information and systems.

There will be more information sharing through such efforts as the Business Mail Acceptance Days program, which will bring visibility to this pivotal function. (For more information, see “Keeping Posted” on page 6.) Plonkey says she wants to improve the BSN experience and increase “real-time” access to information.

In addition to business customers, the Customer Service group works to make sure USPS retail assets provide an opportunity for the right transaction at the right place, through online features like Click-N-Ship or Carrier Pickup Online Notification, or automated postal centers and full-service retail lobbies. “I want to improve satisfaction around lobby transactions, “ she says.

Plonkey says the Customer Service group will focus on providing easier access to postal products and services, and providing customers with more “real-time” information through increased use of technology.

What won’t change? “Our commitment to providing quality service at an affordable cost,” she says.

How can we help you?

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CREATE DIRECT MAIL ONLINE, MAILED FOR YOU
Here is how it works.

Bring your ideas, a list of addresses and a credit card to www.usps.com/netpost.

Choose a mailpiece format — such as postcards, letters, self-mailers or greeting cards.

We do the rest! Each mailpiece is personalized, printed, prepared and in the mail the next business day.

Many formats available
Order and mail everything from postcards to Certified Mail, newsletters to greeting cards, even include a gift card from any one of our selection of national retailers.

PRICING
Send postcards for as little as 27 cents per piece — postage included!

Prices vary according to mailpiece format, finishing options and the number of pieces mailed.

Estimate all printing and postage costs before you begin.

No up-front investment required.

All you need is a credit card and an Internet connection.

No mailing permits or approvals required. No forms to fill out or acceptance hassles.

FOUR SERVICES TO CHOOSE FROM:
NETPOST PREMIUM POSTCARDS
High-impact cards: full gloss, full color.

Acquire targeted lists and mail immediately.

NETPOST MAILING ONLINE
Position merge text anywhere on piece.

Print B&W/highlight color to reduce cost.

NETPOST CARDSTORE
Combine a gift card with a greeting card.

Include your logo, signature, stamp design.

NETPOST MOVER'S POSTCARDS
Your new location, website or map.

Ensure clients don’t lose touch.

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DMM 300: EASY ACCESS ONLINE
The official name is now Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual. It’s “DMM 300” for short. Either way, it’s quick, easy and convenient to use it online.

The redesigned DMM includes changes to the document’s organization only. No mailing standards were changed as part of this project. As in the past, the online DMM at Postal Explorer — pe.usps.com — is updated with the publication of the first Postal Bulletin each month. The Quick Service Guides also are reorganized and updated to coincide with the new DMM.

The DMM 300 focuses on the needs of our customers and USPS employees who require access to all our mailing standards. It takes a user-centered approach by focusing on what a mailer wants to accomplish. Essentially, the DMM’s new organization benefits mailers in several ways:

It makes information easier to locate.

It increases confidence that mailers have found all the information they need.

It reduces the number of sections a mailer needs.

To assist with the transition from DMM 58 to DMM 300, the online DMM on Postal Explorer includes a comprehensive cross-reference tool. Users can also search DMM 300 using DMM 58 references, such as C050.22 (Criteria for Nonmachinable Letters).

The online DMM features improved “one-click access” to every chapter. A video tutorial Overview — DMM Redesign provides information on the numbering system and organization of the new DMM.

Changes also have been made to Postal Explorer based on suggestions from users. The core feature of the site — the ability to view and search an individual publication or the entire collection — has not changed. But the look of the site has been updated, it's easier to use and the site’s search feature has been improved.

In addition, there’s a new DMM Advisory on the Postal Explorer home page. The DMM Advisory provides summaries of product updates, DMM changes, Customer Support Rulings and other important information.

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A GUIDE FOR SENDING PACKAGES TO SERVICE PERSONNEL VIA APO OR FPO ADDRESSES
The mailing address MUST contain the NAME of a specific person as the recipient of the package — preferably both first and last names. Rank and grade are not mandatory. The package MUST contain the complete return address of the SENDER.

