|
New Year’s
Resolutions Every Mailer Should
Make
With the New Year approaching, I
thought it a good time to submit
for consideration some New
Year’s resolutions that will
help you keep your 2008 postage
and shipping expenditures in
line. Just like personal
resolutions, you only gain a
lasting benefit if you stay the
course the entire year.
1. Continue to address verify
your mailing lists. Don’t forget
to verify addresses for UPS
(FedEx, DHL, etc.). The UPS
address correction charge goes
up $1.00 on 12/31/07.
2. Update your order forms and
response cards to include a
secondary address line. In 2008,
suite verification will be added
to address verification for USPS
automation rates. (Missing suite
numbers also get an address
correction charge from UPS,
etc.).
3. Check and double check UPS,
FedEx and DHL bills for hidden
costs. Residential surcharges
are based on real estate zoning.
An at-home business, even if it
has a storefront, and is open
daily will get a residential
surcharge if it is in the middle
of a residential area. The local
bank on the corner may also get
a residential surcharge because
it is at the entry of a
subdivision. But if you don’t
challenge an erroneous charge
(like the bank being
residential), you give the
supplier free money.
4. Check and balance your
postage account with the USPS on
a regular basis. Sometimes
numbers get transposed, or the
Postal personnel enter the wrong
line from the 3602. You can get
a copy of your transaction
report free for up to the last
90 days.
5. Have you ever pulled a meter
strip for the wrong amount of
money? Say you wanted a meter
strip for $.41 and the meter was
accidentally set for $4.10. That
meter strip is good towards
postage for 60 days, as long as
you add another meter strip for
the additional monetary
difference with the correct
date. (A 2nd meter strip for $
.50 added to the above would pay
for a Priority Mail flat rate
envelope at $4.60).
6. Does it really absolutely,
positively have to get there
overnight…or can it get there by
5:00PM and save some
transportation costs? Express
Mail can do that for a lot of
mail without residential
surcharges.
7. The same holds true for 2nd
Day Air and 3-day select
charges. Many air carriers truck
packages over the road within
200 miles and guarantee 1-2 day
delivery on ground service. Do
you really want to pay Air rates
and the Air fuel surcharge for
something that will not
necessarily see the inside of an
airplane?
8. In January 2009, the use of
the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMB)
will be required for automation
discounts. It doesn’t matter if
you plan on using the IMB for
Address Change Service or
Confirm Service. If you want
automation discounts, start
planning now to put the IMB at
the top of the address block.
9. Watch out for dimensional
pricing. If you’re shipping two
king size pillows across the
country, ship them in space bags
and save the “balloon rate”
charges all carriers tack on for
huge, lightweight shipments.
10. Don’t forget the obvious
stuff. Lose ten pounds, save the
planet by doing something
‘green’ every day, pray for
world peace and send your work
to Superior Mailing.
I wish you all a healthy, happy
and prosperous New Year.
Jan Merchantz, Postal
Liaison |
