CHAPTER FIVE

Prepared by:
Pn. Munirah Mohd Jidi
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Chapter Objectives
Student will be able to :

 Apply procedures for preparing incoming and

outgoing mails
 Describe classes of mail and mail services

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PROCESSING MAIL
 Office workers frequently use written messages to
communicate with other employees as well as with other
individuals outside the company.

 processing mail consist of:

- incoming mail procedures
- outgoing mail procedures

This procedures varies between small and large

companies/organizations.

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 INCOMING MAIL PROCEDURES
 SORTING AND DISTRIBUTING MAIL

In small companies
 One person may process incoming mail and perform other office tasks as
well.

In larger companies
 A specific person/mailman will take care of the large volume of incoming
mail.
 A mailroom is designated area easily accessible to postal workers who
deliver the mail to the company.
 Equipment like electric envelope openers, sorting units and automated
delivery systems are used to aid mailroom workers.

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OBM131/mmj/dis16-apr17/edited 5
Processing Incoming Mail
Procedures in handling incoming mails:

 Opening Mail
 Documenting receipt of mail
 Referring or routing mail
 Prioritizing Mail

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 Processing Incoming Mail
1. Opening Mail
 Always use a letter opener to open envelopes.
 Do not open “personal” or “confidential” marked
envelopes.
 If mistakenly opened, you must – write on the envelope:
“sorry, opened by mistake”, then, put your initial.

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 Processing Incoming Mail
Opening Mail Continues…
 Verify that all enclosure referred to in the correspondence
are actually enclosed. If enclosure is “missing” – note the
omission in the margin of the letter.

 Marked all incoming mail with current date and time by

using, rubber stamp, or a time stamp machine, pen/pencil.

 Enclosure – an item included in a package or envelope

 Annotate – write comment related to the content of a
message

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 Processing Incoming Mail
2. Documenting Receipt of Mail
 Keep a record of items you expect to receive under separate
cover (in another envelope or package) to be sure that you
receive them.
 You might create a spreadsheet or database table to record
the receipt of mail.
 Document the receipt of mail sent by special postal
services.

 Proprietary information – sensitive data that is not

public knowledge and is viewed as owned by the holder.
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Processing Incoming Mail
Documenting and Routing Mail Continues…

Protecting Confidential Information Guidelines:

 Know your supervisor’s preferences

 Follow your company’s mail procedures
 Secure your workstation
 Protect written documents
 Reduce electronic information loss

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 Processing Incoming Mail
3. Referring and routing mail;
 Supervisors/boss may decide to refer certain items to his
other assistants to handle.
 To facilitate this referral, a referral slip (a document that
accompanies items sent to another person and indicates a
requested action) is attached to the item.
 A referral slip lists a series of instructions form which the
supervisor may choose.
 A routing slip is used to route magazines, or any
correspondence that should be read by more than one
person in the company.

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Processing Incoming Mail
4. Prioritizing Mail
Mail should be arrange according to its importance. A general rule
to arrange mails are:

a. Urgent messages, i.e. documents received by fax or overnight

delivery, that require prompt attention
b. Personal and confidential letters
c. Business letters, memos or other correspondence of special
importance
d. Letters containing cheques or money orders
e. Other business letters
f. Letters containing orders
g. Letters containing bills, invoices or other request for payments.
h. Advertisements
i. Newspapers and magazines
j. Packages.

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Handling mail while the supervisor is away
from the office
 Maintain a mail register.
 Communicate with the traveler immediately if
important, unexpected action seems required.
 Refer routine mail to others who can respond
 Answer mail yourself if it is within your area of
responsibility.
 Send a synopsis (general overview or summary) of
received mail (or a copy of the mail log) if the traveler is
on an extended business trip.
 After the mail has been prioritized, store it in an
appropriate place.
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OUTGOING MAIL PROCESSES
 Companies send various types of documents to
their customers, clients, other government
agencies, suppliers, etc.
 Different companies have different procedures in
handling their mails.
 Processing mails varies between small and large
companies.

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Handling Volume Mailings

 Volume Mailing – is sending the same items to

many people at the same time. E.g. Brochure to
residents in a city regarding new product/service.

 Volume mailings may qualify for reduced postage

rates.

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Handling Volume Mailings
1. Automated Handling

 Many postal departments use mail-handling to speed mail

to its destination.