LIQUID contents MUST be placed in a sealed container and wrapped in absorbant material with outer packaging that will protect the contents. See DMM 601.2.4

ALL packages weighing 1 pound or more MUST have a properly completed Customs Form 2976-A (the white one). Customs forms with items crossed off or scratched out are not acceptable.

Detailed descriptions of contents are REQUIRED. Rather than list items such as: “food,” “medicine,” “clothing,” “toiletries” or “gifts,” you should list the specific numbers and types of each item enclosed. For example: 1 roll-on deodorant, 2 T-shirts, 1 pkg. household AAA batteries, 3 bags Oreos, 1 non-aerosol shaving gel, 2 bags chocolate candy, etc.

Note: Deodorant must be roll-on, solid or stick, and must be listed as such on the customs form. Shaving cream or shaving gel must NOT be aerosol and must be listed as “non-aerosol.” Only household batteries are permitted and MUST be listed as AA, AAA, C, D, etc.

Items requiring batteries for use must have the batteries removed during transit and packaged to avoid shorting. Batteries are best mailed in their original, unopened packaging.

Hand sanitizer or anti-bacterial gel are flammable and are not acceptable.

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AEROSOL PRODUCTS ARE NOT PERMITTED. FLAMMABLES, CORROSIVES AND TOXINS ARE NOT PERMITTED.

These include, but are not limited to:

Alcohol-based products like perfumes, colognes, aftershave, hairspray and mouthwash.

Lighters, matches, butane.

Cleaning agents and detergents.

Fingernail polish and nail polish remover.

Flea collars, DEET and most bug sprays.

This is not a complete list of non-mailable items to APO/FPO addresses. Please ask a retail sales associate for further assistance when mailing.

THANK YOU for mailing SAFE products through the United States Postal Service to OUR TROOPS!

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STANDARD MAIL ELIGIBILITY: CHECK THE MESSAGE BOARD
New standards clarifying eligibility requirements for Standard Mail took effect June 1. The Postal Service published the clarification as a final rule in the Oct. 27, 2004, Federal Register. Many customers have indicated they appreciate USPS efforts to clarify the line between what can be mailed as Standard Mail and what is required to be mailed as First-Class Mail.

This is just one of many efforts the USPS is undertaking to bring consistency in the application of mailing standards. For example, the USPS has issued a number of new and revised customer support rulings (CSRs) to assist users when designing their Standard Mail mailpieces.

The CSRs are available to assist mailers when making decisions in the development of interesting and effective mailpieces. These CSRs, which are based on actual mailpieces submitted, provide useful guidance for customers and are available on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.com.

Click on the link to Customer Support Rulings. The decision-making flow chart (shown below) is another tool provided to support consistent decision-making regarding Standard Mail eligibility. Users tell us this step by step chart helps to understand how to examine their own mailpieces. The chart was first issued along with the new and revised CSRs via a new USPS e-newsletter called “DMM Advisory.” Customers are telling us it's the “best thing since sliced bread!”

You can subscribe to the advisory by sending an e-mail to DMMAdvisory@usps.gov. You can also find an archive of DMM Advisory articles on Postal Explorer at pe.usps.gov. Just click on the link at the top of the page. This message board keeps you informed of changes to mailing standards, services and prices.

And we've done more to promote consistency in the application of mailing standards, including the new DMM 300 — Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual. and the establishment of the consolidated Pricing and Classification Service Center (PCSC) in New York.

Through the PCSC, the new National Customer Rulings division will provide mailers who sign up for this program with decisions on mailpiece design, preparation and rate eligibility and issue classification decisions on a customer’s proposed mailings before deposit at the business mail entry unit.

Of course, customers are always encouraged to work with their local postmasters or business mail entry offices in the same manner as in the past, to obtain rulings and other guidance.

