Chapter 7 Processing Mail Processing Mail n n

Chapter 7 Processing Mail

Processing Mail n n n Handling E-Mail Handling Traditional Incoming Mail Handling Outgoing Domestic Mail International Mail Office Equipment International Holidays and Mail Services Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 2 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling E-Mail n n n Tips for Handling E-mail Etiquette Ethical Issues Regarding E-mail Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 3 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail—Tips n n n Check messages frequently Respond to messages immediately Sort and delete messages regularly Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 4 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail—Etiquette/Netiquette n n n Never send anything you don’t want made public Address receiver by name in opening sentence Reread message before sending Use spell-checker Keep message concise Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 5 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail--Etiquette n n (continued) Use capital letters sparingly Include original message in replies or forwarded messages to eliminate need to summarize what has been written Always get writer’s permission before forwarding or posting e-mail message Post only messages pertinent to members of group Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 6 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail—Ethical Issues n Employers have reasons for monitoring employees’ computer activity n n Maintain organization’s reputation Improve employee productivity Increase security Prevent employee disclosure of trade secrets/other confidential information Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 7 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

E-Mail—Ethical Issues n (continued) Employees’ concerns include n n Privacy issues Long hours at work and need to communicate with others outside company Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 8 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail n n n Sort Open Inspect contents Register special mail Date-time stamp Read annotate Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton n n 9 Present mail Handle packages, publications, and advertisements Distribute mail Answer mail in manager’s absence © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail—Sort n Sort by groups: n n n n Mail sent with urgency Letters, including bills and statements Interoffice mail Personal mail Newspapers and periodicals Booklets, catalogs, etc. Packages Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 10 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail—Open Mail n n n Assemble supplies: n Opener, date stamp, paper clips, tickler file, To Do list, and pencils If envelope opened by mistake, seal and write “Opened by mistake” and initial; then distribute to addressee Establish preferences for handling “Personal and Confidential” mail with manager Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 11 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail— Inspect Contents n Keep envelopes until information is accounted for n n n Check for address and signature of sender, date, and enclosures If document is not dated, write postmark date and staple envelope to back of letter Attach enclosures: n n Staple if same size or larger Use paper clips if staple would damage Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 12 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail—Register Special Mail n n Mail register provides a record of special mail, including insured and registered mail and packages Form should include: n Date and time received n Sender’s name n Recipient’s name n Type or description Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 13 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail— Date-Time Stamp n n Time of arrival of certain correspondence has legal significance n Received in time for cash discount? n Received in time for bid openings? Typically, date-time stamp all incoming mail n Stamp correspondence in white space at upper left, right, or top edge n Stamp booklets, catalogs, etc. on either front or back cover Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 14 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail— Read and Annotate n Know what manager wants: n n Does he/she want you to underline key words and dates, and write marginal notes? Keep alert to things that n n Contain date of appointment Mention report being mailed separately Confirm phone conversation Request decision that cannot be made until additional information is obtained Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 15 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Read and Annotate Mail n Annotate n n n (continued) Use small handwriting Make notes brief Reasons for annotations Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 16 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Incoming Mail— Present Mail n n n Process mail quickly Place urgent mail on top and least urgent items on bottom Protect manager’s privacy n n Place mail so it is not visible to others Place confidential items in large envelope or folder Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 17 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handle Traditional Incoming Mail— Packages, Publications, and Ads By Mail n n Packages receive priority over periodicals, newspapers, and advertising materials Packages with letters enclosed are processed with important mail Give new items to manager Store regular supplies Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 18 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handle Packages, Publications, and Ads By Mail (continued) n Unwrap newspapers; try to flatten them n n n Affix routing slip If manager reads these first, place his/her name at top of list Give manager opportunity to read advertising materials Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 19 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handle Packages, Publications, and Ads By Mail (continued) n n n Determine which advertising materials, catalogs, etc. should be kept, discarded, or shared Replace old advertising materials and catalogs with new ones If you keep many catalogs, set up filing system Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 20 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Distribute Mail n Managers distribute mail to others to: n n Obtain information so he or she can reply Ask someone else to reply directly Keep others informed Procedures to follow Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 21 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Answer Mail in Manager’s Absence n Abide by manager’s preference n n n Typically, if only gone or two days, set mail aside If urgent correspondence, call or e-mail manager Organize business mail in folders Forward mail that requires immediate action to person designated Respond to letters you can answer Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 22 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Outgoing Domestic Mail n n n Formats Classes of Domestic Mail Extra Services Special Situations Basic Bulk Mail Dangerous Goods Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton n n 23 Other Domestic Delivery Services Tracking Mail © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Outgoing Domestic Mail n Steps in preparing items n n n Review documents for signatures and enclosures Verify inside address with envelope address Determine most accurate way of mailing item if needed Presort mail Outgoing mail divided into two classes n n Domestic International Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 24 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Outgoing Domestic Mail--Formats (continued) n ZIP + 4—identifies geographic segment within five-digit delivery area n n Locate ZIP + 4 by searching Internet for ZIP code lookup Two-letter abbreviations Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 25 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Classes of Domestic Mail n n n First-Class Mail® Priority Mail ® Express Mail ® Parcel Post ® Bound Printed Matter ® Media Mail ® (Book Rate) Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 26 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Extra Services n n n Certificate of Mailing Certified Mail™ Collect on Delivery (COD) Delivery Confirmation™ Insured mail-Purchased at PO or Online Money Orders Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton n n n 27 Registered Mail™ Restricted Delivery Return Receipt for Merchandise Signature Confirmation™ Special Handling © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Special Situations n Know what to do to: n n n Change of address Recall mail Return undelivered mail Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 28 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Basic Bulk Mail n n Used to describe presorting mail Visit USPS Web site Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 29 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Dangerous Goods n n n Prohibited from being mailed both domestically and to points outside of United States Articles or substances listed could be dangerous to postal workers and postal equipment, or could damage other mail Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 30 n n n Explosives Flammable items Radioactive materials Gases, oxidizers, organic peroxides Corrosives Toxic and infectious substances Asbestos, air bags, dry ice © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Other Delivery Services n Provide pick-up and drop-off services n n n Emery Air, UPS, Fed. Ex, Purolator Courier Corporation Online service provides forms and tracking procedures Private Companies n Mail Boxes Etc. Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 31 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Handling Traditional Outgoing Mail— Tracking Mail n n USPS and other delivery services provide online tracking systems On Web site, enter label or receipt number and follow directions Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 32 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

