Laws started this topic @ 10:38 on 11/08/2005
I am part of a small computer retailing business and employees are regularly tied up for more then 30 minutes on trips to the post office which is less then 30 seconds away!
I have recently been looking into frakning machines hoping to improve mailing efficiency in my business. The bonuses of removing the need of giving out petty cash for deliveries and the improved business image all seem great, but from how i understand it doesnt warrant the cost seeing as we will still have to que at the post office.
Hopefully im missing a simple solution, heres my mailage breakdown:
* A third of our orders can be sent 1st class recorded, these see the lowest waiting times as only require a stamp from the post office and can skip queing. If all our orders where sent like this i think we could manage.
*Other orders are sent special delivery, due to the high value of packages. With these items queing will be needed - these make up over one third of all orders.
*The last percentage of orders are sent via a courier because of weight and/or value.
any ideas?
RE: cutting out the post office! how?
BKE | 11/08/2005 11:21 AM
Contact pitney bowes and see if they are able to cut out both your first class and weighed postage costs. They may also be able to help with franking the registered mail so that you only have to have them stickered at the post office.
The post office should be able to supply you with a registered mail book that holds up to three thousand registered mail stickers. You could fill these out yourself before your arrival at the post office and then only actual que for payment, if you have wieghed the parcel before your arrival at the post office this will also help speed you up.
I used to be a post office manager and all of our clients that used this system where served individually without having to que for service, perhaps your local post office also does this?
Good luck
louise
RE: cutting out the post office! how?
Laws | 11/08/2005 08:09 PM
BKE -
a pitney and bowes machine arrived today actually. i think my manager has it on the 30 day trial.
unfortunately its turned out worse then i thought. once at the post office, i was made to have each one of my items re-weighed and surprisingly had to pay an additional 3p for one of the packages. i also had to wait for the cashier to stamp recorded delivery forms for each item while i had to separately attach labels.
i mentioned about the amount of time the procedure took asking for alternative methods and she answered with a smile and "ow its not so bad" .... by this time i had already spent way too much time away and had to get back.
is there any specific book/forms i should ask for?
Also I know very little about mailing and was wondering if there was anything technical I should mention to Pitney Bowes when I call them up about cutting weighted and first class costs?
RE: RE: cutting out the post office! how?
leeb | 11/08/2005 10:08 PM
I think it depends on the post office and the staff.
I use smartstamp and 99% of staff do not have a clue how it works. I now go to a main Glasgow PO and the staff give me a big pack of SD slips and get then all filled out and smart stamp everything. Make sure you have good scales and do not try and save money by chossing a cheaper rate as if they catch you once they weigh everything everytime you go in. Once you get a good relationship the will give you empty mail bags and you just drop it off
You can also pay around £1 a day and the royal mail pick it up , see www.royalmail.com
