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5 RESOLUTIONS TO MAKE YOUR MAILING LIFE EASIER
A great article from Paul Hirschfelt - Northern Ohio Mailpiece Design Analyst
I would like to start by wishing each of you a very happy holiday season. No matter what your belief, there is something magical about the period between Thanksgiving and New Years that brings people together in the spirit of giving and thankfulness. Please embrace that spirit with family and friends and have a wonderful Holiday.
Second I would like to help you begin 2010 by giving you some hints for those pesky New Years resolutions. The good thing about these resolutions is, once you have done them, you are done. No memberships, stress or worries of failure. 5 Resolutions guaranteed to make your mailing life easier.
1. Send an e mail to
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and in the subject line type SUBSCRIBE. That's it. You will now be emailed every time the Postal Service is considering a change in mail preparation, pricing or standards. The Advisory keeps you informed about mailing issues that are important to your business. You will find updates to our mailing standards and prices, information about our Web tools, and helpful reminders about mailing issues.
2. Join or attend a PCC meeting or seminar. It gives you a chance to network on a regular basis with Postal experts and mailing industry experts on issues that affect your business. Go to the website and contact a member today for more information.
3. Become a CRIDder and a MIDder. The Postal service is using the electronic environment provided by the computer to make your life a lot easier when it comes to your mailings. If you mail at a discounted (presort, automation, non profit, periodical etc.) rate, either in house or through a mailer, you need to visit the Business Customer Gateway at the bottom right corner of our website USPS.com. From the Gateway you need to register as a business customer and follow the prompts to be assigned a Customer Registration Identification (CRID) number and if you wish to receive automation discounts through the use of the Intelligent Mail Barcode (mandatory in May 2011 to receive an automation discount) , a Mailer Identification (MID) number. If you prepare or mail Business Reply, Courtesy Reply or Meter Reply cards or envelopes, these pieces will also be required to have an Intelligent mail barcode by may 2011. So don't wait, get your CRID and MID today.
4. Sign up at the Gateway to use PostalOne and Postal Wizard. If you are a mailer, large or small, you owe it to your organization to check out PostalOne and its many advantages. With PostalOne access you are able to check you account balance, monitor mailing dates and acceptance reports and keep better track of mailing records. You will be able to view mailing records that are vital to the management of your discounted mailing account in near real time. And by signing up for Postal Wizard you may be able to print and/or submit your postage statements electronically to speed up the acceptance procedures in your local acceptance unit.
5. Get to know where to go for answers. The Postal Service has many people that can offer you advise and answer your questions and they are a phone call or email away.
- The Mailpiece Design Analyst can design the needed templates for reply mail as well as answer questions dealing with the design and preparation of your mailpiece. The testing of barcodes, reflection, colors and construction of your mailpiece can all be performed by submitting samples to the MDA.
- Mailing Standards Specialist can look at the mail content to check if you are receiving the correct rate for the class of mail you are sending. Postage payment methods, content requirements and rates and eligibility can be directed to the Mailing Standards Specialist.
- Mailing Requirements, these people are responsible for the opening and maintaining of permit records as well as administering training on sortation of your mail to insure the best price. Mailing Requirements can tell you if discounted mailing is the avenue you need to follow and if it is they can give you guidance from opening the permit to presenting your mailing to the Business mail Entry Unit.
- Business Mail Technicians are the trained professionals that accept your mailings in the Business Mail Entry Unit (Bulk Mail Office or Weigh Office in some locations) and verify the actual mailing against your submitted postage statement. They look at all aspects of your mailing and clear the pieces for release to the processing facility.
- Supervisor of Bulk Mail, oversees the work performed by the technicians and can answer questions or explain policies of the acceptance unit.
Thank you for allowing me to work with your organization on their mailing needs throughout 2009 and I look forward to doing the same in the new year.
Paul Hirschfelt
Northern Ohio Mailpiece Design Analyst