Re: [AISdiscuss] Where or where is my January Bulletin?

[CEMahan@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/10/2006 4:57:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
bfilardi@comcast.net writes:

Hi  all:  As I mentioned earlier, the mailing service does not have  
responsibility for the delivery of the Bulletin --- after they (mailing  service) has 
delivered the Bulletins to the post office, only the post office  has control 
over the speed of delivery.  That said, however, I have  spoken to our rep at 
the mailing service, and he has indicated that, if we  provide him with a list 
of zip codes and delivery dates of copies that have  gotten poor delivery 
time (in my opinion, anything over 3 weeks is  unacceptable), he can give the 
list to his rep at the post office.  If  any one of you would be willing to 
collect that data and make up such a list,  perhaps there would be some 
improvement...  I'm dubious, but we can't  lose anything by trying!  Would anyone step 
forward to put that info  together and provide it to our rep at the mailing 
service?  Thanks,  Bruce



Dear friends:
I appreciate Bruce's looking into the Bulletin delivery problem, but I  think 
we might profit from look at the matter analytically. First, I personally  
have much confidence in the U.S. postal service based on my experience. When I  
sold irises, I never had a single shipment problem with the postal service and 
I  sent several hundred boxes in the mail each year. (We will not discuss 
shipments  to Canada, which was a different matter altogether--but it was caused 
by plant  inspection not postal delivery).  
 
When I was editor for Region 4 I sent out several hundred Region 4  Newscasts 
every 4 months, and the only problem was with one post office, and  that was 
in Richmond, VA. If a Newscast had to go through Richmond it was  usually 
delivered a week or two later than elsewhere.
 
When so many members of the Board in different regions have delayed  delivery 
with one issue of the Bulletin, one must suspect that the problem  is not 
with their local post offices.  It would suggest one of three  possible causes.:
1) The mailer is not shipping all the Bulletins  timely. 
 
2) The post office or postal distribution center servicing the post office  
where the mailer takes the Bulletins has a management problem. 
 
3) There is something about the way the Bulletin is packaged, assembled for  
shipment or addressed that is causing the U.S. post office with a  processing 
problem that is delaying many of the Bulletins. (Two examples of this  could 
be the wrapper being incompatible with post office equipment, or the way  the 
addresses are printed being difficult for post office equipment to read.) 
 
It is to be expected the mailer will be defensive about the problem, but  all 
of the most likely causes of the problem from a common sense  perspective 
have the mailer as the source. If the mailer is not prepared to look  into each 
of these matters, I would suggest it is time to hire a different  mailer. The 
fact that the mailer has not already offered to  look into these possibilities 
makes me think that the mailer may not be shipping  all the Bulletins on time 
despite protestations to the contrary.  Clarence

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