Mail Services and Procedures (Guidance, 07/01/95, GAO/OIMC-95-6).
GAO published a guide listing its available mail services and procedures
to follow to ensure that its outgoing mail is handled as quickly and
efficiently as possible.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: OIMC-95-6
TITLE: Mail Services and Procedures
DATE: 07/01/95
SUBJECT: Mail transportation operations
Mail delivery problems
Government publications
Mailing lists
Internal controls
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Cover
================================================================ COVER
Office of Information Management and Communications
July 1995
MAIL SERVICES AND PROCEDURES
GAO/OIMC-95-6
Mail Services and Procedures
Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV
BRM - Business Reply Mail
GAO - General Accounting Office
ISC - Information Services Center
OIMC - Office of Information Management and Communications
PCC - Publishing and Communications Center
PDD - Planned Document Distribution
USPS - U.S. Postal Service
FOREWORD
============================================================ Chapter 0
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 0:1
This guide is being provided to inform you of available mail services
and procedures to follow to ensure that your mail is handled as
quickly and efficiently as possible.
Guidance in this publication supersedes chapter 5 of the GAO Order
0411.1 SUP, Supplement for Secretaries and Typists; material on mail
and messenger service on pp. 42-43 of the June 1990 Publishing
Survival Guide (GAO/OPC-90-1); and Mail Guidance for GAO Employees
(1990 brochure).
We appreciate your cooperation and welcome your suggestions for
improving our services and this guide.
F. Kevin Boland
Assistant Comptroller General
Information Management and Communications
OVERVIEW
============================================================ Chapter 1
The guidance in this publication is intended for all headquarters,
audit site, and field office staff.
HOURS OF OPERATION AND
TELEPHONE NUMBER
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:1
The Mail Center of the Publishing and Communications Center (PCC),
Office of Information Management and Communications (OIMC), is open
from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in room 1517 of the
GAO Building. Mail Center staff can be reached at 202-512-5893.
AVAILABLE SERVICES AND WHERE TO
OBTAIN THEM
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:2
The following services are provided by the Mail Center:
-- U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail,
-- audit site pickups\1 and deliveries,
-- Business Reply Mail (BRM) assistance,
-- certified and registered mail,
-- express mail shipment,
-- internal mail distribution,
-- international mail,
-- field office (pouch) mail,
-- specialized mailings, and
-- mail to be sent through USPS.
--------------------
\1 The Mail Center processes all mail picked up from audit sites that
(1) is bound for headquarters, other audit sites, field offices, and
sublocations and (2) is to be sent through USPS.
SCHEDULED PICKUP AND DELIVERY
TIMES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:3
Table 1.1 shows mail pickup, delivery, and cutoff times for selected
services.
Table 1.1
Mail Pickup, Delivery, and Cutoff Times
for Selected Services
Services Time
---------------------------------- ----------------------------------
Internal mail pickup and delivery 9:30 -10:30 a.m. and 2:30 -3:30
p.m.
Audit site pickup and delivery 9:30 a.m. -noon and 1:30 -4:30
p.m.
Cutoff for\a
Certified and registered mail 11 a.m.
Field office pouch mail 3 p.m.
Next day air\b 3 p.m.
Overnight ground shipments\b 10 a.m.
U.S. Postal Service mail 3:30 p.m.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
\a If you miss the cutoff time, your material will be processed the
next working day.
\b Try not to request Saturday delivery because additional charges
will be incurred. Also, should you require Saturday service,
determine if someone is going to be at the destination.
LATE MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 1:4
Late USPS mail not collected during the regular afternoon mail stops
within the building may be brought to the Mail Center by 3:30 p.m.
for delivery to the U.S. Post Office at 4 p.m. Internal mail may be
brought to the Mail Center by 4:30 p.m. and will be delivered the
next working day.
INTEROFFICE MAIL
============================================================ Chapter 2
Interoffice mail consists of memorandums, publications, and
miscellaneous correspondence that is loose or has been placed in
envelopes. This mail must bear the addressee's full name, street,
apartment or suite number, city, state, and ZIP Code.
MAILING ADDRESS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:1
Each unit and audit site has an assigned mailing address. See GAO's
Telephone Directory and Administrative Services Guide for exact
mailing addresses. Use your division or office name and mailing
address as part of your return address for interoffice and external
mail. It will speed your replies.
