What Every Mailer Must Know to Prepare for the USPS Rate Case

Recently, Campus Mail Service participated in a educational webinar presented by Multichannel Merchant and sponored by DHL Globalmail regarding the upcoming USPS Rate Case.

As mentioned during the presentation, this session was recorded. We are pleased to make this recording available to you for viewing at your convenience.

Click Here to access the recording.

If you previously registered for the webinar, simply enter your e-mail address when prompted to continue. Once you have been confirmed, click on "LAUNCH PRESENTATION" at the bottom of the page.

You may also download a copy of the presentation by clicking on the "Download PDF" button once you are within the recording interface.

Back to Top

POSTAGE SAVINGS TIPS

• Screen your mailing lists for any unnecessary names, duplicates, and incomplete addresses

• Take advantage of the services offered by University Priniting's Bulk Mail Service to address, barcode, and sort your large volume mailings

• Use Certified Mail instead of Registered Mail whenever possible. Registered Mail is typically used for mailing items of a high value

• Use postcards for short messages or announcements. The cost is 1/3 less than sending an envelope

• FAX or e-mail the information when time is crucial instead of using Express Mail or overnight services. Overnight costs are the #1 "runaway cost" of large businesses. "Rate shop" your package; you might be able to send it as Ground and still meet your service standards

• Do not over-insure. The post office and other carriers will only pay the actual value of an item; not the declared value

• Use Business Reply envelopes provided by vendors instead of departmental envelopes

• Request items to be processed as Media Book or Library Rate when applicable. Savings can be as much as 50% of the cost of First-Class Mail

Back to Top

 

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 absorbent material with outer packaging that will protect the contents. For further information, 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.

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.

 

Back to Top

 

Eligibility Changes for Nonprofit Standard Mail - Effective June 1

If you are personalizing your Nonprofit Standard mailings, you now have a problem.

Do you include any data fields in your Standard mailpieces other than the date and the name and address of the recipient? If so, your mailings may need to pay First-Class rates beginning on June 1.

A seemingly innocuous set of USPS rule changes, scheduled to take effect on that date, could disqualify your mailings from Nonprofit Standard rates if you use common and long-accepted techniques of mailpiece personalization. Even now-less than six weeks before the new rules take effect-the USPS has not answered some of the most obvious and basic questions about what the new rules permit and forbid.

Read more by clicking here.

Back to Top

 

Campus Mail Service Introduces "InstantLINC" from SouthernLINC

Campus Mail Service has a new form of communication. "InstantLINC Mobile-to-Mobile" service provided by SouthernLINC allows the Campus Mail Service operation to be more efficient.

"InstantLINC" is a walkie-talkie / 2-way Radio-type service that provides simple communication with the touch of a button. A direct connection between the Mail Center, Mail Delivery Clerks, and supervisors of Campus Mail Service provides instant contact whenever a situation arises.

Every member of the mail center staff is equipped with a Motorola i205 or i560 unit which has the "InstantLINC" feature.

"With InstantLINC, we have the capability to instantly contact our Mail Delivery Clerks while they are out on campus making deliveries and pick-ups. Instant communication between the mail center and the delivery staff helps us provide quality service to our customers", says Mike Butts, Manager of Campus Mail Service.

"This new service from SouthernLINC has really enhanced our operation; especially when deadlines have to be met".

Campus Mail Service hopes the continued success of this service in their operation will encourage other service areas of the University to take an interest.

Back to Top

 

Operation Iraqi Freedom Mailing Tips

WASHINGTON — The Postal Service is reminding Americans that certain conditions and restrictions apply when mailing items to military and civilian personnel deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Middle East and Persian Gulf areas.

Programs that allowed the general public to send mail addressed to "Any Service Member" were cancelled more than a year ago by the Department of Defense's (DoD). While popular with the public during Desert Storm and other operations, DoD's concern with security and transportation constraints led to canceling this program. The DoD recommends that individuals and organizations wishing to mail letters and care packages to individual servicemembers overseas refocus their activities into supporting the servicemember's family members at home.

The DoD recommends visiting www.defendamerica.mil and clicking the "Support Our Troops" icon as a means for the public to find out ways to support servicemembers.

Addressing Tips

The DoD has requested that those who send mail use the servicemember's full name (with or without rank or rating), unit and APO/FPO (Air/Army Post Office or Fleet Post Office) address with the nine-digit ZIP Code (if one is assigned) and a return address. For packages, mailers are asked to print on one side only with the recipient's address in the lower right portion.

