Author: Archive

Research Shows that Mail is Still the Best Way to Reach Consumers

Posted by | Jun 11, 2007 | |

A recent survey completed by International Communications Research (ICR) revealed that even in today’s digital world, consumers clearly prefer mail over other communications vehicles such as e-mail for receiving new product information and offerings as well as confidential business communications, such as bank statements and financial reports.

The study, the fourth mail preference survey commissioned by Pitney Bowes since March 1999, found that the majority of consumers (73 percent) prefer mail for receiving new product announcements or offers from companies they do business with, as compared to 18 percent for e-mail. Mail was also preferred by 70 percent of respondents for receiving unsolicited information on products and services from companies with which they are not currently doing business.

For confidential communications such as bills, bank statements and financial reports, respondents overwhelmingly preferred mail (86 percent) as their channel of choice, as compared with 10 percent for e-mail. This response is virtually identical to the response in the 2004 survey, which also showed consumer preference for mail at 86 percent.

The survey also found that consumers are less likely to discard unopened mail (31 percent) – including new product brochures, catalogs or other advertising materials – than they are to discard unsolicited e-mails about new products (53.2 percent).

The survey also probed consumers on specific advantages they see in mail versus unsolicited e-mail and telephone calls. Compared with other communications channels, including e-mail and telephone, survey respondents found mail to be: Less intrusive — doesn’t interrupt other activities (45.3 percent); More convenient — can be saved and considered at leisure (40.2 percent); Less high-pressured — lets you consider your decision (30.2 percent); More descriptive — lets you picture the offer (22.7 percent); and More persuasive — encourages you to respond (12 percent).

Read More

Emirates SkyCargo offers new services to Africa and Subcontinent

Posted by | Jun 10, 2007 | |

The new routes service busy destinations Colombo, Delhi, and Entebbe and will operate on SkyCargo’s A310-300F’s with a capacity of 36,500 kgs.

Freighter services to Delhi, introduced on May 24th will operate on Thursdays. Outbound from Dubai to Delhi the route is expected to deliver telecommunication equipment while imports are expected to include finished leather and garments and Indian domestic products.

The Colombo service which was launched on 13th of May will operate twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. Outbound service to Colombo will carry personal effects and general cargo motor spare parts while inbound cargo will consist of garments and vegetables and fish, much of which will go on to Europe.

Finally, the new operations will include a second frequency to Entebbe on Saturdays via Nairobi. Outbound from Dubai the services will carry mainly personal effects while inbound freight will consist of fish and vegetables for Europe.

Read More

Ahmed Balhaif appointed Deputy CEO of Empost Warehousing and Land Transportation

Posted by | Jun 10, 2007 | |

Empost, the UAE’s leading integrated courier, freight forwarding and logistics company, announced the appointment of Ahmed Balhaif as the deputy CEO of its Warehousing and Land Transport Division.

The appointment comes in the wake of Empost’s ambitious expansion plans to become the region’s leading service provider. With the freight forwarding and logistics industry witnessing a substantial boom in the region, Empost announced its entry into the field with the introduction of a dedicated Cargo and Logistics division. Since then Empost has been engaged in implementing various strategies to boost the company’s expansion plans.

The appointment of Ahmed Balhaif, an experienced campaigner in the industry, is another positive step through which Empost aims to build a highly professional unit that will epitomise quality and customer satisfaction.

Ahmed, a graduate in Business Administration, prior to joining Empost was the Operations Director with Emirates Post. Ahmed’s eight years tenure with Emirates Post has helped him understand the various facets of the postal and courier industry. He feels that the new responsibility vested on him will be a great opportunity to further enhance his experience and knowledge within the freight forwarding and logistics field. Ahmed said “It is a challenging phase for me and I am confident of taking Empost to greater heights”.

Read More

Pakistan Post to collect utility bills

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

Pakistan Post has launched a new service to collect utility bills at customers’ doorsteps for payment through cross cheque. “This unique service started from Karachi as a pilot project will be implemented in phases and later extended to the other cities of the country,” an official at Pakistan Post said here on Friday.

The official said consumers domestic as well as commercial, desirous of making payment through cheque at their doorsteps will handover the utility bill to the postman of their locality along with a crossed cheque by the due date.

He said the crossed cheque should be issued by the consumer in the name of the Chief/Sr Postmaster/Sub Postmasters of GPO/HPO/Sub Post Offices which function as Cash offices at tehsil headquarter and sub-tehsil headquarter level. Cheque should not be post dated, he added.

Postman on collection of the cheque will acknowledge the payment by stamping (specimen of stamp given below) and signing the bill. Cheque number, date of issue, bank and branch on which the cheque is drawn will be recorded in the space provided in the stamp.

The postman will retain the lower portion of the bill (stub) with the cheque and return the remaining part of the bill duly stamped to the consumer. He said postman would only accept the crossed cheque payable at the banks located within the cantonment/municipal limits of the city where the post office is functioning.

