MEMO TO MAILERS - SEPTEMBER 2005(text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 40 NUMBER 9
SEPTEMBER 2005
WHAT'S INSIDE
MAIL MOMENT
SWEEPSTAKES
ADDRESS MANAGEMENT
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
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IF YOU CLICK IT, WE WILL COME
When you can’t come to the Post Office, let Carrier Pickup bring the Post Office to you.
Business and residential customers are clicking to arrange more than a million package pickups a month through Carrier Pickup Online Notification — more than 14 million since 2004 — without ever leaving their homes or offices.
One of the quick, easy and convenient online features at usps.com, Carrier Pickup expands access to USPS services to help our customers grow their businesses.
“Carrier Pickup is a tremendous benefit to our customers,” said Bill Galligan, USPS senior vice president of Operations. “Our carriers go to homes and businesses every day, making it easy for customers to use our services.”
Customers go online to usps.com/pickup to let their local Post Office know that packages — even just a single package — will be ready for pickup the next delivery day, or up to 30 days in advance. The Post Office then gives letter carriers their pickup requests before they hit the streets.
And since the packages are picked up as part of the carrier’s normal delivery route, there’s no extra pickup fee regardless of the number of packages — even better for business customers watching their shipping budgets.
Add requesting a package pickup to the growing list of things you can do at usps.com, the Post Office that’s always open. Buy stamps. Learn more about Direct Mail. Track and confirm shipments. Print shipping labels, with or without postage. Put your mail on hold. Send cards, postcards and gift cards. Look up a ZIP Code. And use Carrier Pickup.
“Carrier Pickup is another way of extending the Post Office to the customer’s doorstep,” said USPS Package Services Manager Jim Cochrane.
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FYI
Have you checked out USPS Web Tools? They provide easy access to shipping information and services for your customers — while keeping customers on your website. Go to usps.com/webtools.
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14 MILLION AND COUNTING
Fourteen million packages prove that Carrier Pickup Online Notification makes for an easy shipping pickup. And that sets the stage for an easy delivery — which is certainly on the mind of Barb Mann’s made-to-order baby blanket customers.
The 14 millionth package collected through Carrier Pickup since its launch in 2004 was picked up Aug. 29 from Mann, owner of Mann Made Sewing Workshop in Ottawa, IL.
“I switched from a competitor because I never knew where they were going to leave my packages,” said Mann. “The Postal Service is as reliable as the stork! I know that my blankets will be delivered safely.”
Miss the due date? Not a chance when you team Carrier Pickup and Priority Mail. Mann ships her hand-embroidered heirlooms by Priority Mail and uses Carrier Pickup Online Notification to get the precious bundles shipped, delivered and in her customers’ nurseries right on time.
Sleep like a baby? Of course, with no worries over making a trip to the Post Office to get your packages shipped. Carrier Pickup — part of the Postal Service’s blanket coverage of all your shipping needs.
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NEW PAYMENT OPTION SAVES YOU TIME
A new credit card payment option is making Express Mail Corporate Account (EMCA) payments quicker, easier and more convenient.
“Customers love it,” says Claudia Hinwood, a Postal Service expedited service specialist in the Santa Ana, CA, District. “They can now focus on their business, not their balance.”
The EMCA program enables customers to charge Express Mail shipments, both domestic and international, to one central account. Customers may deposit Express Mail shipments paid through a corporate account at any Express Mail collection box, most Post Offices and with Postal Service letter carriers.
“This new payment option saves both time and effort by automatically keeping an EMCA account up-to-date,” says Hinwood. “With this payment option, the customer’s credit card is charged when the EMCA is used for payment of Express Mail postage or pickup fees. Customers no longer have to worry about their account becoming deficient or having a negative balance because of an accidentally missed payment. It saves them from worrying about their account when a critical package has to get someplace fast.
Customers who choose the credit card payment option continue to receive an EMCA activity report each month. This report provides an itemized listing with the tracking number, date of mailing, the origin and destination ZIP Codes and dollar amount that has been charged to the corporate account and lists the corresponding credit card transaction — easy payments, easy record keeping.
“All of our new EMCA customers are choosing the credit card payment option,” Hinwood said. “They are used to using their credit card to pay for other bills and they want to use it for their Express Mail accounts as well.”
In addition to providing a more convenient payment method, the credit card option is also helping enhance customer service. “This automatic payment method streamlines the process and eliminates manual paperwork for us,” Hinwood said. “That means more time we can spend with our customers. Instead of servicing accounts, we can spend the time serving our customers.”
