REFERENCE: https://www.vocabulary.

com/dictionary/mail

What is Mail?
According to the vocabulary.com by its definition, Mail is anything that's delivered to your mail box or
post office box — letters, bills, packages, magazines, or anything else that's sent through the postal
service. Email is the internet's version of mail.

REFERENCE: https://kullabs.com/index.php/class-9/accountancy/correspondence/handling-mails-and-
office-information

Overview
Handling mail is a process of receiving, recording and dispatching the receiving and sending letters and
documents in properly. This note is about handling the incoming mail.

Handling Mails and Office Information

Handling mail is a process of receiving, recording and dispatching the receiving and sending letters and
documents in properly. The incoming mail is received and recorded by the office in the entry book or
register book. The outgoing mail is drafted by the office in the dispatch book. This outgoing mail is
dispatched by the office through the post office or messenger. Handling mail is also known as 'Darta
Chalani'. Handling mail is one of the important routine functions of every office which should be
performed by the office assistant efficiently.

REFERENCE: https://anyflip.com/ilkfk/cbmi/basic/51-100

Darta Chalani. The dispatching of mail or chalani refers to the process of recording the information of all
the outgoing mails for future reference. By Account 8 Aakar Publication

Handling Incoming mail

The process of receiving all letters and documents and recording them in entry book in a systematic way
is called handling incoming mail. The process of handling incoming mail are as follows:

1. Receiving the mail

The incoming mail is received by the mailing department brought to the office by the postman or
messenger. Such mail may also be collected by the employee from the post box.

2. Recording the mail

The mailing department records the incoming mail in a book called entry book.

3. Stamping the mail

The mailing department stamps on the top of the first page of the letter. The stamp contains the
information relating to the reference number, entry number, and date.

4. Disturbing the mail

The mailing department distributes the letters to the concerned selection or authority for processing
and clearing them.

5. Clearing the mail

The concerned section or authority processes and clears the letters on the basis of their importance and
priority.

Handling outgoing mail

The process of drafting the letters and documents and sending them to the concerned office or
authority after recording in dispatch book in a systematic manner is called handling outgoing mail. The
processes of outgoing mail are as follows:

1. Drafting the mail

The outgoing mail is prepared by the concerned section or authority. The letter is typed on a computer.
It is signed by the responsible officer for its validity.

2. Collecting the mail

The mailing department collects all the outgoing mail from concerned section or departments. The
concerned section can also send the outgoing mail to the mailing department for final dispatch.

3. Recording the mail

The mailing department records the letters in a separate book called dispatch book. The dispatch book is
a primary record of all the letters dispatched by the office to different persons and offices.

4. Stamping the mail

The letter is folded and inserted in a sized envelope. The address of the receiver is typed and the
envelope is sealed with gum, adhesive or cello tapes. A letter should be stamped which are being sent
through the post office. The amount of postal ticket differs according to the weight of the letter, type of
the letter and distance.

5. Dispatching the mail

The letter is dispatched to the concerned person or office by the mailing department through the post
office or messenger. The message issued by an office or organization on a given topic for the knowledge
of people inside or outside the organization is called office information. It is found in written form. It
basically includes notices, circular and mandatory order.

REFERENCE: https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/office-management/mail/handling-of-incoming-or-
inwards-mail-in-an-office/74670

Handling of Incoming or Inwards Mail in an Office

Article shared by : Geeta Misra

This article throws light upon the top seven steps necessary for Handling of Incoming or Inwards Mail in
an Office. The Steps are: 1. Receiving and Opening the Mail 2. Scrutiny of Contents 3. Date-Stamping 4.
Recording 5. Sorting 6. Distributing 7. Keeping the Track.

Step # 1. Receiving and Opening the Mail:

In a small office the mail is received and opened, by the secretary or the office manager directly.

Mail may be received in any of the following ways:

(a) Mail delivered by the postman directly from the post office at regular intervals of time;

(b) Mail directly collected by the office from the post office once or twice a day in a Post Bag or loose
when a Post Box is maintained in the post office;

(c) Mail received through messengers under the ‘peon book’ system,

(d) Mail received through ‘courier’ system.

The mail is usually opened by hand but a letter opening machine may be used when the number of
letters received is very large. The machine cuts each envelope very finely at its edge without damaging
any enclosed material. A machine may open a few hundreds of letters in a minute if it is electrically
operated. The letters marked ‘confidential’ or ‘personal’ are not opened and are directly sent to the
respective addressees.

Any telegram received shall be immediately sent to the department or person concerned. After opening
an envelope it has to be seen that all the contents are taken out. Sometimes the envelope is preserved
and pinned up with the contents as an evidence of the date and place of posting as indicated by the
postal seal.