The official said the cheque, dishonoured for any reason along with bank intimation slip specifying reasons of dishonour will be returned/delivered to the consumer by the area postmen at their doorstep through recorded delivery and their bill will be treated as “not paid.” He said post office department would receive Rs 20 as home collection charges per bill from the consumer.

Read More

Fair offers easier route to passport

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

Lines for passports have been long and processing times slow. To offer some relief, the Tampa Post Office held a Passport Fair, providing a one-stop shop for international travelers.

Part of the backlog is due to new rules that require a passport for Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico. Even with payment of an expedited fee, the wait time is up to four weeks. Routine processing takes up to ten weeks.

Passport photos were available for USD 15, and the Shriners provided hot dogs, fries, and pretzels.

Something else that’s making the new restrictions easier:. Because of the processing backlog, the State Department just relaxed the rules a bit, allowing travelers who have applied for a passport to go online and print out a confirmation. They can then use that receipt, along with a photo I.D., to travel to the Caribbean, Mexico and Canada through September 30th. After that, a passport will be required for those countries.

This is the second Passport Fair the USPS has held since the beginning of this year. They’ve both been a success, with hundreds of passport applications processed in four hours each day.

Right now, passport fees are USD 67, plus a USD 30 processing fee. It’s another USD 60 to have your passport expedited.

Read More

Viet Nam Post Office To Spin Off From State Telecom Giant

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

The nation’s postal service will be reorganised under a plan approved by the Prime Minister earlier this month. Under the plan, the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) would spin off the new Viet Nam Postal Corporation with a total equity of over VND 8 trillion (USD 500 million), according to Deputy Minister of Post and Telematics Nguyen Thanh Hung. The change would be effected July 1.

The new corporation would continue performing postal services now under the purview of VNPT. It was also expected to develop and manage public postal networks, provide financial and banking services, and co-operate with telecommunications firms to provide ICT services.

The goal was for the postal service to cover its own costs within seven to eight years, he added. The corporation’s affiliates would include provincial and municipal post offices and enterprises in which it would hold over 50 per cent equity, such as the Postal Express and Postage Stamp joint stock companies.

Read More

Drop in U.S. first class mail deliveries

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

At its peak in 2001, the U.S. Postal Service delivered 103.7 billion pieces of first-class mail.

But as the Internet and cellular technologies continued to boom, that number of deliveries dwindled to 97.6 billion pieces last year.

The drop in first class mail deliveries has prompted the USPS to review each of their distribution facilities and, where necessary, combine facilities. The review recently included the local distribution center, which employs 137 people in its delivery and mail processing center. Roughly half of the employees work in the processing side of the plant.

The recently completed Area Mail Processing (AMP) study of the Zanesville outgoing processing center reveals that combining it with another facility would not improve mail delivery efficiency, so the McIntire Avenue site will remain intact.

The study looked at only the processing of single-piece first-class stamped mail. It looked at the center’s volume of that type of mail, the number of cancelations and the levels of sorting that goes on at the facility. There has been a 22 percent drop in single-pieces first-class stamped mail since 1998, according to Dubina.

The office serves as a sorting and distribution site and it also serves as a mailing center from where local carriers are based.

Read More

MPs condemn Royal Mail’s lack of vision over post offices

Posted by | Jun 9, 2007 | |

MPs condemned Royal Mail for lacking imagination and entrepreneurial flair in the way in which it manages its loss-making post office network.

The Trade and Industry Select Committee criticised the Government for not taking more responsibility for looking after the network rather than leaving it to Royal Mail.

It said that the postal group had “failed to show sufficient imagination or entrepreneurial flair in developing services so far, or properly to understand the realities of managing a network of often very small businesses”.

The criticism comes as 2,500 more post offices are about to close because the network is unprofitable. The programme of closures was agreed by the Department of Trade and Industry ahead of a GBP 3.9 billion rescue package for the postal group.

Although the all-party group of MPs said that new management at Royal Mail’s post office division “seems to be awakening from its lethargy”, they added: “We think that the Government, as sole shareholder and representative of the taxpayer, has a responsibility to ensure that Royal Mail Group as a whole gives proper attention to increasing the competitiveness of the network rather than just managing its decline.”

The committee said that there could be more closures “sooner rather than later” unless the Government gave proper attention to maintaining the network after its restructuring.

Read More

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

P&P Poll

Loading

Have you noticed a decrease of non-EU inbound parcel volumes since the implementation of the new €3 charge?

Thank you for voting
You have already voted on this poll!
Please select an option!


View ResultsHide Results

Post & Parcel Magazine


Post & Parcel Magazine is our print publication, released 3 times a year. Packed with original content and thought-provoking features, Post & Parcel Magazine is a must-read for those who want the inside track on the industry.

Subscribe to the Magazine

 

Pin It on Pinterest