 “Optical Character Reader (OCR)” is an electronic

equipment that quickly scans or “reads” the address on an
envelope and prints a bar code at the bottom of the
envelope.

 The mail will then, be routed to its proper destination.

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Handling Volume Mailings
Automated Handling Continues…

OCR will be unable to read an address because:

a. The address is handwritten.

b. The address is not printed in the proper format.
c. The envelope is too small or too large for the OCR
equipment to handle.
d. The address is not within the OCR read area.
e. The complete address is not visible through
the panel of a window envelope.

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 OCR Images

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Handling Volume Mailings
2. Mailing Lists
 Mailing lists for volume mail may contain current
addresses for:
- customers,
- prospective customers, and
- subscribers
- or those who live in certain geographic area.

 Many companies are choosing computer-generated

mailing lists to deal with changes in customers’
addresses.

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Handling Volume Mailings
 Advantages of computer-generated mailing lists
are:

 Quickly retrieve, change, or delete addresses

 Easily avoid duplicate addresses
 Select addresses from a master list to create a smaller list
for a special mailing
 Print letter addresses and salutations on form letters as
well as address labels.

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Handling Volume Mailings
3. Mail Merge

 Is a feature of word processing programs

 Allows you to print or insert addresses or other data from a
list automatically to create personalized letters, envelopes,
or labels.
 The list could be in a word processing table, a spreadsheet
table, or a database table.
 Using it is an efficient way to create labels or envelopes for
large mailings.

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 Mail Classes
and Services

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Domestic and International Mail
1. First Class Mail – commonly used for items such as
letters, bills, postcards, checks, money orders, and
business reply mail.
 Minimum amount is charged weigh up to 1 ounce but not more
than 13 ounces (>13 ounces must be sent as priority mail
2. Express Mail – the fastest service (in 1-2 days to most
domestic addresses)
 The rate includes signature proof of delivery and insurance.
Additional insurance may be purchased
 Flat rate envelopes in 2 sizes are available for Express Mail. For
other envelopes and packages, rate is based on weight and
destination.

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Cont…Domestic and International Mail
3. Priority Mail – offers delivery service to most domestic
addresses within 2 or 3 days.
 Max weight is 70 pounds
 Flat rate box and envelopes are a convenient way to mail items
4. Periodicals – Approved publishers and registered news
agents may mail items such as newspapers and
magazines at the Periodicals postage rates.
 Need authorization from the Postal Service, must pay a special
fee, and must mail in bulk lots

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Cont…Domestic and International Mail
5. Standard Mail – is a bulk mailing service for printed material
such as bulletins, brochures, and catalogs.
 Businesses often use standard mail to advertise products to consumers
 Must contain min 200 pieces or weigh 50 pounds
6. Parcel Post – may be used for small and large packages, thick
envelopes and tubes.
 Rates based on the weight of the item and the distance it must travel to
be delivered.
 Guidelines when preparing packages for mailing:
 Select box that is strong to protect content
 Leave space for cushioning inside the carton
 Always use tape is designed for shipping
 Put the delivery and return addresses on one side only of the package.
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Cont…Domestic and International Mail
7. International Mail

 Many companies send mail to other countries so overseas

parcel packages must be packed very carefully to ensure safe
delivery.
 Rates vary by weight and destination country.
 A “Customs Form” are required when send packages/parcel
that are subject to taxes to international destinations.
 International Mail Manual – A specific information about
restrictions for individual countries and about the forms
required for mailing.
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Special Postal Services
Offer several special services related to aid delivery:

1. Certificate of Mailing – a receipt that provides proof of the

date when an item was mailed

2. Certified of Mail – provides a receipt stamped with the date

of mailing and access to online delivery information

3. Delivery Confirmation – provides access to the date and

time an item was delivered via an online tracking system / by
telephone
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 Cont….Special Postal Services
4. Insured Mail and Registered Mail – provide insurance
for items that are mailed

5. Return Receipt – provides proof of delivery in the form of

a card that shows the signature or stamp of receiver and the
delivery address. The card may be delivered to your
mailbox or as an email attachment

6. Signature Confirmation – provides date, time and

location of the delivery of an item and a copy of the
signature of the recipient. If you want a specific person to
sign for mail, use Restricted Delivery Service.
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Private Courier/Delivery Service
 Many companies use a private courier/delivery
service especially when a guaranteed delivery
time is required.
 Website allows users to track packages
 Information must be accurate for prompt
delivery

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Any Question?

TQ
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