Post Office: Businesses need to send more junk mail

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Bateluer

Bateluer

Lifer
Jun 23, 2001
27,730
8
0
http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/20/smallbusiness/postal-service-junk-mail/index.htm

In a campaign called "Every Door Direct Mail," the Postal Service is touting a year-old online tool to help small businesses micro-target direct mail. The Web tool allows firms to tap customers by neighborhood or zip code without names or addresses.

The cost to small businesses is 14.5 cents per mail piece. The Postal Service spent virtually nothing to create the online service, tapping existing staff and resources to pull it together, said Paul Vogel, president and chief marketing officer for the Postal Service, at a presentation Tuesday

"We believe it could be a billion-dollar product for the Postal Service by 2016," Vogel said.

The online direct mail program has been in existence since last April, generating $153 million in revenue through December. The Postal Service estimates the direct mail program will bring the struggling agency some $750 to $800 million in 2012.
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Wonder if they know all that 'mail' goes directly into the trash? Why do they hate trees?
 
sixone

sixone

Lifer
May 3, 2004
25,030
5
61
I love it.

Government has to step in to create the "Do Not Call" list, because they can't make any money on phone calls. But there will never be a "Do Not Mail" list.

:rolleyes:
 
SagaLore

SagaLore

Elite Member
Dec 18, 2001
24,036
21
81
I think all mail should be categorized. And you should be able to opt out of certain categories. They could even color code it.
 
SaDiZTiKStyLeZ

SaDiZTiKStyLeZ

Lifer
Apr 12, 2010
10,510
10
0
My company was supposed to get in on this. But guy who was supposed to go look into it on behalf of our company bailed & got an interview that got him a better job elsewhere. Oh well.
 
L

Lifted

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2004
5,748
2
0
I've always loved our postal service, even more so after living overseas and seeing how bad it is to deal with unreliable and corrupt/thieving postal services with little oversight, and I hate watching it turn into another organization that exists solely for the sake of existing. At some point I see mail delivery turning into a strictly post office to post office service, where you have to pick up on your own mail once in a while. With UPS, FedEx, DHL, smaller carriers and messenger services, there is not much that people need the post office for other than bills, social security checks, and greeting cards.

I know a lot of rural areas already have such a system in place. Give everyone a PO box, and send them an email when they receive anything. I currently find mail in my box about twice a week.
 
D

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
Every other day mail might make sense too, for areas where volume is low. Cut costs, cut waste from all the driving around.

Netflix was the only reason I cared about daily mail and I watch as much streaming as discs now.
 
God Mode

God Mode

Platinum Member
Jul 2, 2005
2,903
0
71
WTF is the point to spam people with no money to spend? People with money aren't shopping at macys and small discount stores. They're either looking at upscale or steep discounts from the internet.
 
OutHouse

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
i used to work in a print/mail house. we did all the mailings for Western Union and EAS (the sport suppliment comapny) they dropped big money on postage.

I used to drive to the EAS HQ in Golden Colorado to get the daily postage check signed by bill phillips. he had one direct mail campaign going on that he was sending out books and samples of his new energy bar, he spent 20K a day just in postage and that campaign went on for several months.

we used to take our semi truck over to the Denver Mail Facility on Quebec to get our carts weighed and check in. There was this one postal worker that on every Friday when we got there around 3pm he was stone cold drunk, WHILE OPERATING A FORKLIFT!!!! as soon as i entered the facility i would scope him out and keep tabs on where he and his forklift was at.
 
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God Mode

God Mode

Platinum Member
Jul 2, 2005
2,903
0
71
Stupid old companies with stagnation issues and obsolete management. Instead of evolving and giving useful and tangible benefits, they want to continue the mediocre crap that is fooling no one but grandmas and the least educated luddites.
 
OutHouse

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
Bateluer said:
Wonder if they know all that 'mail' goes directly into the trash? Why do they hate trees?
Click to expand...

its not the post office its the marketing people. the post office doenst give a shit about how much waste there is. all those junk mail items you get in your mail created a lot of jobs. from concept, to planning to printing to packaging to shipping. many many hands were involved to get you the junk mail.

me i really dont care if i get junk mail in my mailbox, i didnt pay for it, it cost me nothing.
 
IcePickFreak

IcePickFreak

Platinum Member
Jul 12, 2007
2,428
9
81
I wonder what the mailman would do if I removed the mailbox from my curb and put a garbage can out there with my address and the little red flag from the mailbox on it. :hmm:
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,237
9,743
126
USPS is always my first choice for shipping. The service is better, and usually cheaper.
 
ponyo

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,810
126
sixone said:
I love it.

Government has to step in to create the "Do Not Call" list, because they can't make any money on phone calls. But there will never be a "Do Not Mail" list.

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

There is "Do Not Mail" list. It's called freezing your credit with the 3 bureaus. Once you do, it will cut down lot of your junk mail.
 
GrumpyMan

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,780
265
136
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,237
9,743
126
GrumpyMan said:
You would get arrested and fined for destroying USPS property. And all your pets and furniture would get taken away. :hmm:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...-party-invites-into-neighbors-mailboxes.shtml

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1725
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Seriously. they probably wouldn't deliver the mail since it isn't an approved post box. I guess that achieves the ultimate goal, but you could just not use a mail box. I've considered it, but I get just enough important mail that it isn't feasible.
 
GrumpyMan

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,780
265
136
Actually technically they own the "inside" of the mail box. You may not place anything in there without postage on it or they can take it with them and charge you postage when you go to pick it up at the station.
 
lxskllr

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,237
9,743
126
GrumpyMan said:
Actually technically they own the "inside" of the mail box. You may not place anything in there without postage on it or they can take it with them and charge you postage when you go to pick it up at the station.
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I was going back to the post you quoted. Yea, if something goes in the box, it has to be part of the postal system, including postage. That's why most non-posted crap you get at the box is put on the outside of the box somehow, and not inside.
 
GrumpyMan

GrumpyMan

Diamond Member
May 14, 2001
5,780
265
136
Well that is a Federal offense, but I'm not sure how that would be handled. They would certainly have to replace it if you can show proof that they did it I would imagine. In TX we don't have such "snow" problems....
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
99,148
17,467
126
we have centralised mailbox and the city puts a recycle bin right below the mail box with a sign that says junk mail only.

This way I don't even take the junk mail home :biggrin:
 
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