SINGLE PIECE FIRST-CLASS CD/DVDS

Todd Butler of Butler Mailing Services Inc. recently sent this letter to the editor of the PostCom Bulletin. He can be reached at 513-870-5060 or via email at toddb@butlermail.com. His website address is www.ekeymailer.com

While visiting the West Coast last week, I discovered that the USPS has developed a simple solution for the problems incurred when handling First-Class DVDs not compatible with automated letter mail processing equipment. Unfortunately this solution is currently available only for DVDs returned in solid red envelopes and addressed to one specific customer.

The West Coast solution for these BRM DVDs was to create a private, manual mail stream within the traditional First-Class mail processing system. Special collection boxes have been set up at the major post offices specifically for returned DVDs in red BRM mailers. The standard operating procedure for this private mail stream is to manually process the red envelopes, put them into Express Mail management trays and not stack them more than one high during transportation. These procedures reduce, if not eliminate, breakage of the DVDs caused by the facer canceller and the rough handling associated with postal tubs. Reduced breakage creates a huge monetary advantage within this market.

At first I was outraged over the idea that the Postal Service was blatantly showing such favoritism to just one of its customers. There are a lot of small CD/DVD customers paying the same postage rates, encountering the same problems with automation and experiencing the same breakage the red envelopes have encountered. With postal management’s attention solely on the wishes of their biggest CD/DVD mailer, other customers’ needs have been ignored … again.

Setting aside the blatant favoritism, if the special collection boxes were opened to all First-Class single piece CD/DVD mail, the Postal Service might reap significant savings from consumer separation of this unique mail stream. With only CD/DVDs in a collection box postal employees would have an opportunity to face, manually inspect and determine the postage payment method quickly and efficiently. The CD/DVD mail that needed cancellation could be sent through manual cancellation, avoiding the facer canceller. Automation compatible metered and BRM mail could be sent directly to the DBCS machines for processing. Non-automation compatible mail could be sent through manual processing and kept off automated equipment, preventing the inevitable jams, equipment stoppages and sortation errors. Keeping non-compatible mail out of the automated mail stream is where significant postal savings can be achieved.

All CD/DVD customers would benefit from lower breakage rates, encouraging new volumes of CD/DVD mail and greater utilization of the First-Class mail stream. All customers need to avoid the destruction of their CD/DVDs on the facer canceller. Most CD/DVD mail should be slated for the same manual processing the biggest DVD mailer demands.

There are no automation requirements for fully paid First-Class mail; therefore ALL of the Postal Service’s customers dropping CD/DVDs in collection boxes are paying for manual processing of their CD/DVDs. Since this non-compatible mail causes problems with the automated equipment and the automated equipment causes breakage of CD/DVDs, it is only logical to separate this mail at the point of origin and handle it appropriately as manually processed mail. All customers should receive the premium services they are paying for when utilizing the First-Class single piece mail stream.

As for the red envelopes, there is a DMM rule for BRM mail that states outgoing automated letters containing a BRM piece can only claim outgoing automation rates if the return piece is also automation compatible. But I’m sure that something special can be done by postal management to resolve this issue for such an important customer.

The Postal Service needs to establish a certification process for automation compatible CD/DVD mail pieces. This certification would provide guidance to the mailer community as to what designs work on automated equipment therefore encouraging more automation compatible designs. Any designs meeting certification requirements should be marked in a conspicuous manor for easy identification by postal employees so that this mail can be placed into the appropriate automated mail stream. Any mail not marked should be relegated to manual processing, pay the appropriate rates and not interfere with the automated mail stream. There are numerous packages, some under one ounce in weight, commercially available today that have been approved for automation by the postal engineers. When designed correctly, not only can CD/DVD mailers run well on automated equipment but they can also minimize or eliminate the breakage caused by these machines.