Prohibitions

While there are specific restrictions for each five-digit military post office ZIP Code (APO/FPO), generally speaking, it is prohibited to mail the following to this region:

• obscene articles (prints, paintings, cards, films, videotapes, etc.);
• any matter containing religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith or depicting nude or seminude persons, pornographic or sexual items, or non-authorized political materials; and,
• pork or pork by-products.

Restrictions are updated every other Thursday in the Postal Bulletin. Customers may also obtain this information by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS, or by visiting their local post office.

All military units are assigned an APO or FPO ZIP Code and in many cases that ZIP Code travels with the unit. The Postal Service places APO/FPO mail on special charter flights, commercial airlines, and military service aircraft at military and U.S. airports. When planes arrive overseas, the mail is tendered to the military and transported via local military transportation to delivery points.

According to the Military Postal Service Agency (MPSA), depending on where the servicemember is located, letters and Priority Mail parcels to Kuwait normally take 10 to 15 days. Parcel Post packages take longer since they don't travel by aircraft within the U.S. prior to overseas dispatch. There may be size restrictions and customs declaration form requirements to some locations as mail going through the MPSA can be subject to the host country customs requirements. The time to deliver varies depending on the category of mail and the country of destination. Delivery may also take longer when armed forces are on the move during periods of heightened activity.

Packaging Tips

It's a good idea to keep the following in mind to ensure that packages are delivered promptly.

Extreme Temperatures: Desert temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees.

The Box: Select a box strong enough to protect the contents and large enough to accommodate cushioning. If reusing a box, cover all previous labels and markings with a heavy black marker or adhesive labels.

Cushioning: Cushioning the contents with newspaper is a novel way to send news from home. Styrofoam and bubble wrap are also good choices. Close and shake the box. If it rattles, add additional cushioning to keep items from shifting.

Batteries: Occasionally a battery powered item such as a radio or electric razor will turn itself on during shipment. Be sure to remove and wrap the batteries separately.

Sealing: Tape the opening of the box and reinforce all seams with 2" wide tape. Use clear or brown packaging tape, reinforced packing tape or paper tape. Do not use cord, string or twine as it causes the package to get caught and possibly damaged in sorting equipment.

Include a card describing the contents: Occasionally improperly wrapped packages fall apart during shipment. Including a card inside the package that lists the sender's and recipient's addresses along with a description of the contents helps in collecting items that have fallen open during processing.

Back to Top

 

Campus Mail Service Expands Services

Posted on: 11/6/02

3 ½ Route System

Within the next couple of weeks, Campus Mail Service will expand its current 3 route delivery system to a 3½ route delivery system. This is mainly due to the growth of the University and the increase in incoming mail volumes. While the University has grown over the years, Campus Mail Service has maintained deliveries on campus with only 3 mail delivery clerks. The migration to a 3 ½ route system will allow Campus Mail Service the opportunity to increase efficiency on each delivery route and allow for more timley delivery of incoming accountable mail items. The new ½ route will consist of a few mail stops from the original 3 routes and be ultimately responsible for timely delivery of all incoming accountable mail. Customers may see a change in the time their mail is delivered and picked-up as the new delivery system is put into place. Once the new delivery system is running smoothly and all the "bugs" are worked out, Campus Mail Service will post expected mail delivery/pick-up times for each mailstop on its website.

Back to Top

CAMPUS EXPRESS

** (This Service has been temporarily discontinued) **

Campus Mail Service has introduced a Same-Day-Delivery Service for customers who need to send urgent items to Accounting, Payroll, Purchasing, or Human Resources the same day. The new service is called CAMPUS EXPRESS. CAMPUS EXPRESS is a one way, mailstop-to-mailstop, campus mail service for same-day delivery of urgent material going to 4 campus departments. Here's how it works: campus mail going to these departments is placed in special color-coded pouches, which you then place on top of your regular campus mail. Your mail delivery clerk picks up the pouch at the department's normal pick-up time. When the delivery clerk returns to the mail center, the pouches are immediately routed for delivery to the 4 receiving departments by 2:00 PM or 4:00 PM the same day. The special handling that CAMPUS EXPRESS receives enables them to bypass the sorting process that all incoming mail must go through. As a result, CAMPUS EXPRESS can be handled with consistent delivery times, even during peak periods.

