My Truth about EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)

Every Door Direct Mail

If you have any questions about EDDM, ask in the comments and I will try to get you an answer. No obligation, I will just try to help you.

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The postal service is pushing a “not so new” but improved feature called EDDM Every Door Direct Mail.

A simple explanation is that you can mail a “Flat”  (determined by size) mail piece, saturating an area to as many full carrier routes as you like (up to 5000 pcs per day) without having specific addresses and without buying a postal permit.

Saturation mail has been around for a long time but they have made it easier to use.  This should be a good thing.

*** 10  Observations about EDDM *** (these are just my opinions)

1.  The postage price was not reduced for this new program,  but the process was made easier for the customer.  Is that enough to grab their attention?  Time will tell.

2.  It is limited to flats.  In my opinion if the USPS was serious, they would have opened this to standard mail also.

3.  My customers are reluctant to jump on board because of the extra printing costs involved in printing flats.

4.  In tough economic times, my customers are looking for the cheapest possible way to mail, period!  EDDM is not the cheapest, it is just the easiest.

5.  This was a huge blow to the list broker business.  Before customers had to purchase a list, now the post office is offering this mailing with no addresses at all.

6. In my opinion the USPS should do national television advertising.   Get the word out far and wide.  Having their employees try to sell this to small business, is just not efficient. UPDATE ask and you shall receive (click here)

7.  They have limited the number of EDDM (retail) pieces to 5000 per day.   That seems counter productive.  Wouldn’t it be better to pave the way for customers to bring in as much mail in one day as possible?

8.  This program is not open to non-profits.  This doesn’t make sense to me.  Since they didn’t reduce postage costs, why exclude non-profit?

9.  You have to apply for a mailer ID to take advantage of this program.  Although it’s not that difficult, it is mandatory.

10.  The mail must be presented to the post office serving the area you are mailing to.  You can only drop ship if you are using the EDDM BMEU not the EDDM Retail.

Added:

11. There has been some confusion as to whether you can mail an envelope EDDM or not.  Yes you can as long as it meets the size requirements for EDDM.

12.  You must have the permit and the delivery information on the mail piece.  The post office does not do this for you!

If you would like more information or just want to ask a question, contact us (here).

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me:  I grew up in a house with one bathroom and one telephone.

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It all started innocently

Click here  for an awesome article about our Main Street USA in NWI Times  today.

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me:  I believe music can change your mood.

Listen Up Non-Profits

Keeping it simple……

I had a non-profit customer today make the decision not to apply for non-profit status at the post office because she said they don’t mail often enough.

My suggestion to her was to apply anyway, it’s FREE.  IF YOU DIRECT MAIL, YOU SHOULD APPLY.

There is only a cost if you want your own permit, if you use a mail service you do not need your own permit.

Authorization number and permit number are two different things.

There is a lot of money to be saved in postage if you can qualify with the USPS as a non-profit organization.

I’m making it easy, link to application (Click Here)

Your authorization number can be used anywhere in the U.S. regardless of where you apply.

You must mail 200 pieces or 50 pounds of bulk mail per mailing.

No, you do not have to mail to only one zip code, you can mix it up any way you want.

You must mail at least once every 2 years to keep your authorization active.

You may not lend your authorization to another organization.

More questions? Contact me.

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me:  I have a horrible singing voice and that makes me sad.  I would love to be able to sing (beautifully).

Can the Post Office be saved?

Who do I think I am talking about saving the post office?

I am only one of thousands of customers that use the post office daily.  I am not here to bash the post office, I actually need them to survive or I am out of business too. I am here to talk about what I observe.

Called the post office all morning yesterday, no one picked up the phone.   I actually wasted all morning trying to get an answer to an important question.

Email was not an option because the person with the answer is pulled from their desk every morning to perform other tasks because they are short-handed.

Have you ever tried to find the phone number of your local post office in the phone book?  It’s not under “P”, it’s not under “US”.  I often get calls at my business from frustrated postal customers asking me if I have the phone number to the post office.

It is possible they don’t want to be interrupted all day long by their customers?

Evaluate your customer service through the eyes of your customers.

Can the post office be saved?  First step, focus on serious, committed customer service.

What do you think the post office can do to improve their customer service?

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me:  I was raised in a very conservative household.  Neither parent would have ever owned their own business.

Is five day delivery in the future for the post office?

 

Do you think customer service is a high priority at the post office?

I think we all will agree that the post office does a phenomenal job of delivering mail.  Put a letter in the mail one day, and it ends up in the hands of the recipient the next, sometimes even with the wrong or insufficient address.  Think about that.  Millions of pieces of mail moved all across the country every day with precise accuracy.

I think we also know they are in a financial crisis.

They are proposing 5 day delivery, already removed many corner blue mail boxes, and are consolidating or closing many post offices while simultaneously telling us customer service is important to them.

Customer service is not measured by what you say but by what you do.

Why not try upsetting the apple cart?

Can you imagine this television commercial by the post office professing their commitment to customer service?

“We are going to institute 7 day delivery, with all post offices being open 9 – 5,  7 days a week and if there is ever a line longer than 5 people, we will open another window.  We promise you will be greeted with a smile and we will find a solution to your mail needs.”

Radical?  Yes.

Impossible?  Maybe.

“If your goal isn’t impossible, you’re not reaching high enough”… jeff noel.

What do you think the post office could do to improve their customer service?

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me:  The post office is essentially my business partner.  I live with their decisions.

Disney Institute – Building Relationships

We all have choices to make

Have you heard the statement, “It’s not my fault, but it is my problem?”  Remembering this statement is one way Disney brings magic to its guests.  The lost balloon or the dropped ice cream cone is certainly not the cast members’ fault, but they often accept it as their problem.  The replacement balloon or ice cream cone is the perfect opportunity to build a relationship and deliver a “little wow”.

The circumstances are different but the idea is the same, for a small bulk mail business in Indiana.

It’s not my fault that our post office Bulk Mail Technician is on vacation for three weeks.

It’s not my fault that his replacement doesn’t know how to submit a non-profit application.

It’s not my fault that I am not allowed to circumvent my local post office and do it myself.

But it is my problem.

This application will save my customer hundreds of dollars.

Can I navigate the red tape in time?

Can I make it seem  effortless?

Can I save my customer hundreds of dollars?

Mission accomplished.

All because I accepted it as my problem.

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Random me: Knock on wood, I have never had a broken bone.

The magic and enthusiasm of the Disney Institute workshop is over, now what? This blog is about exactly that,  for a small bulk mail business in Indiana.

Bulk Mail Service Tip #3 – Irregular Cuts

Quality Matters

Problem: Irregular cuts

Explanation: More and more of my customers are opting to do some of their own printing to save money.  One of the drawbacks is that quality matters to the post office, so be very careful.  The cut is very important.  The post office operates on weight to get your piece count.  They will take 10 samples, weigh them and then calculate your entire mailing’s weight based on those 10 pieces.  If they take ten samples including the smaller cuts, the weight would be different from 10 with the larger cuts. When the weight does not match the piece count on the postage statement,  the mailing can be rejected or you may be charged more in postage.

Solution: The best solution is to have your mail pieces cut by a printer or vendor with an industrial paper-cutter.  If that is not possible and you need to cut them yourself, set up your paper-cutter guides or mark a guide measurement with a piece of tape or a pencil mark.  Also let your employees know the importance of quality work and why.

Have a wonder-filled day,

Donna Flanagin

Flanagin’s Bulk Mail Service