Post Office Closures and Postage Rate Increases to Impact High-Volume Mailers

Mike Barfield

The United States Postal Service (USPS) and its customers are at a crossroads: In order to survive, the USPS needs to reduce operating costs by $20 billion dollars by 2015.

To accomplish that, the USPS has announced plans to close more than half of its 500 major mail processing facilities around the country. This action will result in changes to USPS Service Standards for delivery of First Class Mail from 1-3 days to 2-3 days nationwide.

What can a First Class mailer do during these uncertain times to ensure their business is not impacted by the reduction in Service Standards by the USPS?

First, use of the Intelligent Mail Barcode is paramount for companies mailing large volumes of First Class mail. By utilizing it, along with presorting and combining mail, high volume mailers become like a “Platinum Level Frequent Flyer” traveler with respect to mail delivery.

Mail that is combined and presorted properly doesn’t have to go through as many processing steps at the USPS as regular mail does. Like the Frequent Flyer, Intelligent Barcoded Mail that has been presorted is first-on and first-off the loading dock, the truck, and the plane.

Mailers should be aware that applying the Full Service Barcode also has some benefits that they may not be aware of, such as immediate move update information and mail tracking options.

By choosing a large presorting/combining company having an in-house Detached Mail Unit (USPS presence on-site to accept mail) and having the expertise to perform additional, non-required pallet separations for the USPS will reduce handling during the various processing stages by the USPS.

While delivery Service Standards are being changed, those mailers using the Full Service Intelligent Mail Barcode will be more closely monitored and scrutinized for mail processing and delivery intervals by the USPS so they can gauge their performance.

Thus, your mail will bear “start the clock’ and “stop the clock” data which the USPS will measure for service performance assurance. With this, you can be confident your mail is “first-in” and “first-out” when it comes to processing, transportation and delivery.

With USPS postage rate increases also on the horizon, new uncertain and longer delivery Service Standards, mailers can minimize the impact and even benefit from the changes by working with a company that can introduce significant postage savings and other options for improved collections process, while improving mail delivery performance.

Mike Barfield is Executive Vice President and Postal Liaison for SureBill, Inc. in Duluth, GA. He was an executive with the Postal Service for 34 years and has worked with SureBill since 2008.

SureBill Letter Services is a division of Envelopes and Forms, Inc., a privately held corporation established in 1984. The Corporation is unique to the ARM industry due to its high degree of vertical integration. All envelopes, forms, letter production, mailing and presorting services are performed in-house, thus no outside suppliers are involved. This makes SureBill price competitive, completely self-sufficient, and able to control production quality and costs at the highest levels. The company maintains all necessary compliance, certification and training to deliver world class service to the collection industry.