Who are the participating departments?

Accounting - Red
Payroll - Blue
Purchasing - Teal
Human Resources - Yellow

Restrictions

Currently there are no restrictions as to what type of items you can send using CAMPUS EXPRESS pouches.

Pick-up & Delivery Times

Campus Express is a mailstop-to-mailstop service. Pouches arrive in the receiving departments the day you send them, but those departments must then route the enclosed material to the appropriate person. That internal routing will not be the same day in all cases, so please allow for this in planning to meet deadlines.

Here are the delivery times you can expect to the receiving department's mailstops:

· Pouches picked-up from your department with your morning pick-up are delivered to the receiving department by 2:00 PM the same day.

· Pouches picked-up from your department with your afternoon pick-up are delivered to the receiving department by 4:00 PM the same day.

· Pouches deposited in one of our 4 Centralized Afternoon Pick-up Service dropboxes by 2:00 PM are delivered to the receiving department by 4:00 PM the same day.

Return of the Pouches

The empty pouches will be returned by the receiving departments via regular intra-campus mail, and are normally returned the next day after they are received by Campus Mail Service.

One Way Only

CAMPUS EXPRESS is a one-way service. The 4 receiving departments do not use the pouches to send material back to the sending department.

Ordering Pouches

CAMPUS EXPRESS pouches are $10.00 each and should be ordered from Campus Mail Service via our website by clicking here or by calling the mail center at 348-7806. Pick the color that corresponds to the department you want to send information to:

Accounting = Red Campus Express pouch
Payroll = Blue Campus Express pouch
Purchasing = Teal Campus Express pouch
Human Resources = Yellow Campus Express pouch

Pouch purchases are billed to your account and show-up with all other mail charges on monthly budget statements.

How Much Does It Cost?

CAMPUS EXPRESS costs your department $2.50 each time you use your CAMPUS EXPRESS mail pouch. Charges for this service show-up with all other mail charges on monthly budget statements.

Back to Top

Centralized Afternoon Pick-up Service (CAPS)

Campus Mail Service has strategically placed 4 dropboxes across campus. This service allows departments the opportunity to place outgoing mail items in one of the four CAPS dropboxes and have it processed the same day. CAPS dropbox pick-ups are made between the hours of 2:00 & 3:00 P.M.. Items placed in CAPS dropboxes after 2:00 PM will be processed the following business day.

Centralized Afternoon Pick-up Service dropbox locations:

Rose Administration - located at the rear of the building next to the dropboxes for BAMAFLEX and Payroll Timecards.

Student Services Building - located at the north end of the building underneath the outside stairs; just in front of Parking Services.

Alston hall - located at the rear of the building underneath the catwalk on the north side of the building.

Gordon-Palmer hall - located at the north entrance (the side closest to the Biology building); the elevator lobby of Seebeck Computer Center.

Items that can be placed in CAPS dropboxes include:

Intra-Campus Mail
· Make sure items are properly addressed using valid departmental box numbers.
· A listing of departmental box numbers can be found here.
· The use of Intra-Campus Mail envelopes are strongly recommended.

U.S. Mail
· Mail that needs to metered should have a properly completed charge slip attached and mail should be securely bundled so items do not become lose from the charge slip.
· Mail that already has proper postage applied can be deposited

UPS & FedEx
· All outgoing UPS and FedEx shipments can be placed in a CAPS dropbox for same-day processing. UPS charge slips can be ordered from our Online Order form. FedEx charge slips can be found by clicking here.
· All proper documentation should be completely filled-out and securely attached to your shipment.
· Items that are too big to fit inside the CAPS dropboxes should be brought to Campus Mail Service for processing.

CAMPUS EXPRESS

CAMPUS EXPRESS mail pouches that are placed in CAPS dropboxes before 2:00 PM are delivered to the receiving department by 4:00 PM the same-day.

Back to Top

 

Mailbox Rental Fee Increase For Departments

Beginning with the 2003 fiscal year, Campus Mail Service will increase the mailbox rental fee for departments from $250 to $350 annually. Further implementation of an increase will be reviewed each year.

Mailbox rental includes mail sortation, mail delivery before 12:00 noon to most departments, mail pick-up before 12:00 noon from most departments, same-day mail processing, and monthly accounting of mail charges to BANNER.

Back to Top