Step # 2. Scrutiny of Contents:

The contents of the envelopes have to be scrutinized or verified for the following purposes:

(a) To find out to which department the letter shall be sent;

(b) To verify whether the enclosures as mentioned in a letter really exist or correspond to the
description. The enclosures may include cheques, drafts, etc. The clerk, on verification, shall put a note
of receipt on the letter concerned and immediately shall send the cheques or drafts to the cash
department for necessary action.

Sometimes a large number of cheques, drafts and postal orders are received through post. In that case it
is preferable that the mail opening clerk prepares a list of all such receipts, makes out a total and then
sends the list after signing on it to the cashier. This is done as a protection against theft and for the
safety of the cashier. This list can also be verified with the bank paying-in slips.

Step # 3. Date-Stamping:

On every article of mail received a rubber stamp is fixed which contains the following:

(a) A serial number for the item received,

(b) The date of receipt,

(c) The time of receipt,

(d) The initial of the post opener.

The stamping may be done by using ‘Dating’, ‘Numbering’ and ‘Time-Recording’ machines. Such ma-
chines have devices for automatic change of figures with every stroke. Some offices make the date-
stamp more elaborate having provisions for further entries like the date of sending acknowledgement or
reply, the date of filing, etc. Or, a separate rubber stamp may be used for this purpose, to be used by the
department concerned.

A separate treatment is required for ‘composite letters’:

A composite letter is that which affects more than one department or individual and must be circulated
to each of such department or individual. A different kind of rubber stamp will be used having rooms for
naming the departments or individuals through which the letter shall pass successively and it has to be
initialed by the respective person.

Finally, the letter is sent for filing. Or, copies are prepared (preferably Xerox copies) and distributed to
allied departments.

In some offices every piece of inwards mail is once sent to the secretary for his perusal and initialing.

Step # 4. Recording:

In some offices a register called Inwards Mail Register or Letters Received Book is maintained where the
particulars of all the articles received through mail are recorded. This has great value as a source of
evidence whenever any doubt or dispute arises in respect of some incoming article.
It is a time-consuming and expensive affair and so some offices do not entertain this. Alternatively, a
Mail Room List system may be followed. A list is prepared for all the letters and other articles sent to a
particular department in a day and the list is signed by the department-in-charge concerned. Such lists
are prepared after sorting the mail.

Step # 5. Sorting:

After date-stamping and recording, the mail has to be sorted out for sending them to respective
departments or individuals. For the purpose of sorting trays or baskets meant for different departments
are laid on the table. In case the number of departments is big, a pigeon-hole (a box containing
partitioned apartments like a pigeon hole) is used.

This is useful when for a large number of individual sorting is to be done. Sorting has to be done very
carefully so that there is no wrong placement and the enclosures are not missed. Sometimes it is difficult
to ascertain to which department a letter should go. The supervisor of the section will take the decision
or it may be sent to the secretary or office manager.

Step # 6. Distributing:

The next step or operation is distributing the mail to respective departments or individuals. The office
peons or bearers will do this job. The mail will be handed over against initialing by the receiving officer
or clerk on the Register. A Mail Room List may be prepared at this stage. Messages received over
Telephone have to be distributed which may not require sorting.
Step # 7. Keeping the Track:

Actually the procedure of handling of inwards mail will be complete when necessary action on the
respective piece of mail received has been taken. A letter has to be replied or acknowledged. An order
has to be acknowledged and executed or refused.

If the matter has no importance then the article is directly filed or even put into the waste paper basket
or destroyed. After action has been taken every piece of inward written communication has to be sent
for filing.

An office must have a definite routine for the handling of inwards mail and the supervisor of the
receiving section shall be responsible for carrying out the routine. If any piece of inwards mail remains
unattended or is lost or is misled, a serious action has to be taken against the person in default.
REFERENCE: https://stoplearn.com/procedures-for-handling-incoming-mails/?amp=1

Procedures For Handling Incoming Mails

By Stoplearn Team

Incoming mail contains new orders, enquiries, cheques, reports, complaints and any other letter from
other business organisation received either by hard or by past.

The procedures are:

1. Receive mail from post office box or from their personnel

2. Check mail one after the other

3. Sort the mail into private, official and confidential

4. Send mails to officer concerned

5. Open non-confidential mail by clerk

6. Remove the contents for cheques, receipt, bill etc

7. Record mail in inward book

8. Place file and sent them to officer concerned

Procedures for handling outgoing mail are:

i. Collecting mail ready to be sent

ii. Preparing the mail for posting from mail room

iii. Folding mails

iv. Insertion of letter/mail into envelope

v. Weighing of mail on scale

vi. Stamping of mails

vii. Despatching mails