To open a new Express Mail Corporate Account, contact your local Post Office. Current EMCA customers can enroll in the new payment option by contacting their expedited service specialist.
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MAILERS COMPANION
You can subscribe one of three ways (Include name, title and complete address):
By mail:
MAILERS COMPANION
DATA ENTRY
US POSTAL SERVICE
6060 PRIMACY PKWY STE 201
MEMPHIS TN 38188-0001
E-mail:
mncsc@usps.com
Fax:
901-681-4542
Mailers Companion is a free monthly newsletter for business mailers and postal personnel that offers the latest USPS information essential to effective mailings. It includes information on Domestic Mail Manual revisions, classification reform, mail processing networks, address management, technology, mailing standards, rulings and other relevant issues, as well as a column for readers’ questions and comments.
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BOOST SALES WITH RPNS
The right message targeted to the right audience and placed on the outside of a mailpiece with a Repositionable Note (RPN) can be a formula for marketing success. Companies who are using RPNs report increased response rates and boosts in sales.
RPNs are sticky notes that go from the outside of your mailpiece to your customers’ telephones, computer monitors, refrigerators or calendars, extending the lifespan of your message. The Postal Service currently allows RPNs on all letter- and flat-size mailpieces for a small fee. And so far, customers are buying!
Fingerhut Direct Marketing Inc., a mail order catalog company based in St. Paul, MN, was the first national customer to use RPNs on catalogs. It mailed 200,000 catalogs, half of which had a RPN urging customers, “Order Today! Don’t let this be your Last Catalog.” The other half had a personalized RPN with the recipient’s name and offered a free gift with any order.
The RPNs created an initial spike in orders, and the “Last Catalog” RPN produced about five times the response as the personalized message.
“The increase in sales definitely offset the cost of producing the RPN,” says Mike Sidders, director of eCommerce and New Customer Acquisition for Fingerhut. “And, Fingerhut is strongly considering testing RPNs again in future campaigns to evaluate other variations of customer retention and acquisition methods.”
For more about RPNs and other success stories, go to www.usps.com/repositionablenotes.
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ADDRESSING CUSTOMER NEEDS
The Postal Service is offering mailers a new addressing tool, Address Element Correction – Service Level II (AEC II), that uses Delivery Force Knowledge — the knowledge of postal employees who deliver the mail for customers every day — to correct minor errors in mailers’ address lists.
AEC II is an enhancement of the basic, computerized AEC address correction process. With AEC, mailers submit mailing lists to the Postal Service that are checked for misspellings and other common address element errors.
AEC II is the next generation of this service. It aims to correct addresses in mailers’ lists that cannot be fixed using existing programs. These minor errors include incorrect or transposed letters in a street name, missing directionals such as north or south, or improper abbreviations that prevent accurate ZIP + 4 assignment and barcoding.
Through AEC II, local delivery unit employees will review the addresses and enter corrections into the Web-based Electronic Uncoded Address Resolution Service (eUARS). Once the AEC II record has been resolved through eUARS, it will be provided back to the mailer through a secure transmission.
The Postal Service will be able to improve mail processing and delivery service for customers by increasing the percentage of mail that is properly addressed. Mailers will be able to improve the quality of their mailing lists, enabling potential discount for mail previously not ZIP + 4 coded. AEC II also helps reduce the volume of undeliverable-as-addressed mail for both mailers and the Postal Service.
For more information, download the AEC II fact sheet at http://ribbs.usps.gov/files/AEC/ or contact the National Customer Support Center in Memphis, TN, at 1-800-238-3150, or e-mail aec@usps.gov.
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PARCEL SELECT WITH A TWIST
When a direct-selling company expanded its reach to include the Internet, the firm’s logistics subsidiary had to re-think the way products were shipped to independent business owners and customers. Looking to keep costs down and increase efficiency, the firm turned to Parcel Select from the U.S. Postal Service — but with a twist.
Parcel Select is designed for large- and medium-sized shippers looking for an economical ground delivery service. Shippers save money by mailing sorted parcels closer to their ultimate destination. In the case of Parcel Select Destination Delivery Unit (DDU), the shipper or agent drops packages at the local Post Office that will deliver them.
Access Business Group is the logistics and manufacturing subsidiary of Alticor, which also is a parent to Amway Corporation, a global direct-selling company, and Quixtar Inc., its North American business opportunity company.
