Bulk Mailing Dropoff...

[kdw75]

We regularly do bulk mailing ranging from a hundreds to a hundred thousand and we submit all of our paperwork electronically. Our local BMEU says that even though we have submitted our info electronically and have money in our account to cover the mailings, we still have to check in with the person on staff and they have to come out and sign off on the mailing.

I was talking to someone in another city who was claiming that their BMEU just let them drop it off at the dock and they didn't have to wait for someone to check it in. The only reason it really would matter is that our BMEU closes for 2 hours in the middle of the day and they close the acceptance office at 5pm, but they stay there and work long after, they just don't have the acceptance desk open.

Just curious what others experiences were if they did full service mailings.

 

[SoggyWinter]

I only deal with one BMEU, but I've observed that there is some discretion for senior staff to be flexible. Acceptance after 5pm can't happen because their software does not allow data entry outside of business hours. I'd guess that this is to avoid unauthorized overtime pay and to avoid staff doing favors outside of standard operating procedures and hours.

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

I'd do what they say. You might be in an area where it has proven effective to operate in X manner due to habitual offenders.

We currently do all of our paperwork as hard copy when we hand it in. No online submission.

 

[rcreveli]

We upload our paperwork but, still have to be checked in.

 

[dburgat]

We have to be checked in, electronic or hard copy. Oklahoma City, BMEU

 

[tngcas]

We have to be checked in and we submit our stuff with a hard copy because it's easier, if I've already gotta stand there to submit it why bother with the online stuff. We did finally get it linked to direct pull payments from our account electronically which is great because I don't have to worry about whether or not there's enough in the account anymore. Our office only closes for 1 hour in the day between 1pm and 2pm so we plan our drop offs around that. It helps that our BMEU is only a couple blocks away.

 

[bill kahny]

We have a self check in kiosk. I submit electronically and print the barcoded confirmation page from the dashboard. Our drive scans it and tapes the receipt to the mail. He only has to wait if there is a verification due.

I use to tell everyone here plan on an hour at the acceptance office, but the kiosk saves a huge amount of time.

 

[Shawnd]

Since you are full service you could go seamless and just drop the mail, the USPS will force all of us to go that route here soon anyway.

 

[tngcas]

We have a self check in kiosk. I submit electronically and print the barcoded confirmation page from the dashboard. Our drive scans it and tapes the receipt to the mail. He only has to wait if there is a verification due.

I use to tell everyone here plan on an hour at the acceptance office, but the kiosk saves a huge amount of time.

I want a kiosk. <pouts>

 

[tngcas]

Since you are full service you could go seamless and just drop the mail, the USPS will force all of us to go that route here soon anyway.

Elaborate on "drop the mail" - like stop doing mail at all?

 

[Shawnd]

Seamless allows you to drop a mailing at the dock anytime you want, or so I was told. I am Full Service and will holdout going to Seamless for as long as I can, but I did notice today they just put me into Parallel on my scorecard, so check your scorecards to see if you have been "Upgraded" to Seamless already.

Seamless has its good qualities like being able to dropship with no 8125, but also the backend where you can get fined for mailing errors downstream and a questionable appeals process (the usps never makes errors right?) has me holding out. Take a look at your undocumented's, most I find are ones that float around the usps past the 45 day threshold so they show up as undocumented later and you get dinged.