MEMO TO MAILERS - NOVEMBER 2004 (text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 39 NUMBER 11
NOVEMBER 2004

WHAT’S INSIDE
NETPOST CARDSTORE
CARRIER PICKUP
DIRECT MAIL
PARCEL SELECT
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

THE ULTIMATE HOLIDAY TIMESAVER
Search no more for that ideal holiday card and gift. The U.S. Postal Service has the perfect timesaving solution. It combines the speed and convenience of the Internet with the value and emotional impact of First-Class Mail - and you don't have to spend hours trudging through a shopping mall. In fact, you don't have to leave home. Beginning in mid-November, the NetPost CardStore at www.usps.com/cardstore plans to offer a winning holiday combo - personalized greeting cards to which you can add a retail gift card.

Quick. Easy. Convenient. It's the ultimate holiday timesaver.

"Imagine being able to sit down in front of your computer, in the comfort of your own home, to design your family's personalized holiday greeting cards complete with a family photo. Now imagine being able to add gift cards from one of four national retailers. Your holiday cards and shopping done - with a simple click of the mouse at NetPost CardStore! It's that easy," says USPS Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto.

The Postal Service is the first in the industry to offer the gift card-greeting card combination service. The gift cards will be from nationally known retail chains.

NetPost CardStore has a selection of thousands of custom images and suggested greetings. You can use your own personal photographs, artwork and graphics, and you can write personalized greetings for individual or volume mailings.

The Postal Service is working to provide easy-to-use, high-value services. And it's helping you save time and energy during the busy holiday season.

MAILING TO CANADA
The U.S. Postal Service is alerting customers mailing items to Canada they must comply with strict Canadian Customs and postal administration addressing requirements.

All postal items (except postcards) that do not display the complete name and address of both the sender and the recipient - in roman letters (A, B, C) and Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) - are being denied entry into Canada. Sender or recipient identification such as "Grandma" or "Aunt Ruth" are not acceptable and are among the causes of mail being returned.

According to Canadian officials, this action is pursuant to the Canada Customs Act and reflects heightened security measures.

Accordingly, addresses to recipients in Canada should be printed in ink or typewritten in capital letters, and the last line of the address must show only the country name, written in full, and in capital letters. When a Canadian postal delivery zone number is included in the address, mailing requirements allow that number to appear as the last line of the address.

Customers also are reminded that complete and legible customs declarations - along with required import documentation - must be provided to specifically identify the contents of any package. General descriptions such as "gift" or "present" are not acceptable.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
With the gift-giving season gathering steam, thoughts turn to mailing presents to loved ones far and wide. And thoughts also turn to finding a sturdy box. But before you mail treasured items in reused boxes, keep in mind that restrictions apply.

Reused packaging, boxes and containers that still display markings and labels associated with hazardous, prohibited or restricted materials are not permitted in the mail stream unless these markings have been removed or completely obliterated. If these labels or markings can still be read or identified, then the item is not acceptable for mailing.

We're talking about reusing boxes that contained such items as liquor, wine or beer, cosmetics and cleaning supplies. If the marking and labels on the container are legible, USPS employees are required to handle the mailpiece as though the markings and labels correctly identify the contents of the container.

To protect the safety of employees and the public, USPS handling procedures require packages known or suspected of containing non-mailable or improperly prepared hazardous, prohibited or restricted materials to be immediately removed from the mail stream and segregated. The mailer or the addressee must retrieve the package. USPS handling procedures forbid non-mailable or improperly prepared mailpieces to be transported, even to return a package to a mailer. USPS employees are prohibited from marking out or removing labels on a parcel. The mailer or the mailer's representative must do that.

So when you get ready to prepare your holiday mailing, keep these requirements in mind!

CARRIER PICKUP VOLUME PASSES MILESTONE
San Francisco, open your golden gate! The 2 millionth package picked up as part of the Carrier Pickup Online Notification program is coming through!

WaterField Designs, a leading maker of custom computer bags, handed off the milestone package when Operations Manager Rommel De Peralta gave a Priority Mail package to Letter Carrier Xiang Zhou.

WaterField Designs began using carrier pickup and Click-N-Ship in January.