Prior to the launch of Quixtar, Access Business Group delivered 100-pound packages, on average, to independent business owners who then delivered products to their customers. Local transportation companies handled these large deliveries.
With the launch of Quixtar’s online business model, Access Business Group had the challenge of delivering more parcels to more independent business owners and also directly to their customers. The average weight of a shipment went down.
“They key for us was to maintain our private carrier network because they make great deliveries at a very economical price,” said Jim VanderMeer, transportation manager for Access Business Group. “And, lo and behold, it was at this time the Postal Service was launching Parcel Select.”
VanderMeer came up with a unique delivery model that combines Parcel Select with his firm’s network of small transportation companies. It works like this: Access Business Group hauls shipments to the private carriers. The shipments are off-loaded and sorted directly onto delivery vans or trucks. The private carriers deliver directly to independent business owners as well as customers — but only shipments that weigh more than 40 pounds. Any shipments less than 40 pounds go to the DDUs.
“It keeps the integrity of the delivery very high,” says VanderMeer, noting that once the parcels are dropped into the DDU, 98 percent of all shipments are delivered in two days.
So what’s the twist? “We are the largest non-consolidator delivering more than 2 million packages annually into DDUs,” says VanderMeer.
Learn more about Parcel Select and how you can save money by entering your sorted parcels closer to their ultimate destination at usps.com, or send an e-mail to erik.e.nyren@usps.gov.
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KEEPING POSTED
News from and for Postal Customer Councils
www.usps.com/nationalpcc
BMA DAYS PRESENTATIONS NOW PART OF SEMINAR SERIES
Did you miss the weeklong Business Mail Acceptance Days celebration in late July? And if you attended one of the events held nationwide, did you see a presentation you wished you could share with your colleagues? We’ve got some good news.
The 11 presentations that served as the highlight of open houses at the Postal Service’s business mail acceptance (BMA) units are now included in a special “Business Mail Acceptance Edition” of the Business Seminar Series, which was developed by the Postal Service’s Customer and Industry Marketing group for Postal Customer Council (PCC) audiences and other customers.
The special BMA edition has been mailed to co-chairs of the nation’s 216 PCCs and to USPS marketing and business mail entry managers. It contains CDs as well as speaker’s notes, facilitator’s guides and customizable promotion pieces.
The “Business Mail Acceptance Edition” covers the following topics: Addressing and Your Bottom Line, Content Requirements for Non-profit Standard Mail, First-Class Mail and Standard Mail Eligibility, Introduction to Manifest Mailing, Mailpiece Quality, Mailing Standards of the United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual, MERLIN, Periodicals Eligibility, Postage Payment Methods, PostalOne! System and The Perfect Bundle.
The Business Seminar Series and its presentations have been designed as “workshops-in-a-box.” These are do-it-yourself educational seminars, easily delivered by local PCCs or other mailing industry organizations.
The next workshop-in-a-box scheduled to be released is “Simple Formulas,” based on the Postal Service’s highly successful collection of brochures designed to help customers grow their businesses.
MAIL DESIGN TRAINING PROGRAM LAUNCHES IN NEW YORK CITY
The Postal Service launched its new Mail Design Professional (MDP) certification training program at a PCC-hosted session in New York City.
The four-day session last July was sponsored by the PCC of New York. Industry professionals who attended the training praised its content, instruction and value.
“In four days, I gained a good amount of information on every aspect of mailing,” said Francisco Sanchez Jr., a mailing specialist at Hunter College in New York City. “The course opened my eyes to a lot more than I was previously aware of.”
“As mail handling becomes increasingly automated, mailers need to thoroughly understand USPS’s automation requirements or they will literally pay the price,” said Bob Becker, Citigroup’s Vice President for Mail and Distribution. “MDP certification for key employees will add a competitive edge. We can now be sure that our mailings will get the best discounts.”
The program’s curriculum offers in-depth training on Postal Service standards related to designing letter and flat mail, maximizing cost-effectiveness in mail processing and improving overall mailing operations.
Subjects included mailability, classes of mail, addressing, Move Update, POSTNET and PLANET barcodes, MERLIN and other activities. Also included was a tour of the New York Business Mail Entry Unit and Morgan General Mail Facility.
