As USPS Move Update Changes Approach, Remember: the Prepared Shall Prosper
It had to happen sooner or later. The question is, what is each of us going to do about it?
"It" was the inevitable announcement that the United States Postal Service will impose Move Update requirements, which currently apply only to First-Class Mail jobs, to Standard class mailings as well. What's more, the across-the-board requirement itself will become stricter: when the changes take effect on
Obviously this will change the way many of us do business, and certainly our boats have been rocked enough by endless waves of USPS regulatory shifts. But smart mailers will recognize a rule like this one as the proverbial rising tide that lifts all boats: good news for service providers and customers alike.
In fact, this postal regulation helps us more than the Postal Service itself. Consider that the First-Class address-update requirement primarily protects the USPS: they don't want to devote extra unnecessary funds to delivering or returning the mail. But for Standard mailings, where that rule has not applied, undeliverable pieces are often discarded, not returned. Mailers' clients pay for production and postage, and your operations dedicate valuable time that could be spent on other jobs ... all on mail that may likely wind up in the trash.
All in all, the value of regularly applying address correction technology has been proven many times over. And not just for First-Class jobs: nearly half of our current
It's true that November 23 is still months away, but that interval will pass in an eyeblink. There's no better time to start preparing your internal operations and your clients, with the benefits of that advance planning far outweighing any short-term or transitory disadvantages.
Point out to customers the advantages of targeted bulk mailingseverything from higher economy to the "green" benefits of reduced paper waste. Throw in a compelling argument that address updating quickly pays for itself many times over (you can generate examples at www.bccsoftware.com/prodserv/mus/dataservicesroi.asp), and you'll be their knight in shining armor.
Smaller operators may find it increasingly difficult to bear the additional costs of this and other recent requirements. But it's important to remember that mailers of all sizes who respond pro-actively to this latest challenge will have a vitally important, business-enhancing edge when the leaves begin to fall later this year. As those service providers who fail to adapt to the new rules fall by the wayside, others will be able to move in, pick up the pieces, and enjoy considerable incremental revenuesthe reward for thinking ahead.
Also, keep in mind that you have options as to how to comply with the USPS regulations. Pay-as-you-go Move Update services with a third-party USPS licensee will pro-actively correct your lists and meet the Postal Service requirements. But if you frequently process high list volumes, the extra upfront costs of becoming a USPS licensee yourselfprocessing your lists in-house, with 24/7 flexibility and total controlmay provide a remarkably quick return on investment and assist your operations considerably.
Whatever you do, remember above all that the announced intervals preceding a major USPS transition such as this should be seen not as a warning of bad news ahead, but as a valuable tip about an upcoming opportunity. Use it to your advantage.
K. Jon Runstrom is President of
