Memo to Mailers - March 2003 (Text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 38 NUMBER 3
MARCH 2003

WHAT'S INSIDE
POSTALONE!
KEEPING POSTED
ONLINE SHIPPING
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

SMART MOVE
Time to catch up with the Joneses. More than 44 million Americans changed addresses last year. These are good customers - consumers you value enough to send First-Class Mail. But not all of them told you they moved. If you want to keep these customers, you have to make sure your mail is still reaching them. That's why it's good business to update your mailing lists.
It costs the Postal Service about $1.5 billion dollars a year to process undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail. If it can't be forwarded, this mail must be returned to the sender or sent to a mail recovery center because the address is incorrect. Reducing undeliverable mail is a recommendation of the Mailing Industry Task Force and a goal of the USPS Transformation Plan, and the Postal Service reminds mailers that keeping First-Class Mail addresses up-to-date can earn postage discounts.
In July 1997, the Postal Service introduced Move Update requirements to encourage mailers to use address correction methods to maximize the successful, timely delivery of First-Class Mail. Mailers who claim automation or presort rates for First-Class Mail are required to update addresses within 180 days prior to the mailing date by one of four USPS pre-approved methods or by an alternative method provided they apply for, and obtain in advance, the written approval of USPS.
These methods are:

Approved Ancillary Service Endorsements
Address Change Service (ACS)
National Change of Address (NCOA)
FASTforward
Move Update Alternative Process
"Reducing UAA mail benefits both the Postal Service and mailers," says Angelo Wider, manager, USPS Finance Administration, co-chair of a Mailers' Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) workgroup on Move Update. Wider says USPS will begin this month to enforce its rules and start reclaiming postage discounts from mailers who do not comply. "We will assess for only the portion of mail found to be in noncompliance," he says.
"The issue is whether you have in place a process to update your mail or not," says Joel Thomas of the National Association of Presort Mailers, the industry co-chair of the MTAC workgroup. "Bad addresses cost mailers."
For information on Move Update requirements, refer to the Domestic Mail Manual or the Move Update publication available at http://ribbs.usps.gov/files/addressing/pubs/moveupdt.pdf.
You can also contact your local Postal Service representative, Business Mail Entry Unit or Postal Business Center.
In addition, look for a session on Move Update compliance at the National Postal Forum next month in New Orleans.

CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION AND LINKING BEGINS IN POSTALONE!
For many years, customers have expressed a need to view, manage and access their business information in a more comprehensive manner. PostalOne! is creating this "big picture" by setting the stage for linking vast amounts of customer data into a single, consolidated view.
In January, the PostalOne! team delivered the initial capability that sets the stage for linking vast amounts of customer data into a single, consolidated customer view. According to Larry Goodman, manager of Business Customer Support Systems, "The view we are building will integrate detailed information about customers' Permit mailing accounts, postage meter activity, precanceled stamp use and Express Mail accounts into one convenient Web-based location."
The final recommendations of the Mailing Industry Task Force, led by Deputy Postmaster General John Nolan and Pitney Bowes Chairman and CEO Michael Critelli, cited three critical areas of opportunity for which PostalOne! is uniquely positioned. They are: create national customer accounts, provide a mechanism for unique and individual customer profiles, and develop more flexible payment options.
PostalOne! also sets the stage for customizing individual business customer profiles that are so vital in accommodating individual customer preferences. PostalOne! also is heavily involved in creating the next-generation payment platform that will be used for the expanded payment options of the future.
By taking the best advantage of today's technology, PostalOne! is creating the opportunity for business customers to apply online for many of their mailing needs. Whether applying for a new mailing permit, sending detailed mailing information via electronic data exchange, making postage payments online, or viewing business information, PostalOne! is building the critical links to make it all happen.

KEEPING POSTED
EXECUTIVE MAIL CENTER MANAGER PROGRAM… IT'S HOT!
A key pillar of the Postal Customer Council (PCC) mission statement is to help PCC members grow professionally through educational programs.
In the February 2003 issue of Memo to Mailers, you read about the Direct Mail Made Easy educational program that is being conducted in partnership with local PCCs. The Executive Mail Center Manager (EMCM) program is another educational program that can be arranged in your city through sponsorship by your local PCC.
EMCM, a comprehensive training program, is specifically designed for mailing industry professionals. The program teaches skills needed to:

Manage more effectively
Improve mail center safety and security
Boost productivity
Cut costs
For more details about the program, curriculum, how to apply and how modules of the EMCM program can be delivered at local PCC meetings, visit www.usps.com/mailcentermgr.