PACKAGES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:2
Place the addressee's full name and mailing address on each package.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:3
Headquarters and audit site staff who move to new locations and mail
stops should (1) fill out GAO Form 410, Headquarters Employee
Information (see fig. 2.1), and submit it to their administrative
staff and (2) send a note or a memorandum to the Mail Center,
indicating the new and old mailing addresses, and the new telephone
number. They may also want to fill out GAO Form 389, Mailing List
Maintenance Information (see fig. 2.2), for distribution list
changes. The form is available in Planned Document Distribution
(PDD) of OIMC's Information Services Center (ISC), room 1116, and
through the Supply Center, room 3811. Please bring completed forms
to Distribution, room 1116, for processing.
Figure 2.1: GAO Form 410, GAO
Headquarters Employee
Information
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Figure 2.2: GAO Form 389,
Mailing List Maintenance
Information
(See figure in printed
edition.)
SINGLE- AND MULTIPLE-PAGE ITEMS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:4
All mail, including single- and multiple-page memorandums, letters,
magazines, books, reprints, etc., should be inserted in interoffice
envelopes. This will prevent single-page correspondence and small
pieces of mail from becoming trapped between the pages of
multiple-page items. It will also prevent pages from becoming
dislodged and lost.
ITEMS REQUIRING SPECIAL
PACKAGING AND HANDLING
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:5
Items such as glass parts, metal pieces, product samples, and
chemicals may not be mailed in envelopes. They require special
packaging and handling. Contact the Mail Center for assistance.
APPROPRIATE ENVELOPES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:6
The type of contents determines the appropriate type of envelope to
use in terms of size and strength. Choose a size that will properly
accommodate the contents. Excessively large envelopes will not
provide a snug fit for the contents. A snug fit is needed for
effective handling. On the other hand, overstuffed envelopes will
burst at the seams upon impact with other mail. In addition, use an
envelope that is strong enough to hold the contents.
FIELD OFFICE AND SUBLOCATION
MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:7
Pouch mail going to field offices and sublocations is boxed and sent
by express mail Monday through Thursday. Our express service tracks
all packages shipped and guarantees next-day delivery by noon. Make
sure that the word "POUCH" is written prominently on the outside of
each envelope and package, in addition to the recipient's name and
room number and the field office or sublocation name.
Field offices and sublocations should use USPS first-class mail
whenever possible. If you have a large amount of mail to ship, use
express services.
AUDIT SITE MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2:8
Audit site mail is delivered and picked up daily. Audit site mail
requiring express, ground, or USPS mailing is processed by the Mail
Center. All audit site mailings to field offices and sublocations
are handled by the Mail Center using pouch mail.
Pouch mail from field offices and sublocations and USPS mail is
processed through the Mail Center and is delivered daily. Express
mail can be delivered directly to audit sites; it must include the
agency or building name, the address, ZIP code, the room number, and
the recipient's name and phone number.
MAIL TO BE SENT THROUGH THE U.S.
POSTAL SERVICE
============================================================ Chapter 3
ADDRESSING
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:1
Place a return address and a delivery address on all mail. (See fig.
3.1 for sequence and positioning of items.)
You will get the best possible service if you
-- use all caps for everything in the address and the return
address;
-- use common street abbreviations (see fig. 3.2);
-- use ZIP+4 codes whenever possible;
-- eliminate all punctuation, except the hyphen between the ZIP
code and the four additional digits; and
-- use standard state, directional, and secondary address
abbreviations (see fig. 3.3).
If you are generating a mailing list for a large distribution, follow
these instructions so that PDD can generate labels:
-- Use no less than three, and no more than five, lines for each
address.
-- Use no more than 32 characters (any excess will be truncated).
A blank or space counts as a character.
-- Insert at least one blank line between addresses.
-- Place city, state, and ZIP code on the last line in the address.
-- Use two-letter state abbreviations.
-- If the address contains a room or suite number, place that
number if possible, on a line by itself beginning with: "Room,"
"Rm," "Suite," or "#."
Make sure that the recipient's address appears on the line
immediately above the city, the state, and the ZIP code line (for
example, 123 West Main Street, Suite 400, or P.O. Box 125). Do not
place both on the same line.
Figure 3.1: Domestic and
International Address Format
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Source: U.S. Postal Service
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Figure 3.2: Common Street
Abbreviations
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Source: U.S. Postal Service
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Figure 3.3: Standard State,
Directional, and Secondary
Address Abbreviations
(See figure in printed
edition.)
Source: U.S. Postal Service
(See figure in printed
edition.)
CONTENTS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:2
CORRESPONDENCE
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:2.1
Enclose mail of any kind for delivery by USPS in an appropriate
envelope or package and seal. The types of envelopes and contents
determine the mailing classification. Refer to "Envelopes" and
"Mailing Tips" sections.
