1. The Office Procedures and Technology
Chapter 11
Processing Mail
Copyright© 2007 Thomson/South-Western

2. Sorting and Distributing Mail
In small companies
Sort mail at your workstation
Hand deliver each stack to the appropriate person or department
In large companies
Open packages and envelopes
Follow safety precautions
Sort mail
Distribute mail
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

3. Opening Mail
Do not open mail for others that is marked Confidential or Personal
Check for enclosures
Check for a name and address on the letter before discarding the envelope
Place mail you will answer in one stack
Place mail to be handled by others in another stack
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

4. Annotating Mail Write comments related to the content
Gather materials for creating a reply
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

5. Documenting Receipt of Mail
Note mail received by special postal services or private mail services
Note mail you expect to receive in a separate envelope or package
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

6. Routing Mail
A referral slip is attached to mail that requires action by others
A routing slip is used to forward mail to others
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

7. Prioritizing Mail Arrange mail items in order of importance
1. Urgent messages
6. Orders
2. Personal and confidential letters
7. Bills and invoices
3. Business correspondence of
special importance
8. Advertisements
4. Checks or money orders
9. Newspapers and magazines
5. Other business letters
10. Packages
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

8. Handling Mail For Others
Maintain a mail register
Advise the traveler of important actions needed immediately
Refer routine mail to others who can respond or answer yourself
Send a synopsis of mail if the trip is to be long
Prioritize and store mail in an appropriate place
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

9. Focus On … Protecting Confidential Information
Know your supervisor’s preferences regarding visitors and callers
Follow correct mail procedures
Secure your workstation
Protect written documents
Reduce electronic information loss
Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures

10. Processing Outgoing Mail
Procedures vary from company to company
United States Postal Service (USPS)
Private mail companies and courier services
The USPS provides many services useful to businesses
Source:
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

11. Folding and Inserting Mail
Verify that items are complete and correct
Copies have been made
Letters are signed
Enclosures are present
Addresses on the letter and envelope match
Addresses include a nine-digit ZIP code
Fold correspondence appropriately for the envelope used
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

12. Folding Mail
Follow these steps to fold an 8 1/2" by 11" sheet for a No. 10 envelope
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

13. Postage Apply postage to mail to be delivered by the USPS
Weigh envelopes to determine the proper postage
Apply stamps, print postage using a postage meter, or buy postage online
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

14. Stamps
USPS stamps are available in various designs and postage amounts
Source:
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

15. Volume Mailings
Involve sending the same item to many people at the same time
May qualify for reduced postage rates
Often use computer-generated mailing lists
Mailing equipment automates the process
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

16. Optical Character Recognition
The USPS uses optical character readers (OCRs) to process mail
Addresses that cannot be read by OCR take longer to process
Optical character reader: electronic equipment that scans the address on an item and prints a bar code
Key Term
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

17. ZIP Codes Use of nine-digit ZIP codes speeds delivery of domestic mail
ZIP code directories are available in print and online
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

18. Address Format Block the left margin of the address
Use all capitals and omit punctuation except in the ZIP code
Use standard abbreviations
Include the ZIP code in the address for domestic mail
Include the foreign postal code for an international address
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

19. Proper Address Format
Using a proper address format speeds the delivery of mail
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

20. Classes of Domestic Mail
First-Class mail
Priority mail
Express mail
Periodicals
Standard mail
Parcel post
Source:
Information on classes of mail can be found on the USPS Web site
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

21. Special Postal Services
Registered or insured mail
Proof of mailing or delivery
COD mail
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

22. International Mail Service provided by the USPS and private companies
Customs forms may be required
Customs: government taxes on imported items
Key Term
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

23. Private Delivery Services
Usually cannot deliver to a post office box
Often have Web sites that allow a package to be tracked
May provided faster service than USPS
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

24. Interoffice Mail
May be hand-delivered by the sender in small companies
May be delivered by mailroom workers in large companies
Envelopes may be reusable
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

25. Telegrams Messages delivered by Western Union
Can be sent by accessing the Western Union Web site
Can be sent anywhere in the United States
Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures