Mail Handling

Unit 2D

Mail Handling

• The way in which mail is dealt with depends on the:– Size of the organisation– Number of staff involved– Type of mail received (internal, external, e-

mail etc)– Level of use of ICT for communicating– Space available for equipment– Resources available to the organisation

• In a small organisation– Mail will usually be dealt with by a

member of staff as part of their daily routine

• In a large organisation– The volume of incoming and outgoing

mail is likely to be high– They are likely to have a separate mail

room department– The staff who work in the mail room will

deal with all of the organisation’s mail

The Mail Room

A well organised mailroom will contain the following pieces of equipment:

Scales – to weigh letters and parcels.

Franking machine – used instead of stamps. It prints the postage payable on the envelope.

Photocopier – to photocopy documents if more than one person is to get a copy.

Fax machine – used to receive faxes.

Date stamp – to stamp mail with the date of arrival

                                     

Letter opener – to open mail safely without damaging the contents.

Stapler – to staple papers together.

Folding machine – automatically folds and inserts letters into envelopes before sealing them.

Pigeon holes – used to sort mail into departments.

Mail trolley – used to deliver mail to departments.

Main Features – Outgoing Mail Area

• Mail bags• Post office forms• Folding and inserting machine• Scales (manual or electric)• Franking machine (used instead of

stamps)• PC used for printing address

labels/checking e-mail messages

Dealing with Incoming Mail

• Sort mail into:– Private/Personal/Confidential– Urgent– Special (Recorded or Special Delivery)– First Class– Second Class

– Then……

• Open mail (not private or confidential)

• Remove contents• Date-stamp mail (do not cover

anything important)• Check and attach enclosures• Sort mail into departments• Mail is then collected by departments

(at certain times)or

• Delivered to individual departments

Procedures for scanning mail

• Open mail as normal• Scan mail on to a floppy disc or

network• Copy/sort directly to staff mail

boxes• Shred originals• Confidential mail is treated as

normal (i.e. unopened)

Electronic Sources of Incoming Mail

• Voicemail– Check at regular intervals– Note messages on message form– Sort messages into departments– Deliver messages as for incoming

mail

• E-mail– Check for messages at regular intervals– Print the number of copies required– Sort and deliver messages

or– Redirect by internal e-mail to staff

mailboxes

• Fax– Check for incoming faxes at regular

intervals– Photocopy or route faxes as necessary– Sort and deliver faxes

Dealing with Outgoing Mail

• Collect mail from departmentsor

• Staff deliver mail to mail room by a specified time

• Sort mail into– First Class– Second Class– Special Delivery

• Then weigh letters or parcels• Stamp or frank envelopes/parcels• Deliver mail to the post office

Electronic Sources of Outgoing Mail

• E-mail– Create new messages– Enter e-mail address of person/people

you want to send the e-mail to– Key in message– Check message (e.g. spell-check)– Add attachments (if needed)– Send message