GENERAL
- Why should I use Addressed Admail instead of another advertising medium?
Addressed Admail can help you increase response and reduce waste by targeting your message to those most likely to respond. Addressed Admail is also an excellent medium to build relationships with existing customers including up-sell and cross-sell promotions. For more information go to Addressed Admail Benefits.
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- Who is using Addressed Admail?
Addressed Admail is an integral part of the marketing mix for small, medium and large businesses in a wide range of industry segments, including: automotive, government, finance and insurance, e-commerce, retail, pharmaceutical, consumer packaged goods, not-for-profit, utilities, publishers, real estate, travel and transportation. Businesses of all sizes use Addressed Admail to achieve successful business results.
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- What response rate should I expect to have if I use Addressed Admail?
There are never any guarantees on response rates. Response rates are a result of your individual campaign and whether or not you have reached your target audience. Other factors that could contribute to a campaign's success include: the timing of your campaign, the creative behind your Item, whether or not there is a call to action, the quality of your mailing list and your offer.
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- Can Addressed Admail work for a small business?
Yes! Addressed Admail is a perfect service for all business sizes. If you have a list of customers, you have your mailing list! A direct mail campaign doesn't have to be complicated; in fact, it can be done quite easily. For example, mail a letter to existing customers to announce an upcoming sale. Keep in touch with your customers and keep your services top of mind. If you don't, your competitors will.
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- Do Canadians welcome mail?
Addressed direct mail is well received by customers. Indeed, of all forms of Direct Marketing, Canadians most welcome mail. The main reason is that consumers maintain control over what they bring into their homes and when they focus on the Item. They can pay attention to it on their own time, to fit in with their schedule. It is highly portable - meaning that the recipient can take the Item with them on the bus, to the cottage, and so on.
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- What Items fail to qualify as Addressed Admail?
All Addressed Admail Items must be promotional in nature - meaning that they must motivate an individual to buy or acquire a product or service or to contribute to or support a cause. Examples of non-promotional printed matter include: statements, invoices, reference guides, updates to professional handbooks, notification of price changes, tax forms, and non-promotional announcements.
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- Can I send statements and bills with promotional Items in Addressed Admail?
No. Statements and bills are not advertising or promotional in nature and are not permitted in Addressed Admail. These Items can be sent using Lettermail.
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- Can I send samples with Addressed Admail?
You certainly can. Samples are promotional and therefore accepted as Addressed Admail. If your sample is outside the dimensions of regular Addressed Admail, you may qualify for Dimensional Addressed Admail.
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- Can I mail outside of Canada?
No. Addressed Admail is a domestic service and is available only to customers who deposit their mail in Canada, for delivery in Canada. If you need to mail to a foreign destination, please visit International Letter-post.
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PREPARING THE MAILING
- What is Machineable Addressed Admail?
Machineable Addressed Admail is a mail preparation option (accessed only by using our Electronic Shipping Tools software), that allows customers to have their mail sorted by our mail processing machines. These machines sort mail by reading postal codes and addresses. The service is easy to use if you follow the mail preparation specifications, and cheaper than the NDG presort option.
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- As an Addressed Admail and/or Dimensional Addressed Admail customer, how will I be affected if I continue to use manual Order (Statement of Mailing) forms?
Orders submitted using the manual Order (Statement of Mailing) forms no longer enjoy the benefits of incentive prices. In the case of Addressed Admail, Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) and/or Machineable Items, the mailing is subject to NDG pricing. In the case of Dimensional Addressed Admail, LCP Items, the mailings are subject to the LCP Residue prices. Mailings submitted using a manual Order (Statement of Mailing) do not apply towards any potential volume discounts and the $5 manual Order processing fee is still applicable.
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- What process am I, as a customer, to follow when using the new bag label holders?
The new holders are intended to be used with mailbags containing Publications Mail, Catalogue Mail, Unaddressed Admail and Addressed Admail (only when bags are used).
The mailer is given the nylon tie straps and the vinyl label holders for use on the mailbags only. These can be ordered at no charge from Postal Stores as per the normal ordering process.
Step 1 - the mailer affixes the bag label holder to a grommet of the mailbag at the opposite corner of the bag to the metal keeper holder with the nylon tie strap.
Step 2 - the mailer completes and prints the bag label according to specifications (no keeper label is required).
Step 3 - the mailer inserts the bag label into the bag label holder ensuring the delivery information is visible.
At the destination, the bag label is removed from the vinyl label holder allowing the holder on the bag to be re-used.
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- How do I order the bag label holder?
Mailers can order the bag label holder by using the current process for ordering Unaddressed Admail tags. The bag label holders are available free of charge, through the Canada Post - Postal Stores, as per the normal order process, as follows:
bag label holders, catalogue #SO-54
nylon tie straps, catalogue #200-12-080
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- Where can I obtain indicia information?
Customers can obtain further information on valid and current indicias by selecting "Postal Indicia".
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- What is FCP?
Forward Consolidation Point (FCP) presortation level is one of the levels of mail grouping or "consolidation" in the National Presortation Schematic (NPS). The FCP is a consolidation point for mail made up for more than one Distribution Centre Facility (DCF), or for a mix of DCF and city level mail within a geographical location. The FCP level applies only to Addressed Admail, Publications Mail and Catalogue Mail.
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- Does the FCP level apply to Letter Carrier Presort (LCP) and NDG presorts?
Yes, the FCP level applies to Addressed Admail and Publications Mail for both LCP and NDG presorts.
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- What are the sortation rules to be used?
- Consolidate to the lowest grouping/container possible.
- If there are sufficient groupings to fill at least one container for a Delivery Facility (Level 1), create a container for that facility.