"We did some research on delivery companies and found the Postal Service website," says De Peralta. "We saw that the system was compatible to ours so we called the Post Office to get more information. We now use carrier pickup for the majority of our business. We are very pleased with the service, both carrier pickup and Click-N-Ship."

The company manufactures a slim, durable bag that customers use to protect their laptop computers.

"We ship Priority Mail packages daily to customers throughout the United States and for our international customers we use Global Express Mail," said De Peralta.

If you left your heart in San Francisco, talk to Tony Bennett. But if it's a package to be picked up, talk to the United States Postal Service.

Go to www.usps.com/shipping/carrierpickup.

SENDING A MILITARY CARE PACKAGE?
The U.S. Postal Service is offering specially packaged Priority Mail supplies for holiday shipping to members of the U.S. military stationed overseas. Each of these kits includes five small boxes, five large boxes, five Tyvek envelopes and a roll of tape - all labeled for Priority Mail use - as well as Customs forms and envelopes.

Order the kits by calling 1-800-610-8734 and requesting "CAREKIT04."

For information about military mail and any restrictions or conditions that might apply to mail addressed to military post offices overseas, go to www.usps.com/supportingourtroops.

DIRECT MAIL GETS THEIR ATTENTION
How do you reach a consumer equipped with a personal video recorder, call screening, Internet pop-up blockers and customized browser pages?

Direct Mail, of course.

"Consumers have - and are wielding - unprecedented control over their relationships with marketers," said Howard Draft in an address to the National Postal Forum in Washington, DC. He's CEO of the global marketing services agency, Draft, whose clients include some of the country's largest users of Direct Mail.

"In just a few short years, consumers have gone from switching TV channels to switching all media channels on and off at will. We see it. The country's largest advertisers see it. That's why so many of them are shifting their marketing dollars to Direct Mail," he said.

Direct Mail packs a "powerful punch" in today's marketing landscape, Draft says. Why?

Invitation beats intrusion. Consumers have made it abundantly clear that the best way to capture their attention and loyalty is through invitation, not intrusion. Direct Mail is inviting, not intrusive. Over half of all adults say they prefer to receive advertising and promotional material through the mail, according to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA). With mail, consumers decide when they want to take in information, on their schedule.

The Internet is not Direct Mail's enemy. Mail and the Web create a powerful bond with the consumer - stronger than either can do separately. Almost a third of people surveyed said they respond to Direct Mail by going online, according to the DMA. The U.S. Postal Service reports that almost a quarter of respondents said they visited a website specifically because they received mail from that retailer. The growth in online catalog sales as well as an increase in high speed Internet subscribers has resulted in more shoppers enjoying faster, easier buying experiences, says Draft. He argued that "within 5 to 10 years, these two media will dominate the landscape, specifically because of their special relationship to each other and because other media will continue to fade in power."

"Mail moments" are powerful. In today's world, the "mail moment" (the time people take each day to go through their mail) makes a connection like no other. "People are starved for something real," said Draft. "Because of the digital world most of us live in, people are hungry for something permanent. People are open, eager, and waiting to get some tangible form of communication in their hands."

Want to learn more about how Direct Mail can work for you? Go to www.usps.com/directmail.

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.

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

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

GIANT PRAISE FROM A RETAIL GIANT
High praise indeed. Retail giant Nordstrom uses USPS Parcel Select to ensure that customer orders are fulfilled on time.

Nordstrom has built a thriving business on the principles of quality, value and service and is committed to earning the trust of customers, one at a time. For package shipping, Nordstrom demands performance, ease of use, tracking and competitive pricing. But above all Nordstrom demands the highest quality of customer service.

"Service is the bottom line," says Scott Lindgren, domestic transportation manager for Nordstrom. Lindgren says that after switching to the U.S. Postal Service from another company's ground delivery offering, on-time service to his customers rose from 97.9 percent to 98.3 percent.

"Not only does the Postal Service offer a great value in package shipping, it also meets our high standards of service," he says.

Parcel Select is a customized service designed for large- and medium-sized shippers looking for an economical ground delivery service. Shippers save money by mailing parcels closer to their ultimate destination. Parcel Select combines parcel consolidator expertise with the Postal Service's extensive delivery network to offer up-front estimates on delivery times and value-added services including: customized rates and services, billing, manifesting, insurance, tracking, electronic data Interchange, Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, return receipt for merchandise, pickup service, collect on delivery and more.

