Eliminating Unwanted Mail

Office Solutions, Jan/Feb 2006 by Pavely, Richard W

Administrative managers of small to midsize firms from across the business spectrum turn to our pages to learn of new and better ways to cope with today's administrative challenges. In many instances, the person managing a busy office might not be well-versed in mailing service topics. To address that need, we're launching this column devoted to discussing mail service problems, solutions, and process improvement opportunities. The column is written specifically for readers who aren't necessarily mail center experts, but who are responsible for handling their organizations' mail. With over 20 years of mail services and production mail consulting to draw upon, our columnist, Richard Pavely, will strive to make the fog of postal folklore disappear in a burst of short, lively, and actionable tips.

Nothing discourages mail center personnel more than the gnawing feeling that they're working hard to deliver things that nobody wants. Left unattended, an unwanted mail blight will slow the sorting process, stimulate unwarranted criticism from among those being served, and significantly eat into the productivity of those receiving the unwanted mail. Everybody loses, and yet, nobody seems to know what to do about it.

Unwanted mail includes unsolicited mail that has little or no value, misdelivered mail, mail addressed to someone who no longer works at the company, and duplicate mail.

The fundamental cause for nearly all unwanted mail is the fact that someone within your firm is on somebody else's mailing list. The unwanted mail will continue until the sender either grows weary of sending it with no response or someone within your firm takes positive action to have the person's name removed from the sender's mailing list.

Notify the sender by whatever means is most practical. Here are 10 strategies that are especially effective:

* Identify who's responsible for notifying mailers. Department administrators are the best choice. Mail center personnel can do it if they're authorized and trained to do so.

* Stop an unwanted subscription at renewal time by checking the "No" box on the renewal notice.

* Accumulate and then clip the labels from persistent repetitive mailers. Send the clipped labels along with a polite, yet stern, form letter on company stationery requesting a deletion of the enclosed names.

* Have a preprinted deletion order postcard prepared to facilitate the notification process.

* Initiate deletion orders by calling or faxing the toll-free number when provided.

* Mark unwanted First Glass mail with "Refused-Return to Sender" if the recipient no longer works at your facility. Return it to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS).

* Propose a company policy regarding high-volume repetitive catalogs and conference notices whereby a few copies are made available in the library, cafeteria, or front desk while others are discarded.

* Return all misdelivered mail promptly to the USPS, clearly indicating the misdelivery.

* Consider offering a deletion service whereby recipients are encouraged to notify the mail center of unwanted mail by marking it in some specified way, then returning it to the mail center rather than discarding it. The mail center would then issue a deletion order using one of the above methods.

* Communicate to the entire company your plans and progress towards eliminating unwanted mail.

Richard W. Pavely, MSE, CQA, is president of Corporate Management & Marketing Consultants Inc., a mail service consultancy. He can be reached at 973/989-0229 or rpavely@cmmcinc.com.