MSPM and Other DM Vendors

[senior-advisor-indiana]

The odds are almost exactly the same pass or don't pass.

Rick

Either way, we still can agree that tins is a loser....

 

[GreenSky]

Either way, we still can agree that tins is a loser....

Yeah, but his fiance is obviously a bigger loser for choosing him.

Rick

 

[senior-advisor-indiana]

Yeah, but his fiance is obviously a bigger loser for choosing him.

Rick

The odds definitely aren't in her( or his?) favor...

 

[CALTCAgent]

- Reason For No 3602 - They gang all the mail pieces ordered of a specific processing type together to get a better postage discount. One 3602 may have upwards of 50K pieces attached to it.

Can't they pull your order aside and get a 3602 if you request it?

I remember when some direct mail companies used to advertise that they provide 3602's. They said you should always get it is the only proof you have. If not provided how can you trust your company. Again, their words, not mine.

Now none promote it. I wonder what changed?

Another benefit is you have some method of tracking your mail in case it gets lost. I doubt it will solve much here, but I have had mail lost before.

- Not mailing 100 % - MSPM always mailed, when they weren't late, 100% of the pieces that, after NCOAA changes that were still in your area and Do Not Mail Records were scrubbed. Dependent upon the list, this is between 99.9% of the pieces ordered to 98% of the pieces ordered. They would then add in records to bring the amount back up to the 100%

Curious, how do you know this for sure?

What was your job at MSPM?

I will say that mailings did go out late, but I hear they have become better with this.

Late mailing are not exactly what I'd call trustworthy. When people mail they expect things in a timely manner.

This brings me to a question for Rick, purely out of curiosity, how his lists are compiled to mail 1000 pieces out of a 1000 record list with NCOA changes, or if his vendor adds back in, or over orders on the list to accomplish a 100% mail out rate.

Can you elaborate on the NCOA changes?

I'd like to understand this better.

 

[GreenSky]

If someone needs a reason to distruct MSPM it's this.

I designed a few DM pieces and was told that they would be kept confidential. Several years later an FMO offered to do a mailing for me. He used MSPM and sent me a few samples.

The bastards didn't even take my name and license number off one of the pieces they were promoting as having a good return.

Yes, I hold a grudge. I won't give anyone a chance to screw me twice. (My wife agrees which is why we only have one kid).

Rick

 

[jpickett]

Can't they pull your order aside and get a 3602 if you request it?

Yes, they can if you request it, however it would cost them more money, and presumably, you more money in the end. It would be a separate data processing sequence, another job to track, and increased postage rates. There are some other variables that may or may not play into it, depending upon the type of piece you ordered.

I remember when some direct mail companies used to advertise that they provide 3602's. They said you should always get it is the only proof you have. If not provided how can you trust your company. Again, their words, not mine.

Now none promote it. I wonder what changed?

Due to post office changes, the 3602's are filed electronically, and the mailer never receives a "Stamped & Signed Copy" You can't give someone a link to one without giving them your password and therefore access to all your mailing activities on the PostalOne website. A mailer can print off a copy, from the PostalOne site, but without being signed, or stamped, it doesn't provide much proof.

Another benefit is you have some method of tracking your mail in case it gets lost. I doubt it will solve much here, but I have had mail lost before.

Without using newer tracking methods offered by the USPS on the intelligent mail barcode (Which a licence I think to use the tracking, not the barcode, is upwards of about 3K and for the volumes of MSPM would be, if I remember right, about 30K) is pretty much impossible. The most you can hope for is to send the receiving postmaster a copy of the mail piece, and pray the clerks remember seeing it. A signed and stamped copy would provide proof of mailing, however, as noted above, this is no longer available through the USPS.

Now MPSM does use a method (which they hold is proprietary, though it is easily found on the USPS website, that I won't go into here) that allows them to track a portion of a mailing to the SCF (Sectional Center Facility) which is just a step away form the DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) which is the post office actually delivering the mail piece.

Curious, how do you know this for sure?

What was your job at MSPM?

These two questions I would feel better answering in a PM.

Late mailing are not exactly what I'd call trustworthy. When people mail they expect things in a timely manner.

I was not condoning them being late, nor was I using this to say they are or are not trust worthy now. I was simply stating the facts I know. I know late mailings hurt agents. Leads are your lively hood. They are your home, your family, and your life blood. As some might say, they are your bread, and your butter.

Can you elaborate on the NCOA changes?

I'd like to understand this better.

NCOA stands for National Change Of Address. It is the database the USPS uses to make sure, that when you move, you get all your mail. Since November 2008, all Direct mail must be run against the NCOA database within 95 days preceding mailing. When a list is run against the NCOA it returns both the addresses you had listed, and the addresses the USPS has on file for each individual record. If someone on your list has moved, and filed a forwarding address with the USPS, you will receive back the new address. If you do the math, and people move about every 15 years, you end up with .55% of all people moving in any given month. If your data was compiled a month ago, then mathematically, in one month, your list will have atrophied by .55%, 1.1% in two months, 6.6% in a year, 33% in 5 years... You get the idea.

 

[tins]

The odds definitely aren't in her( or his?) favor...

I'm guessing you 2 are in the same room, giving each other back rubs, as you take turns writing this?
:bump:

 

[Norwayguy]

EFES will not do mailers for agents not contracted with them.

As for the non responders EFES now has this deal where they call the non responders and ask them if they would like an agent to contact them. If yes then you can buy that lead at your normal PPL price.

I tried a few a couple of months ago as a pilot program and didn't much care for them. They have been refining the script and the questions and I now hear great things about these non responder leads but I haven't tried any more of them yet. I probably will after the first of the year. I am done running leads for 2012.

Back when I worked for Bankers (pause given for all the tisk tisks) after a month of running the "leads" that I found had been recycled over and over. They required you to take all notes on a seperate form so the lead remained fresh looking but most agents stapled the form to the lead and you could count the staple holes I switch to calling a list of nonresponders about the recent mailing and had much success, granted this was pre-DNC.

 

[Agentguy5]

1.6 rate of return during 3 campaigns.

Pros: they did what they said they'd do.

Cons: the pieces are generic, (just select from their templates) they are dismissive of any questions about process, and you never really know if your pieces go out, or if they are ALL sent out, etc.....I feel like they did what they said but you never know

1.6 sounds good, Did you mail in a Big City? Small Town? or RURAL area?