There are no back-end surcharges with Parcel Select and an electronic delivery verification option allows customers to quickly confirm deliveries by downloading a file with all of the previous day's delivery information. For interested shippers, USPS will analyze your shipping operation free and help you set up a system that saves you time, energy and money.

For more information on rates, service requirements and consolidators, contact us at www.usps.com.

USPS HONORS EIGHT COMPANIES
Postmaster General John E. Potter recognized eight companies the United States Postal Service considers "the best of the best" in supplying its employees with the equipment, tools and services they need to deliver superior products and services to the American public.

"It is the hard work and innovative spirit all of you bring to the table that allows us to add value to our services, to find new ways to improve efficiency and to reduce our costs and yours," Potter told key executives of the award-winning companies during a ceremony at Postal Service headquarters. "You have worked with us to introduce new ideas, new practices and new procedures that ultimately result in higher quality products and services."

Keith Strange, vice president of Supply Management for the Postal Service, said that thanks to the work of all Quality Supplier Award winners - and the USPS Supply Management team - the Postal Service saved or avoided some $620 million in costs this past year.

According to Strange, purchasing supplies and materials is no small task. In fiscal year 2004, the Postal Service spent more than $12 billion for transportation, facilities, supplies, services and equipment with a supplier base that included more than 25,000 suppliers.

The eight 2004 "Supplier and Best Practices" Quality Supplier Award winners are:

Boise Cascade Office Products, Itasca, IL
Provides office supplies to Postal Service facilities nationwide.

ConEdison Solutions, White Plains, NY
Provides energy Services.

Maritz Research, Fenton, MO
Provides mystery shoppers to measure customer service.

MSC Industrial Supply Company, Melville, NY
Provides maintenance, repair and operating products via eBuy catalog.

Northrop Grumman Security Systems, Elkridge, MD
Designed and built the automated Biohazard Detection System.

Ricoh Corporation, West Caldwell, NJ
Provides copiers and related services.

Siemens Dematic Postal Automation L.P., Arlington, TX
Developed DIOSS EC - Delivery Bar Code Sorter I/O Subsystem Expanded Capability.

W.W. Grainger, Inc., Lake Forest, IL
Provides custodial products and services for Postal Service facilities nationwide.

POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS

RECORD ATTENDANCE AT NPF
A record number of mailing industry professionals interested in learning about the value of mail as a business tool attended the National Postal Forum (NPF) this year. The event in Washington, held Sept. 19-22, drew more than 6,300 people.

"Mail is all about staying in touch with customers," Postmaster General John E. Potter told Forum attendees. "It's about reaching out to new customers. It's about personalization. It's about the convenience of having a message delivered to your door."

The NPF "offers an extraordinary opportunity for mailing industry leaders and Postal Service officials to discuss growth opportunities in the mail and marketing community," says Anita Bizzotto, USPS chief marketing officer. "And the Forum allows everyone - from small-office/home-office business owners to industry representatives from the nation's largest corporations - to discover how technology is revolutionizing the mailing industry."

The next NPF will be held March 20-23 in Nashville, TN.

GLOBAL PLAUDITS
The U.S. Postal Service gained international recognition for on-time delivery performance and customer care for its Global Express Mail service. Paul Vogel, USPS vice president of Network Operations Management, accepted an award for Global Express Mail in Bucharest, Romania, at the 23rd Universal Postal Union Congress, attended by members of postal services worldwide.

Global Express Mail, one of the Postal Service's expedited international mail delivery offerings, provides fast service to more than 190 countries. Prices start at $15.50. Customers can receive volume discounts, online tracking and pickup on demand.

STAMP SUBSCRIPTIONS
Customers can enjoy the ease of having stamps automatically delivered to their homes or businesses on a regular schedule through the convenient stamp subscription program.

Stamps come in books of 20 or coils of 100 and can be issued monthly or bi-monthly - whichever best fits the customer's schedule. Subscriptions run for six months or a year, making it easy to have stamps on hand whenever they're needed. Program enrollment can be modified anytime online.

For more information, go to The Postal Store at www.usps.com/shop.

Ilze Sella
Editorial Services

Frank Papandrea
Art Director

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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