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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
PCC RECOGNITION PROGRAM CALLS FOR NOMINATIONS
The new Postal Customer Council (PCC) Recognition Program unveiled at the 2005 National Postal Forum is moving into its implementation phase, says the PCC National Team.
A detailed program guide was distributed to PCC postal and industry co-chairs in early May. The program guide outlines best-practice recognition categories and key factors to be used in evaluating submissions, and it includes a PCC best practices submission form and details on how to submit a nomination.

The six best-practice recognition categories are: Membership, Joint Meetings/Vendor Shows, Education, PCC Planning, Financial Planning and Data Management.
All PCCs are eligible to participate in the recognition program and can self-nominate in one or more categories, including PCC Industry Member of the Year, PCC Postal Member of the Year and PCC of the Year. Some important program dates to remember are:

June 14, 2005: Nomination submission period opens.

July 14, 2005: Nomination submission period closes.

Sept. 14, 2005 National PCC Day: Award winners announced.

An overview of the program has been posted on the national PCC website and a copy of the PCC best practices submission form can be obtained at www.usps.com/nationalpcc/recognition.htm.

“The new program is expected to generate lots of excitement and a great number of submissions,” says Marty Emery, manager, Customer and Industry Marketing, who directs the national PCC program. “These submissions will highlight best practices that can be leveraged across all councils to improve effectiveness, to serve as a catalyst for additional innovation, and ultimately to enhance the value and benefits of being a PCC member.”

CUSTOMER TRAINING'S NEXT WAVE: MAILPIECE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL
A new customer-targeted training program focused on mailpiece design will be tested by the PCC of New York in July.

The Mailpiece Design Professional certification program is the latest in the professional certification series developed jointly by USPS Marketing’s Customer and Industry Marketing group and the USPS National Center for Employee Development (NCED) in Norman, OK. The first professional certification course — Executive Mail Center Management (EMCM) — will register its 500th graduate this summer, said Byron Jacobson, NCED program manager.

“Our vision is to create opportunities for our customers to receive training in every aspect of the mail, from conception of the mailpiece to its entry into our system,” said Jacobson.

“This is a great way for us to work with our customers and help each other achieve our mutual goal of more efficient and effective mailings,” said Emery.

The Mailpiece Design Professional certification program provides in-depth training on postal standards related to designing letter and flat mail. The program is designed to facilitate processing on high-speed automated equipment while promoting cost effectiveness and reducing processing delays.

The MDP course includes mailability, processing categories, classes of mail, addressing, ancillary service endorsements, Move Update, machinable mail, non-machinable criteria, POSTNET barcodes, PLANET Code barcodes, parcel barcodes, automation letters, automation flats,

MERLIN reports, special services, reply mail, mailpiece design analyst (MDA), MDA evaluation tools and website navigation tools.

Mailpiece Design is the third professional certification program to emerge from the partnership between the Customer and Industry Marketing group and the NCED. It joins EMCM and Periodicals Professional, both offered as residency courses in Oklahoma and, eventually, as three- and four-day workshops at host PCCs.

The first host PCC to offer all three programs will be the PCC of New York. The programs are being made available to both PCC and non-PCC members, and Jacobson noted there’s been considerable interest on the part of USPS sales and marketing professionals.

PCC members receive a discount on the course fees. All attendees will receive USPS-issued certificates after successfully completing each program. Each program will be conducted at the James A. Farley Building, 380 West 33rd Street (between 8th & 9th Avenue) in New York City.

The Periodicals Professional program was held in early June. The Mailpiece Design Professional program starts July 26 and runs four days through July 29. Tuition, which includes all course materials and two meals a day, is $1,200 for PCC members and $1,300 for non-PCC members. The EMCM program starts on Nov. 2 and runs four days, including Nov. 3, 9 and 10. Tuition, which includes all course materials and two meals a day, is $1,250 for PCC members and $1,350 for non-PCC members.

