DEALING WITH THE MAIL

HANDLING INCOMING AND OUTGOING MAIL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MAIL

INCOMING MAIL

 Mail received  Variety of letters and parcels  Delivered by Royal Mail or a Courier Service, eg TNT  Internal Mail

RECEIVING (INCOMING) MAIL

 Sorted by the Mail Clerk or Receptionist:  Registered Mail  Confidential  Urgent and non Urgent  General Mail  Mail not addressed to the organisation  Damaged Mail  Check no mail left undelivered  Opened envelopes checked to make sure nothing has been left in them

Procedures for receiving

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(incoming) mail

Date Stamp  As you open each item, you must date stamp all letters and documentation enclosed. It is important to do this so that the date it was received can be traced.

 Enclosures  Some of the mail you receive will contain enclosures.

You need to check the contents of the envelope/package against the accompanying letter or document to make sure that all enclosures are included. Then attach, using a staple or a paper clip.

Procedures for receiving (incoming) mail

 Remittances  If any of the envelopes you open contain remittances (payments e.g. cash, cheques or postal orders) you must record them in the Remittances book.  Circulation Slip  If a letter or document is addressed to or relevant to more than one person, attach a circulation list to the letter. Then, list the names of all of the addressees and deliver the letter to the first person on the list. They should read the letter and then pass it on to the next person, and so on.

Damaged or suspicious mail

For Suspect Envelopes or Packages:

Do not open, smell, or taste. Do not shake or empty the contents. Set package or envelope aside for review. Promptly notify your supervisor.

Procedures for dispatching mail

   Usually outgoing mail is collected from the various departments by the mail clerk or department staff will personally deliver to the mail room Organisations will issue a last posting time for all mail to be dealt with Mail room will then sort the mail into first or second class, weigh mail, and frank mail and place in sacks ready for collection by the Postman

Dispatching Mail

 Internal  Reuse envelope  Name and Department  Different locations  Courier  External   Types of service – recorded, registered, courier Calculating postage – franking machine, weight, size, distance  CONFIDENTIAL/PRIVATE

Mailroom equipment

Franking machine

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Franking replaces postage stamps by imprinting the amount of postage You must first set the correct date and amount of postage required and then slide through and print out the envelope or label for parcels If the franking machine does not include scales, the mail must first be weighed in order to calculate the cost of postage Franked mail has to be put into special bags and not in post boxes Franked mail is processed quicker than stamped mail

Weighing scales

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Some contain a microchip programmed with current postal rates Every time the postal rates change, the Post Office will arrange for the machine to be reprogrammed Some print out the amount spent each day on postage Select service required, destination and the scales weigh and calculate the postage

Letter opening machine

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An automatic machine, where the letters are stacked in a pile, passing through the machine which slices envelope

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‘tap’ the envelopes to ensure the contents fall to the bottom – and load the envelopes the correct way up – to avoid damage to the contents

Folding machine 

Equipment to fold and place letters into envelopes is available

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The expense of such equipment would only be justified by large daily quantities of outgoing mail

Working Safely - Mail

 Use all equipment in accordance with instructions  Never move any equipment or tamper with it  Do not lift or move heavy parcels or items on your own  Do not leave parcels where people can fall over them  Use a letter opener