International Mail n USPS—International Mail Manual (IMM) n Policies, regulations, and procedures Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 33 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

International Mail—Special International Services n USPS offers n n n Expedited Services Standard Services Volume Mailing Service Certified and COD services are not available for international mail Other delivery services include n DHL, UPS, and Fed. Ex Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 34 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

International Mail—International Postage n n Be sure mailroom has current postage information for all countries Be sure information is clearly posted, so anyone can calculate the correct postage Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 35 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Postage Meters n n Postage added automatically to envelope or package Procedures Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 36 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment— Postage Meters (continued) n Advantages n n n Mail need not be canceled or postmarked by post office Sent directly for sorting Allows receiver to track actual time, date, and place where processing occurred May be dispatched slightly sooner than mail that must be canceled at post office Convenience of not using stamps Apply exact postage needed Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 37 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment— Postage Scales n Show weight and amount of postage required Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 38 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment— Postage Price Calculation n Use postage calculation link on USPS Web site n From Web site, print postage Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 39 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Fax n n Copies and transmits documents over telephone lines to corresponding remote fax machine To send or receive a fax from your computer, use fax software Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 40 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Fax (continued) n General procedures for sending n n Complete adhesive note or use transmittal form to show contact information of sender and recipient Place document in fax unit (face up or down? ) Dial fax number; if sending long-distance, enter LD access code Press Send button Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 41 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Fax (continued) n Tips to establish guidelines—determine n n n If message is appropriate for faxing If document is delivered by fax, type an appropriate notation on line below signature, such as “By fax” Appropriate cover sheet Guidelines for maintaining confidentiality How misdirected messages will be reported Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 42 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Scanners n n Used to input text and photographs Common types are n n n Flatbed Sheetfed Photo Portable General Procedures Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 43 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment—Photocopiers n n Copier-based Printer-based All-in-one Size/purpose according to workgroup needs n n n Personal Small to mid-size Department Production Considerations Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 44 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

Office Equipment— Photocopiers (continued) n Tips n Copy when you have several items n Determine best times to use copier n Keep track of monitoring device, such as a card or access code n Plan ahead for copying needs n Comply with Copyright Act n Turn on “Power Down” mode when you have finished Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 45 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.

International Holidays and Mail Services n n n Holidays celebrated each year change from year to year Countries with diverse populations may practice over ten major religions Before mailing or faxing important documents: n n Check out country’s schedule of holidays Use Internet and access search tools for current list of holidays Office Procedures for the 21 st Century, 8 e Burton and Shelton 46 © 2011 Pearson Higher Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.