If you are interested in participating in any of the certification programs in the New York Metro area, contact PCC of New York coordinator Sandra Calos at sandra.calos@usps.gov, or go to the New York PCC’s website at www.mailingstuff.com/NYPCC. If you are interested in attending a certification program at the USPS National Center for Employee Development in Norman, OK, you can get information about those residency courses from our website at www.usps.com/about/training/welcome.htm.

BUSINESS MAIL ACCEPTANCE DAYS
The Marketing Technology and Channel Management group of the Postal Service has scheduled the second annual Business Mail Acceptance (BMA) Days program.

The weeklong program runs from July 25 to July 29. This year’s theme is “Improving Results” for both USPS and customers. BMA Days will bring visibility to the pivotal business mail acceptance function.

Postal executives will visit with customers and gather feedback, high-performing business mail entry units will be celebrated, and the spotlight will be on new technologies that are being introduced to streamline the business mail acceptance function.

A special BMA edition of the Business Seminar Series, a Customer and Industry Marketing program, is currently being produced as part of BMA Days. The seminars will focus on topics of particular interest to business mailers, including PostalOne!, Perodicals and nonprofit mailings as well as DMM 300, bundle integrity, postage payment methods and other topics.

As with all Business Seminar Series presentations, PCCs will have the opportunity to incorporate them into their PCC events. The BMA workshops-in-a-box are scheduled to be mailed to PCC postal co-chairs this summer.

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POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
The U.S. Postal Service was honored with four awards at the recent World Mail Awards in Brussels.

USPS was represented at the event by Charles Bravo, senior vice president of Intelligent Mail and Address Quality.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized for our industry practices,” said Bravo. “We hope that by sharing what we’ve learned, we can benefit other postal administrations.”

Recognized for excellence in customer service was the Intelligent Mail team’s development of quick, easy and convenient ways for customers to change their addresses — online at usps.com and by phone at 1-800-ASK-USPS. Additionally, the team was acknowledged for innovation in its development of advanced barcodes.

In the e-commerce category, the online service Click-N-Ship, which allows customers to print shipping labels online, was recognized.

The Postal Service’s Inspection Service received the security award for its multi-media awareness campaign that educated customers about mail-related crimes.

HOLDING STRONG
The U.S. Postal Service continues to deliver record service and customer satisfaction. “Nationally, we achieved an on-time score of 95 percent for overnight First-Class Mail service for the 9th consecutive quarter,” said Postmaster General John E. Potter. “We also achieved a customer satisfaction measurement score of 93 percent, marking the 14th consecutive quarter at that mark or better.”

EXFC externally measures collection box to mailbox delivery performance. EXFC continuously tests a panel of 463 ZIP Code areas selected on the basis of geographic and volume density from which 90 percent of First-Class Mail volume originates and 80 percent destinates. EXFC is not a system-wide measurement of all First-Class Mail performance.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS
It’s been a good run for Parcel Return Services — making it easy for customers to return merchandise bought from catalogs or online.

Companies provide customers with a special Parcel Return Services mailing label with each order. If customers need to return items, merchants guarantee the postage. All customers have to do is stick the label on the package and mail it — quick, easy, convenient.

Millions of Parcel Return Services packages have been shipped since its launch in October 2003.

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FINDING AMERICA'S MISSING CHILDREN
Each week, Postal Service letter carriers deliver ADVO “Have You Seen Me” Direct Mail cards to more than 79 million households nationwide. To date, 137 missing children have been safely recovered — one out of every six children featured on a card.

The program is recognized as one of the nation’s most effective child recovery efforts.

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MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 40 Number 6

Ilze Sella
Editorial Services

David Ostroff
Designer

Betty Shelton
Purchasing Specialist

Azeezaly S. Jaffer
Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications

John E. Potter
Postmaster General and CEO

Memo to Mailers
is published by U.S. Postal Service
Public Affairs and Communications.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
United States Postal Service.

© 1966 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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