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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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: http://www.usps.com Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

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

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

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

Stamps USPS stamps are available in various designs and postage amounts Source: http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/home.jsp Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

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

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

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

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

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

Classes of Domestic Mail First-Class mail Priority mail Express mail Periodicals Standard mail Parcel post Source:http://www.usps.com/send/waystosendmail/senditwithintheus/firstclassmail.htm Information on classes of mail can be found on the USPS Web site Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures

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

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

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

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

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