"The Executive Mail Center Manager program is a great way not only to confirm, but to round out your mail center knowledge. The attending mail center manager will have the opportunity to hear first hand how other mail operations from around the globe are doing business in the forever changing industry. You will build a network of resources as well as a few new friends through the EMCM." - Donald P. Bizzaro, EMCM, Mailpiece Quality Control Specialist, Christian Science Publishing Society

"I was more than impressed with the coursework, the instructors and the facility. The knowledge that I gained in the program was well worth the expense. The USPS and the NCED must be commended for your excellent work in educating mail center managers." - Malcolm Marts, Mail Services Manager, Eastern Michigan University

PCC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE ... ALL THAT JAZZ!
The PCC Leadership Conference at the National Postal Forum (NPF) in New Orleans is rapidly approaching. NPF registration is required for you to attend the conference, which will be held April 13. It's an opportunity to hear from USPS officers, receive invaluable information, network with other mailers and much more. Join your peers. You'll be glad you did.

UPCOMING PCC EVENTS
The 10th Annual Cincinnati & Dayton/Miami Valley PCC Spring Symposium will be held April 3 in Sharonville, OH. The theme will be "The Flight of the Eagle … From New Heights …To Beyond Infinity." There will be workshops and consultations.
In addition, more than 40 exhibitors will display the latest mailing technology. For more information (including registration), contact the USPS Cincinnati Small Business Specialist at 513-684-5529.
Special Note: More local PCCs are using the national PCC website at www.usps.com/nationalpcc to announce their special events, meetings and other important information. Click on "Upcoming National/Local PCC Events" to learn more.

HAVE YOU REGISTERED?
The primary communication channel for the PCC Program is the PCC website at www.usps.com/nationalpcc.
All PCC members should bookmark the site and visit it regularly. You also can get updates automatically. Simply logon and register at: register@pcc.tteam.com. Please note that the e-mail address you use to sign up will be the same one to which updates will be sent. Register now and stay in the know.

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

BRINGING THE POST
OFFICE TO YOU
Visit www.usps.com

QUESTIONS?
We have the answers.
Rates and mailing information.
ZIP Codes. Post Office location.
Much, much more.
800-ASK-USPS

SHIPPING INFORMATION
Express Mail, Priority Mail and
package support line.
800-222-1811

PRINTING LABELS
Your shipping label is just a
Click-N-Ship away.
www.usps.com/clicknship

ONLINE SHIPPING IN A NANO-SNAP!
When it comes to pharmaceutical research, NanobacLabs, a division of NanobacLabs Pharmaceuticals, of Tampa, FL, is on the cutting edge, using nanotechnology to develop prescription medicines to fight disease.
The firm also is on the cutting edge when it comes to distribution of its prescriptions and diagnostic test packages, turning to www.usps.com and Click-N-Ship to reduce its delivery costs and improve customer service. They currently ship NanobacTX, a revolutionary new heart disease treatment, and plan to release other nanobiotic treatments soon.
"USPS.com has become a very valuable and irreplaceable tool here at NanobacLabs," says Kenneth Schriewer, vice president of Operations at the firm, which conducts research on miniscule organisms known as nanobacteria.
Schriewer says NanobacLabs has been able to reduce its delivery costs by 60 percent, "plus we now have Saturday delivery at no extra cost and free Delivery Confirmation online."
NanobacLabs had been using other shipping companies but was always faced with added fees, such as fuel surcharges and delivery area charges, says Schriewer. The firm expected volume to continue to grow and it needed new shipping solutions with better pricing and tracking. USPS Southeast Area Sales Specialist Danny Longworth began working with the company.
"The Sales group teamed up with other Southeast Area staff and Address Management to show NanobacLabs how it could take advantage of online shipping and online address features," says Longworth. "With the convenience and benefits of Click-N-Ship, it's easy to sell customers on USPS products and services."
As a registered user, Schriewer says NanobacLabs can complete all of its Express Mail and Priority Mail labels with or without postage.
On international deliveries, the Customs label and information can be completed at the same time, with no special or separate forms. The site is secure and easy to access when using credit cards for postal payment, he adds.
"The packages and labels available at no cost will cover most, if not all, of my delivery needs," says Schriewer. "Thank you, United States Postal Service!"

FYI
USPS ended its Repositionable Notes (RPNs) pilot test Feb. 28. RPNs allow direct mailers to enhance their messages with specially designed notes that are affixed to the outside of their mailpieces - like those little sticky notes used around the home and office. During a one-year trial period, 35 customers gave RPNs a try on 4.3 million mailpieces. Several customers did repeat mailings because of the great response rates they received. Look for information about RPNs in the Domestic Mail Manual this spring.

SPRING 2003 NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE… AT THE NPF
A redesigned schedule, a "super" Sunday and a new track of presentations and business sessions aimed directly at mailing industry executives highlight transformational changes for the National Postal Forum (NPF) April 13-15 in New Orleans.
The schedule has been streamlined to make it more convenient and cost-effective for the mailing community, announced USPS Vice President for Service and Market Development John Wargo.
As part of the new scheduling approach, first-day activities on Sunday, April 13, will include a centerpiece of the mailing operations training sessions - a presentation on ensuring the sanctity of the mail by Chief Postal Inspector Lee Heath. That event, set for the afternoon, will precede a gala opening reception to be held for the first time in Forum history in the exhibit hall of the Morial Convention Center.
"Our Sunday is now special, particularly for those who are looking to advance their training in and knowledge of mailroom management techniques and for those who want a first look at the latest in mail management tools and technologies," says Wargo.
The new executive-focused series - which will showcase industry leaders and senior Postal Service executives in presentations on subject matter of strategic importance to a range of mail-dependent industries - is yet another aspect of the way the Forum is transforming, according to Wargo.
"We want to support the broadening of the Forum's scope and appeal," he says. "The strategy sessions and workshops make sense because they target industry executives and managers."
The mailing executive "track" will include business strategy sessions on intelligent mail and address quality, on mail preparation and entry, and on pricing. Workshops on tactical aspects of each area also are planned.
Sessions focusing on executives' professional and career development will be presented as well.
"These changes are part of our effort to reach out to a broad customer audience," says Wargo. "We're delighted to be able to collaborate with mailing industry leaders on this."
The NPF concludes April 15 with a gala dinner and entertainment by singer Aaron Neville. For more information, visit www.npf.org or call 703-218-5015.

PSI ARIZONA: A CUT ABOVE
Doing the job right the first time is business as usual at PSI Arizona, one of PSI Group's 11 presort service bureau operations across the country that are certified quality mail producers under the Postal Service's Mail Preparation Total Quality Management Program (MPTQM).
"We are committed to producing high quality mail for our customers," says David Turner, vice president of PSI Arizona, based in Phoenix. "It starts at the top in the executive offices and extends to the production floor. The Postal Service's quality program is a model of how the Postal Service and its customers can work together to produce a product that adds value to everyone's business."
The Arizona bureau recently was recognized for taking its MPTQM program to great heights by scoring 100 percent in five consecutive USPS-conducted assurance reviews. This is a difficult task achieved by just two other mailing sites - PSI Seattle and PSI Cedar Rapids.
"Our employees want to do the job right the first time," says Shelly Pierce, the quality manager at PSI Arizona. "We want the highest accuracy possible in the mailpieces we handle for our customers. It's good business for us to get it right in the preparation stages. And with our MPTQM certification, the Postal Service knows it's going to get quality mailings from us."
MPTQM, a systematic approach to quality, was designed by a group of mailers and the Postal Service to help other mailers enhance their operations. MPTQM is based on Total Quality Management principles and methods commonly associated with Malcolm Baldrige, the former Secretary of Commerce who promoted quality as a national priority.
MPTQM can be tailored to any presort service bureau or list mailer letter and flats operation (other than Periodicals).
"The heart of the program is 'continuous improvement,' enabling the mailer to become better and better at what they do. And, it works, "says Scott Hamel, USPS executive sponsor of MPTQM. "Mailers are reporting higher quality mail, higher employee retention rates, process improvements and other benefits. For USPS, it improves our ability to process and deliver mail on the first try while reducing handling costs."
Certified mailers also receive special consideration when their mail is verified by the Postal Service - a logical consequence of having a production system that has been certified as reliable in producing high quality mail. Today, 25 companies are certified at 37 different locations around the nation. More have applied for their assurance reviews with the full expectation of joining this elite group within the next 60 days.
More information and registration forms are available at www.usps.com/mptqm.