ITEMS REQUIRING SPECIAL
PACKAGING AND HANDLING
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:2.2
Items such as paper clips, glass parts, metal pieces, product
samples, and chemicals may not be mailed in envelopes. These not
only will jam or damage the mailing equipment but also can cause
injury to mail handlers. Also, all foreign countries impose
restrictions on mailing such items.
In addition, envelopes and cards measuring less than 3.5 inches high,
5 inches long, or 0.007 inches thick and greater than 6.125 inches
high,
11.5 inches long, or 0.25 inches thick are nonmailables and will be
returned to sender. Mail, including GAO publications, that is being
sent to foreign countries (even Canada) must be in envelopes. If you
aren't sure whether the items that you want to mail for either
domestic or foreign delivery are acceptable, contact the Mail Center
for assistance.
METERED MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:3
All mail being processed for USPS must include the sender's name, the
division or the office, and the room number above the preprinted
return address on the envelope. Do not use chain envelopes to send
mail from GAO to other government agencies in the Washington area.
Use GAO envelopes plus complete mailing addresses of other agencies,
including ZIP codes.
ENVELOPES
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4
SIZES AND TYPES
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.1
The size of the envelope should properly accommodate the contents.
If you use envelopes that are too big, the contents may be damaged or
lost. For use in the USPS system, there are basically two categories
of envelopes: letter size and "flats."
Letters and flats (see p. 15) are assigned different rates by USPS;
to ensure the best rate, call the Mail Center for sizes and rates
before preparing the mail.
LETTER-SIZE ENVELOPES FOR
DOMESTIC MAIL
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.2
Letter-size mail must be rectangular for automated USPS processing.
The Mail Center recommends that to ensure prompt and efficient
processing of first-class mail
-- you use only envelopes that are sealed or secured on all four
edges so that they can be handled by machines and
-- the dimensions of the envelopes and cards conform to USPS
specifications.
Mail that is not of the size required for automated processing will
not qualify for discounted rates.
FLATS
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.3
Flats are envelopes larger than the maximum letter size but not
larger than 15 inches long and 12 inches high.
PLAIN WHITE OR BROWN
ENVELOPES
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.4
Use these for all classes of mail. Mark all envelopes that are to be
sent first-class.
PADDED ENVELOPES
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.5
Use them when you need a cushioned lining to provide a degree of
safety for mailing small or fragile items. These are available from
the Mail Center upon special request.
PRIORITY ENVELOPES
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.6
Use them for first-class mail weighing more than 11 ounces and mail
weighing less than 11 ounces requiring expedited delivery. These
envelopes are red, white, and blue and are available at the Mail
Center customer service counter.
WINDOW ENVELOPES
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:4.7
Use window envelopes when the contents are designed so that the
address appears in the window. Do not use window envelopes for
mailing correspondence that involves national security or is highly
confidential to the agency or the addressee. Use window envelopes
for form-type correspondence. Using window envelopes eliminates the
typing of envelopes or labels. If the addressed contents do not
properly fit the windows, use envelopes without windows. Do not
staple mail into envelopes.
BUSINESS REPLY MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:5
Use Business Reply Mail (BRM) only when requesting a reply from the
recipient. On the BRM envelope, type, print, or stamp the address to
which it is to be returned or affix a gummed label to the address
area. The address must not be handwritten. The BRM will be returned
only to a valid GAO business address. If a survey is being handled
by an outside auditing firm, contact the Mail Center for
authorization.
When you decide to design any BRM envelope or card, contact the Mail
Center for proper USPS format.
EXPRESS MAIL AND OTHER
SPECIALIZED MAILINGS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:6
GAO Form 399, Express Mail Services Request (see fig. 3.4)
(available from the Mail Center and the GAO Supply Store), is
required to expedite specialized mailings other than field office
pouch mailings.
The following types of mail require the form:
-- all mail for next-day or second-day delivery (see ch. 4);
-- all certified, registered, and insured mail;
-- all international destination material; and
PROCESSING BULK THIRD-CLASS
PRESORT PUBLICATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:7
PCC's mail policy requires that all publications be prepared for bulk
third-class presort mailing. All publications must include the bulk
third-class indicia on the back cover. It is also important that all
items be suitable for mailing (saddle stitched, side stitched, or
perfect bound with indicia, return address, and boilerplate postal
information).
The exceptions to this policy are documents containing 196 pages or
more and weighing 16 ounces or more, surveys, and special
publications. Consult a customer service representative for help in
handling these exceptions.
