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Important notes 2
Receive and dispatch outgoing mail
Organisational guidelines should be followed for
collecting, processing and posting mail each day.
Processing the outgoing mail will include
- deciding on the type of service required – normal, electronic, overnight, express, bulk, registered, certified, person to person, DX, special security
- choosing the most appropriate carrier eg Australia Post, a courier
- ensuring that the carrier’s requirements are followed
- determining the rate of postage and the method of paying for the postage cost
- recording details of the outgoing mail including date of dispatch, sender, department, carrier, contents, reference number, enclosures
Mailing Services
There are a range of mail services available, both from Australia Post and private providers. Conditions and costs vary and change periodically. The services being offered and charges, should be checked regularly.
Australia Post offers a variety of services including
- Letter post – based on size, weight and destination
- Express post – guaranteed next day delivery to specified areas
- Registered Post –a unique identification number for every article provides proof of posting, a signature is obtained on delivery and insurance cover up to $100 is included
- Parcel Post – based on size, weight and destination of the parcel
- Bulk Mail services – including PreSort Letter Service (300 letters of the same size, category and weight for delivery within Australia), PrintPost (for delivery of a newsletter, magazine or periodical), Local Delivery Service (discounts for delivery to adjacent postcodes) or Clean Mail (a minimum of 300 letters able to be sorted by mechanised letter sorting equipment)
- International services including air and sea mail
For up-to-date information and costs for these services,
refer to the Australia Post Post Charges booklet or
the website at www.auspost.com.au 
.
From time to time it may be necessary to organise same day or urgent deliveries. The best option for delivery will be determined by cost, time constraints, delivery location, the nature of the contents (are they bulky, fragile, confidential) and the quantity of the delivery. Using email or facsimile may be an option. DX (Australian Document Exchange Service) is another way for organisations to send and receive mail.
After deciding which service is needed eg one-hour delivery, door to door, overnight, international, and the carrier’s specifications, lodgement can be organised.
Processing the outgoing mail
Receive
Mail is collected periodically, either picked up from individuals or departments or delivered to a central mailroom. Most organisations have procedures in place for collecting mail to ensure prompt dispatch.
Check
Mail should be checked for accuracy and completeness.
This includes checking that
- address details and layout are correct (for guidelines
see the Australia Post booklet Guide to Correct
Addressing or check for ‘addressing
guidelines’ on the website www.auspost.com.au )
- the letter and envelope are addressed to the same person
- correspondence has been signed
- any enclosures or attachments are included eg cheque or advertising materials
- the address is correctly positioned if using window-face envelopes
- a return address is included
- parcels are securely packaged
Sort
Sort the mail into similar items – parcels, local
letters, overseas mail, special services to take advantage of
cost savings and to more easily calculate postage.
Calculate and pay postage
The cost of mail will be determined by
- size
- weight
- destination
- business discounts
- when delivery is required
The current charges for the preferred carrier should be checked eg Australia Post Post Charges booklet (or on the website) or the AUSDOC DX Directory. Courier companies will quote on specific deliveries or may provide pre-paid document satchels.
When using Australia Post, postage must be paid for at time of lodgement, whether using stamps, prepaid envelopes, an authorised postage meter or franking machine, or using a bulk delivery service.
Postage meters and franking machines allow businesses to
print the cost of postage on mail items (either directly or
using a label) and pay for this postage by phone, modem, or
at the post office. Using a postage meter allows businesses a
25% discount on postage charges.
Register and dispatch
Many organisations maintain a record of outgoing mail – either electronic (using a spreadsheet, database or specialist software application) or a paper-based system (mail book, outwards mail register).
A record of the outgoing mail should include
- date of dispatch
- sender and sender’s department/title
- addressee and organisation
- the carrier used (normal mail, Express Post, courier)
- reference number (eg Express Post barcode reference number from the envelope)
- receipts where appropriate (eg registered post receipt)
The prepared and checked mail may be delivered to the Post Office or collected from the organisation. Care should be taken to make sure mail is dispatched in a timely manner. Couriers and Express Post services, for example, have cut-off times for collection, to ensure delivery as required.
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