“This course provides a solid understanding of not only what the regulations are but also why they are there,” said Michelle Hilston, manager of Information and Client Services for Consolidated Graphics Group, Inc. “Understanding how the mail gets processed helps clear up questions about regulations.”
Mail Design is the third professional certification program to emerge from the partnership between the Postal Service’s Customer and Industry Marketing group and the USPS National Center for Employee Development. It joins Executive
Mail Center Manager and Periodicals Professional, both offered as residency courses in Norman, OK, and, eventually, as three- and four-day workshops at host PCCs. For more information, check out “Mailer Education” at www.usps.com/mailcentermgr/.
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FAST DEPLOYMENT
The Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) system is replacing the Drop Shipment Appointment System (DSAS). A four-month phased national deployment is now under way. Once a facility begins accepting drop shipment appointments in FAST, it will no longer accept new appointments in DSAS. To learn more, go to ribbs.usps.gov and click on “FAST/Surface Visibility” to see the complete FAST deployment schedule.
DSAS logon IDs will not work with FAST. All drop shippers, including those who make appointments by telephone, must register for a FAST ID through PostalOne! at usps.com/postalone. Customers who already have a PostalOne! account and need access to FAST must register by calling the PostalOne! Customer Care Center at 800-522-9085.
Customers are asked to log on to FAST within seven days of receiving their IDs or their account will become inactive.
All drop shippers who currently have recurring appointments are asked to reapply using PS Form 6241, Recurring Appointment Request, available at usps.com/forms/allforms.htm — click on PS Form 6241 (PDF).
Additional training sessions have been scheduled in Springfield, MA, Hartford, CT, Philadelphia, PA, and Harrisburg, PA. A registration form may be downloaded from RIBBS. If you have questions about FAST Training, send an e-mail to FAST_Training@usps.gov.
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POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
POSTAL SERVICE RAISES THE BAR IN OVERNIGHT DELIVERY
The U.S. Postal Service once again reached its all-time high-score of 96 percent on-time performance for overnight delivery of First-Class Mail. This achievement, measured independently by IBM Consulting Services, marks 10 consecutive measurement periods that the Postal Service reached a 95 percent or better score for on-time overnight delivery of First-Class Mail.
This third quarter measurement for fiscal year 2005 also cites increases in two- and three-day service performance scores from the previous reporting. Two-day is 92 percent, up from 90 percent; and three-day — which is carried by air — is at 90 percent, up from 83 percent.
During the same period, customer satisfaction was also measured. At 93 percent, this rating marks the 15th continuous quarter the Postal Service has earned a 93 percent or better customer satisfaction measurement score.
External First-Class (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.
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FEEL THE BEAT
PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES
Each stamp in the new “Let’s Dance” collection celebrates the unique spirit and energy of the world’s hottest Latin dance styles.
Four world-renowned Latin artists were commissioned to illustrate each dance for this one-of-a-kind stamp. Now they’re gathered together in a collector folio, featuring full-color reproductions of each painting and a place to mount each original stamp. Accompanying text in both English and Spanish describes the story of each dance and the featured artist.
Go to The Postal Store at usps.com/shop or call 1-800-STAMP-24.
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IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
At the Postal Service, we’re working to make sure that mail continues to deliver — better than it ever has. That’s what transformation is all about — changing to meet the changing needs and demands of our postal customers.
We’re more focused than ever on service. And that’s contributed to record customer satisfaction. At the same time, we’re more efficient than ever. That helps keep costs down. Combine the three — service, satisfaction and price — and they add up to value. That value is directly linked to the Postal Service’s Transformation Plan.
But transformation isn’t just about what we’ve done; it’s also about where we’re going. That’s why we’ll keep the focus on change with the Strategic Transformation Plan 2006-2010. It’s our blueprint for the future. It explains how we’ll continue to improve service, become even more efficient and add even more value to the mail. It’s about strengthening the mailing industry. It’s about finding new ways for the Postal Service to help mailers achieve their business goals. “Ultimately, it’s all about the customer,” explains Linda Kingsley, vice president of Strategic Planning.
In creating the plan, we asked for input from customers, from the mailing industry and from Postal Service employees. With more than 1,400 responses, we have a lot of good ideas to work with. The Strategic Transformation Plan 2006-2010 will be released on Sept. 30. And you’ll be able to read it on usps.com.
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MEMO TO MAILERS
Volume 40 Number 9
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.
USPS eagle symbol and logotype are
registered marks of the
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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MEMO TO MAILERS
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