Planned Document Distribution requires that external mailing labels
be submitted on a disk. PDD will process your list into
machine-affixable labels, and will merge it with other list codes for
optimal postal processing. Some restrictions apply; please obtain a
copy of detailed instructions from PDD in room 1116.
Planned Document Distribution will provide additional guidance on how
to submit mailing lists not maintained by GAO for inclusion in the
automated third-class presort processing.
Figure 3.4: GAO Form 399:
Express Mail Services Request
(See figure in printed
edition.)
LARGE MAILINGS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:8
Whenever planning a large or specialized mailing (1,000 pieces or
more), contact the Mail Center for advice and assistance to ensure
that your mail is handled in the most cost-effective, efficient, and
timely manner.
The Mail Center suggests a 72-hour advance notice to ensure that the
following are available:
-- appropriate size and quantity of enclosures (envelopes and/or
boxes),
-- Mail Center personnel and equipment to process the mailing, and
-- sufficient postage on deposit.
PERSONAL MAIL
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:9
OUTGOING MAIL
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:9.1
Be sure to seal it and affix the proper amount of postage. The Mail
Center will gladly help you determine the proper amount. The Mail
Center is not permitted to apply metered postage to personal mail.
GAO does not process outgoing personal mail. USPS mail deposit
chutes are located on the
G and H Street sides on each floor. Don't forget to include your
return address with all mailings.
INCOMING MAIL
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:9.2
All incoming mail addressed to GAO's physical address becomes the
property of GAO. All mail without a recipient's name that is
addressed "GAO" or "General Accounting Office" or "U.S. General
Accounting Office" is sent to the Office of the General Counsel for
identification. If the mail is addressed to an individual employee
and is third class, bulk rate, or nonprofit material as described
below in "Unacceptable Mail," it will be handled according to those
procedures.
If an item that appears to be personal is received as first-class
mail, it will be given unopened to the Mail Manager. The Manager
will contact the recipient, ask that he or she pick up the mail, and
request that the recipient notify correspondents not to use the
employer's work address. If the recipient cannot be located,
first-class pieces will be returned to sender.
If the recipient refuses to refrain from using the GAO address for
personal mail or if personal mail is still received after sufficient
time has elapsed for the recipient to notify correspondents, the Mail
Center will refer the problem to the PCC Operations Manager.
UNACCEPTABLE MAIL
--------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:10
GAO Mail Center facilities and delivery systems are for official
business only. Commercial solicitations, advertisements, brochures,
catalogs, magazines, etc., that do not pertain exclusively to GAO
business will not be delivered under any circumstances.
Certain work-related materials of this nature, for example,
professional and trade publications or journals, announcements of
training courses, and special interest or advocacy publications, may
be delivered provided they bear complete, legible addresses and
clerical time is not required to identify and locate the recipient.
Note: If the addressee is not located on the first attempt, no
further effort will be made to locate the recipient or reroute the
material.
All purely commercial mailings or work-related mailings with
insufficient address information will be discarded by the Mail Center
upon receipt.
INCORRECTLY ADDRESSED MAIL
--------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:11
Such mail will be processed through the Mail Center's Lookup System.
If undeliverable, it will be returned to sender or discarded,
depending on its nature. If the mail is found, through the Lookup
System, to be deliverable, the Mail Center will attach a notice to it
signifying your need to contact the sender to have your address
corrected.
LOST MAIL
--------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:12
Express, ground, registered, and certified mail originated by GAO can
be traced through the Mail Center. Express, ground, registered, and
certified mail sent to you must be traced by the sender.
CLASSIFIED CORRESPONDENCE
--------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:13
Classified material must be inserted and sealed in a brown envelope.
(See GAO Order 0910.1, The GAO Security Manual.) Attach a GAO Form
393, Document Accountability Record. (See fig. 3.5.) This will
ensure against misdirection and will provide proper security.
Figure 3.5: GAO Form 393,
Document Accountability Record
(See figure in printed
edition.)
ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY SERVICES
============================================================ Chapter 4
STATUTES GOVERNING EXPRESS MAIL
LETTERS
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:1
The USPS Private Express Statutes govern overnight express mail
letters. The statutes are a group of federal laws that give USPS the
exclusive rights, with limited exceptions, to deliver letters for
others for compensation. The statutes apply only to the carriage of
letters, which are defined as "messages directed to a specific person
or address and recorded in or on a tangible object."
