Category: Mailing

News of the Coronavirus is everywhere, and it seems that it is very quickly affecting a lot of different industries. The postage service is very important as it not only delivers letters to people but also medication and equipment that is needed in hospital and medical settings.

Unfortunately, the likelihood is that the postal service will be affected as if members of the service must go off sick then there will be less people working, meaning that a back log is likely.

You may find that you need to pay for a premium delivery service if you need to guarantee that a parcel will arrive to its destination on time. Royal Mail offers a number of guaranteed delivery services, but you may prefer to use a courier company like DPD or My Hermes.

Always try and send your packages as early as possible so you have the best possible chance of it being delivered on time. You should always try and get proof of postage when sending anything that is of any value. This way, should it go missing in the post you can try and track it or at least get compensation for the lost item.

Direct mailing is not used as much now that online and social media marketing has taken over, but for some businesses there is still very much a place for it. Direct mailing can be done in several ways, but many companies choose to post out a leaflet or letter to entice customers to their shop or to their website.

Often a direct mailer will include an offer or news about a new product launch and therefore a reason for the customer to act now. Direct mailing can be a little costly as you will often have to pay to print the letter/ flyer and then also pay postage or someone to deliver them door to door. You must try and keep your costs down to a minimum, which means you want to reduce the amount of returned or unopened mail as possible. Most of the time, mail will be returned as the person has since moved address but not notified you of their new one. The only real way to cut down on this is to call first and check that the person you have on your database still lives there. The other option is to send out a more generic letter entitled to the occupant, and although this tends to have a lower conversion rate, it may mean more of your letters are opened.

With sites such as Ebay and Facebook, it has now become even easier to sell products online. You do not have to have your own website as you are able to list items on third party sites to sell.

This can also be a great way for members of the public to earn a little extra money out of their unwanted items.

When you list an item on Ebay for example, you will be asked to select a postage cost. It may give you a guideline of how much you are likely to be charged for an item weighing up to a certain amount and certain dimensions.

It is very important o make sure that you post out these items on time and using the method you stated on the advert. If for instance you offered first class delivery, then you need to adhere to that. If you find that you have charged the buyer too much for postage, then you could contact them and offer to refund it. If you don’t and it is quite a bit cheaper than quoted, you may find that you are left bad reviews.

When it comes to job hunting you need to have everything ready to start applying for jobs to give yourself the best chance. Some companies will ask for a CV and covering letter, some will ask you to fill in an application form and some will ask you to have a verbal interview over the phone before applying.  If you are asked for a job reference you may not be entirely surely what you need.

A job reference is essentially a letter or verbal confirmation that you attended a place of work for a certain period. Many references also include more specific details about the job role you did and your performance. The idea of a reference is to give the prospective employer an idea of what kind of worker you are; are you reliable, always on time, smart, polite etc..  Many people worry about giving out details for their current employer as a reference until they have handed their notice in, but if you tell the interviewer that you would prefer for them not to be contacted until you have handed in your notice they will understand.

You can give more than one previous employer as a reference or if you have had no previous employment you may be able to give details or a teacher or lecturer that could be contacted instead to give the potential employer an overview of who you are as a person.   

With Christmas only just over 9 weeks away, may people are starting to think about their Christmas shopping. You may not like to have to start thinking about Christmas in October, but the true is if you leave it too late you may end up not getting what you want or need or having to pay over the odds for it. If you can buy early then you will not have to fork out for special or next day delivery which can buy the price up of presents. Buying early will allow your item to arrive giving you plenty of time to check that it is what you wanted and return it if needed.

During the run up to Christmas the postal service gets very business and there is often a delay on getting your parcels. This may also be true for the likes of companies such as Ebay or Amazon who often have their busiest times of the year in the run up to Christmas. Leaving it until the lats minute to place your order is risky and you may have to make a last minute dash to the shops to buy something if your order doesn’t arrive when you expect it to.