It is true, we do want to please our customers. We want to make your deadlines, give you excellent customer and keep you as a customer for life. However, to make this all happen, the customers understanding of the process is essential. Here are some things that have to happen before it goes to the Post Office.
- Design – We design a lot of the things we mail but not always. If being designed by the customer, we have to check all the specifications to make sure that it meets USPS postal specification. We do not charge for checking our customers artwork because we want it to be right and get the lowest possible postage. We proof the artwork back to the customer, just to make sure that nothing has happened to the files in transition.
- Printing – the mailing most likely will have more than one component such as a letter, a #10 envelope, a reply envelope and a reply card. All components have to be printed and then sent to the mail room. If the letter is personalized it will be laser printed on the letterhead and if we are automating with our NeoPost DS-1200 we will apply a bar-code to the back of the letter so that when it goes through the inserting equipment the correct address that matches the personalized letter will be applied to the envelope.
- Mailing – The list is cleaned up and a FREE NCOAlink update is done, to achieve the lowest postage possible. Not having the correct postal specification before the printing could seriously affect the amount of postage paid. After the pieces have all been put together then the mailing goes into trays and banded and is taken to the USPS.
Depending on how large the mailing is this can take several days. It is very important for the customer to allow us enough time to accomplish all of the processes that must be done. Planning ahead will make for both a happy customer and a happy printer/mailer. At Burns Mailing & Printing we can help with budget planning and time planning for your next mailing. Contact me at phyllis@burnsmp.com or call 865 584-2265