Over the past several years, USPS has suspended the enforcement of
the statutes in situations when the public interest was best served
by specific suspensions. Two of the most common types of suspensions
are those for (1) urgent letters and (2) letters for data processing.
Letters qualify for these two types of suspensions when delivery must
be made by noon of the next business day. In addition, to qualify
for the urgent letters suspension, the contents must be of such a
nature that the value or the usefulness would be lost or diminished
if the contents were not delivered by the deadline. To qualify for
the data processing suspension, the material must be sent solely for
processing and the processing must begin within 36 hours of receipt
of the material.
Urgent letters and materials for data processing may also qualify if
the cost paid for service is twice the applicable USPS first-class
rate, including Priority Mail, or $3 per piece, whichever is greater.
EXPRESS MAIL SERVICE
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:2
Express mail service is used for next-day express mail purposes only.
Try to eliminate the need for overnight deliveries by building
sufficient lead time into your scheduling.
If you still have what you think is an extremely urgent letter,
review your options. Can you fax or phone the information? If a
letter or a package must be delivered by the next day, you must
submit an Express Mail Services Request, GAO Form 399 (see fig.
3.4), justifying the need for express mail.
Individual packages may not weigh more than 150 pounds or be more
than 119 inches in length. Please give the Mail Center at least 24
hours' advance notice because it must notify the courier in advance
if there are more than three skids of packages for pickup. For
international shipments, a Customs Declaration may be required.
Do not send overnight mail on Friday unless the situation is an
emergency and you have arranged for Saturday acceptance. Additional
costs are incurred for weekend deliveries and nondeliverable items.
If delivery on the next business day is not needed and your piece
weighs less than 2 pounds, use USPS Priority Mail Delivery Service
for second-day delivery.
Post office box numbers or rural routes are unacceptable addresses
for express mail.
When in doubt, consult the Mail Center for the best method of sending
any mail. This will ensure that GAO complies with the statutes and
keeps mailing costs down.
HOW TO PROPERLY FILL OUT THE
FEDERAL EXPRESS AIRBILL
-------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:2.1
Following are instructions for completing a domestic Federal Express
Airbill for shipments made under the General Services Administration
Contract No. GS-OOF-13300. (See fig. 4.1)
Figure 4.1: How to Properly
Fill Out a Federal Express
Airbill
(See figure in printed
edition.)
ADDRESSING
---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:3
Place the complete address (name, street, room, city, state, ZIP
code, and telephone number) on each envelope and package. Post
office box numbers or rural routes are unacceptable addresses.
MAILING TIPS
============================================================ Chapter 5
The following are recommendations for handling, preparing, or
processing your mail:
-- Use interoffice envelopes for all internal mailings.
-- Use the internal mail process for a mailing to all GAO staff.
-- Use internal mail for sending questionnaires to GAO staff and
for responses.
-- When mailing contents of five or fewer sheets, use a white No.
10 letter envelope (GAO-3C) with contents folded to the envelope
size.
-- When mailing contents of six or more sheets, use a brown No. 12
envelope (GAO-3E).
-- Consider faxing copies to audit sites within the metropolitan
area in lieu of mailing. There is no charge for local faxing.
Have audit sites duplicate and distribute as required.
-- Consider faxing copies of fewer than six pages to field offices
and sublocations and other recipients in lieu of mailing. Have
recipient offices duplicate and distribute as required.
-- If your office receives mail that is for someone not located in
your office, do not redirect it. Forward mail to the attention
of the Mail Center Manager with the appropriate location of the
recipient, if possible. This will permit the Mail Center to
correct the address in its records and deliver it to the proper
location.
-- The Mail Center often receives mail without room numbers in the
address, which delays delivery of incoming mail. When
informally requesting (for example, through telephone
conversation rather than through formal communication, such as a
letter) that information be mailed to you, be sure to request
correspondents to use your room number as part of your address
on your incoming mail. This will expedite delivery.
-- If your mail piece requires special services, type or stamp the
instruction (for example, "CERTIFIED" or "REGISTERED") in
capital letters to the right and above the address. Note: Mail
for federal agencies is self-insured; thus, there is no need for
insurance.
-- Mail early in the day.
-- If you have less than a full carton of unneeded GAO
publications, recycle the copies (place those with glossy covers
and/or pages in the regular trash). If you have a full carton
of unneeded copies, return them to ISC's Demand Distribution in
room 1100.
-- Address mail in all caps whether you use a typed label or hand
lettering. (See fig. 3.1).
-- ISC handles the preparation of addressee lists for distribution.
Contact PDD in room 1116 (phone: 512-3264).
*** End of document. ***