- If there are sufficient groupings to fill at least one container for City (Level 2), create a City container.
- In the major urban area where DCF (Level 3) consolidation is not permitted; if you are unable to create a Delivery Facility (Level 1) or a City container (Level 2), create a FCP container (Level 4).
- Where DCF (Level 3) consolidation is permitted and if you are unable to fill at least one container to a Delivery Facility (Level 1), or one container to a City (Level 2), create a DCF (Level 3) container with the urban, rural and DCF groupings.
- If you do not have sufficient groupings to meet the minimum fill requirement of a DCF (Level 3) container, create an FCP (Level 4) container.
- If you do not have sufficient groupings to meet the minimum fill requirement of a FCP (Level 4) container, create a Residue container.
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- What is the minimum number of Items acceptable for the FCP level?
The minimum number of pieces for mail grouping, including the FCP level varies.
For Addressed Admail the minimum is 8 Items for any grouping level.
For Publications Mail the minimum is 6 Items for any grouping level.
For Catalogue Mail the minimum is 4 Items for any grouping level.
The last residue container has no minimum number of groupings.
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- What is the current list of FCP levels in the National Presortation Schematics?
There will be five FCP additions for container consolidation in the current National Presortation Schematics. They are indicated in bold text.
A0Y 9Z0 = MONCTON (NB) NL FWD
B0A 9Z0 = SYDNEY NS FWD
B0J 9Z0 = HALIFAX NS FWD
C0A 9Z0 = CHARLOTTETOWN PE FWD
E0A 9Z0 = MONCTON NB FWD
G0A 9Z0 = QUEBEC QC FWD
H0A 9Z0 = MONTREAL QC FWDH0B 9Z0 = MONTREAL QC FWD |
K0A 9Z0 = OTTAWA ON FWD
L0J 9Z0 = MISSISSAUGA ON FWD
L0J 9Z0 = MISSISSAUGA ON FWD
L0R 9Z0 = HAMILTON ON FWD
N0B 9Z0 = KITCHENER ON FWD
N0L 9Z0 = LONDON ON FWD
N0R 9Z0 = WINDSOR ON FWD
P0M 9Z0 = SUDBURY ON FWD |
P0T 9Z0 = THUNDER BAY ON FWD
R0C 9Z0 = WINNIPEG MB FWD
S0G 9Z0 = REGINA SK FWD
S0K 9Z0 = SASKATOON SK FWD
T0N 9Z0 = EDMONTON AB FWD
T0S 9Z0 = CALGARY AB FWD
V0E 9Z0 = KAMLOOPS BC FWD
V0S 9Z0 = VICTORIA BC FWD
V0T 9Z0 = VANCOUVER BC FWD |
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- What instruction would a NDG customer need on the new requirement for FCP sortation?
The NDG Training Web site has been updated for use by NDG mailers to see how to include the FCP level in their mail preparation.
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- Where do I, as a customer, get more information on preparing mail?
Further information is available from the Postal Guide. From the right hand column, select Mail Preparation and Presortation to get to the guides, then select the appropriate service guide.
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CREATING THE ORDER
- What is the Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) software and how does it benefit me as a customer?
EST is an Internet-based shipping tool that automates the preparation and processing of Statements of Mailing and Manifests for Mailing with Canada Post. For the customer, it reduces paperwork, saves time and improves billing/transaction accuracy, allows for online payment, provides access to incentive prices and any potential volume discounts, to name but a few. EST is available at www.canadapost.ca/obc
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TRACK A MAILING
- What is Track a Mailing (TaM)? What are the benefits?
Track a Mailing is offered through the Online Business Centre. This tool uses state of the art barcode technology to provide Customers with information on the actual deposit date of the mailing and all associated container destination arrival dates. Some of the benefits of using TaM are:
Increased Visibility
- Scans can be captured at induction and at the container destination.
- This information has never been available to Customers before the introduction of Track a Mailing.
Increased Convenience
- Track a Mailing will provide convenient, up-to-date, self-service information to the Customer, via Canada Post’s Online Business Centre Web site.
Better Quality of Information:
- By providing Customers with useful mailing information, Customers can monitor the progress of their mailing and help them plan and schedule activities that support their advertising campaign (e.g. time the staffing of Call Centres).
Improved Service:
- Track a Mailing will provide reports to the Canada Post staff for potential service issues so they can be resolved before they impact our Customer’s business cycles.
Greater Collaboration:
- Track a Mailing will help to share information with our Customers about our supply Chain business processes. This will help us to work together to identify areas for mutual continuous improvement.
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- How does a Customer get access to TaM?
Customers access Track a Mailing through the Online Business Centre. Register for a User ID and password online at www.canadapost.ca/obc
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- How much does Track a Mailing cost?
Track a Mailing is free to Canada Post Commercial Customers.
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- As a customer, will any of my Addressed Admail mail preparation processes change when using Track a Mailing?
Some Customer business processes may be impacted, such as:
- Customers must use the desktop version of EST to prepare and submit their Orders
- Customers must create their mailing plan and barcoded mailing labels using barcode-recognized SERP presortation software
- Customers must apply barcoded mailing labels to their mailing containers
- Customers must provide a barcoded Packing Slip for partial mailings
- Customers must produce a brief Mailing Summary
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- Why are only LCP customers able to access Track a Mailing?
In order to access Track a Mailing through the OBC, customers must use Barcode Recognized Software along with EST VCD to submit their mailings. Customers who mail Machineable or NDG Addressed Admail do not use software to prepare their mailings.
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- Why is Track a Mailing only available using EST VCD and not EST Online?
Due to technological impediments (long wait times) customers may only access Track a Mailing if they submit their mailing using EST VCD and the Barcode Recognized Software supplied by their SERP vendor.
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