The Office Procedures and Technology Chapter 11 Processing Mail Copyright 2003 by South-Western, a division of Thomson Learning
Sorting and Distributing Mail In small companies In large Sort mail companies at your workstation Hand Opening deliver packages each stack and envelopes to the appropriate person or department Safety precautions Sorting mail Distributing mail Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures Slide 2
Handling Incoming Mail Opening Documenting mail receipt of mail Separating Do Note not receipt open and mail of annotating mail for received others mail that by is special marked postal Confidential services or private or Personal mail services Place The mail underlined you will answer in one stack and mail Check to Note be words handled mail for enclosures you by expect others to in receive another in a stack separate annotations on Make envelope Annotate this sure or letter correspondence the package will signature and to aid address in creating are on a the reply letter make before preparing discarding the envelope a response easier This Key database Term is used to Annotate: document write the comments receipt of related to the content on a document special mail Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures Slide 3
Handling Incoming Mail Referring or routing mail Prioritizing Mail A referral or routing slip is used to forward mail to others 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 Slide 4
Handling Incoming Mail Handling mail for coworkers who are away from the office 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 Slide 5
Focus On Protecting Confidential Information Confidential information is that which should be kept private or secret Examples Follow guidelines to safeguard business information Inside information about company plans Proprietary Know your supervisor s information about preferences company products or Follow processes correct mail procedures Private Secure information your workstation about clients or employees Protect written documents Reduce electronic information loss Topic 11-1 Incoming Mail Procedures Slide 6
Processing Outgoing Mail Procedures vary from company to company Various Folding and services inserting may mail be used United Verify that States items Postal are complete Service and correct before Private mailing mail companies and courier services Follow these steps to fold The an USPS 8 1/2" by provides 11" sheet many for services a No. 10 useful to envelope businesses Copies have been made Fold correspondence appropriately for the envelope Letters are used signed Enclosures are present Addresses on the letter and envelope match Addresses include a nine-digit ZIP code Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 7
Processing Outgoing Mail Sealing and weighing envelopes Stamping Envelopes mail must be sealed before mailing Printing Envelopes Postage postage must must be for be applied mail weighed to mail to determine to be delivered the proper by the USPS postage Postage meter prints postage in the amount USPS stamps Stamps are needed available may in be purchased in sheet, booklet, or rolled various designs form Purchase postage for the meter at a post office or and postage online amounts Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 8
Handling Volume Mailings Involves sending the same item to many people at the same time Properly prepared volume mailings may qualify for reduced postage rates Computer-generated mailing lists are often used for volume mailings Specialized mailing equipment automates the process of preparing volume mailings Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 9
Address Requirements The Address USPS format uses optical character readers (OCRs) Block the to process left margin mail of the address Addresses ZIP Use codes all capitals that cannot and omit be punctuation read by OCR except take in longer to process Use the ZIP of Using a code nine-digit a proper ZIP code speeds delivery of a domestic Use standard address mail format abbreviations item speeds the Key Term ZIP Include code delivery the directories of ZIP mail code Optical are in the character available address reader: in for print electronic domestic and online mail equipment that scans the address on an item and prints a bar code Include the foreign postal code for an international address Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 10
Classes of Domestic Mail First class Priority mail Express mail Periodicals Standard mail Mixed classes Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 11
Special Postal Services Registered or insured mail Proof of mailing or delivery COD mail This certified mail receipt indicates that the mail item was delivered Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 12
Other Types of Mail International mail Private Service courier/delivery provided by the service USPS and private companies Interoffice These services mail usually cannot deliver to a post Customs office box forms may be required Telegram Delivered by mailroom workers in large Many companies delivery companies have a Web site that A message delivered allows a package to be Key by Western tracked Term Union from mailing Envelopes usually differ from those used for mail Customs: government taxes through Can be sent going outside delivery by calling Western Union or the company on imported items accessing the company s Web site Topic 11-2 Outgoing Mail Procedures Slide 13