A NEW DIRECT MARKETING TOOL
The Postal Service Board of Governors has approved the filing with the Postal Rate Commission of a new mail classification - Customized MarketMail. This would enable customers to mail non-rectangular, attention-getting direct mail pieces. Currently, these items cannot be mailed.
It's about cool shapes.
Opening a seafood restaurant? Send a fish-shaped invitation. Own a shoe store? Send a sneaker-shaped mailing. Why use the same old rectangular envelope when you could go triangular or octagonal or elliptical?
This simple adjustment to the shape restrictions in Standard Mail, the class of mail that is most often used by advertisers, will provide the opportunity for more innovative mailings. Because Customized MarketMail would be dropshipped to destination post offices, thereby bypassing mail processing operations, it will not adversely affect Postal Service costs. The filing will take advantage of the Postal Service's ability to propose relatively minor changes to the classification schedule. The price of the new option would be based on Regular and Nonprofit Standard Mail basic tier rates, plus the existing surcharge for residual shapes.
The proposal will enable the Postal Service to offer Customized MarketMail as a new direct mail option that complements, but does not change, existing options for advertisers and direct marketers. As outlined in the Transformation Plan, the Postal Service seeks to offer new features for existing products.

POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
PRESIDENT'S
COMMISSION HOLDS PUBLIC HEARINGS
The President's Commission on the U.S. Postal Service conducted an all-day session Feb. 20 in Washington, DC, hearing from 20 witnesses. Topics ranged from the USPS business model to the price-setting process.
Witnesses included USPS Board of Governors Chairman S. David Fineman, USPS Chief Financial Officer Richard Strasser and Postal Rate Commission Chairman George Omas, along with representatives of the postal unions, mailing industry and academic community.
The commission also announced three additional public hearings: March 18 in Austin, TX, April 4 in Los Angeles and April 29 in Chicago. The current schedule calls for the commission to submit its report by July 31.

MANY LANGUAGES
The Postal Service recognizes the changing needs of society and continues to develop materials for the benefit of non-English speaking customers. Several important publications are available online in Spanish and Chinese. Go to www.usps.com/publications.
Spanish-languate materials include the publications: Let's Do Business (also available in
Chinese), Consumer's Guide to Postal Services and Products, Don't Take the Bait and the Consumer and Business Guide to Preventing Mail Fraud.

THE POSTAL STORE ALWAYS OPEN
Savvy online shoppers are quickly discovering that one of the U.S. Postal
Service's best-kept secrets - The Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop - is a satisfying, timesaving tool that complements their active lifestyles. Sales at The Postal Store during the past holiday season soared more than 96 percent, from $5.4 million in 2001 to $10.7 million in 2002.
In fiscal year 2002, one million registered customers generated more than $38 million in sales for The Postal Store. Estimates call for a substantial increase, perhaps as high as 70 percent, by the end of fiscal year 2003.
"The Postal Service is very pleased that more and more Americans are visiting The Postal Store for their postage and gift-buying needs," says Azeezaly Jaffer, vice president of Public Affairs and Communications. "Most importantly, recent surveys showed more than 90 percent of our online customers were satisfied with their shopping experience."
The Postal Store is the nation's official online Post Office, featuring sales of postage stamps and stationery, philatelic collectibles and other gift items. It also offers free shipping supplies to registered businesses, and, in the Collector's Corner, philatelists can find the latest information on the U.S. commemorative stamp program and other resources to support the hobby.

Volume 38 Number 2
Ilze Sella, Editorial Services
Frank Papandrea, Art Director
David Ostroff, Designer
Alan Valsi, Purchasing Specialist
John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO
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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YOU ASKED. YOU GOT IT. NEW FEATURE AT CLICK-N-SHIP
If you build it - an online shipping solution that's fast, easy and available 24 hours a day - they will come. Click-N-Ship at www.usps.com proves the point, more than tripling its volume in its first seven months and giving customers even more ways to bring the Post Office to their homes.
Click-N-Ship allows customers to prepare and print shipping labels - with or without postage. The newest feature at the site -
customers can order self-adhesive labels.
"It's clear that we have a hit on our hands," says Nick Barranca, vice president of USPS Product Development. "Customers have printed over two-and-a-half million labels so far. They're telling us they love the convenience of online shipping. They're asking for new features and we're responding to their needs."
More than a third of Click-N-Ship users pay for postage online. These customers can hand their pre-paid packages to their carrier, schedule a special pickup, drop them at a local post office or deposit them in a collection box.
Click-N-Ship is an important part of the expanded customer access strategy in USPS's Transformation Plan. "Convenience for many people means that they can do what they want, when and where they want," says Barranca.
When customers use Click-N-Ship, they also qualify for lower electronic rates for Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation. This makes Priority Mail an even greater value, since customers receive Delivery Confirmation at no additional charge.