First HTML Newsletter:

This is Mail Service Center's first html e-mail newsletter.  If anyone has problems receiving this format, please let me know and I will get you a regular copy of the newsletter.  I plan in the future to add the newsletters to the website.

Thanks,

Shannon Covey - Director of Mail Service Center

Announcement from Director of Mail Service Center:

My name is Shannon Covey and I am the new director of Mail Services after the passing of Liz Newbold.  I started working in Mail Services when I was a student in 1991.  I became a full time civil service employee in 1995.  In those 16 years, I have met many of you and I hope in the coming years that I will meet more of you.  I learned from Liz in those years that there are always ways to improve the service and offerings of Mail Services and I plan to continue the tradition.  If you have any suggestions or problems, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail me.  You can reach me at 438-8383 or smcovey@ilstu.edu.

Website Update

One of the first things that we have improved upon is the "UPS Charge Slip Generator".  We have changed it so that it will work on most browsers and does not have a problem with pop-ups now.  The first time that you use the generator, you enter your contact information, account information, and then enter the delivery address for the package.  Click on "Enter the Next Address".  If you only need one slip, hit "Enter the Next Address" without filling out the address information and then hit "Print Charge Slips" to get your charge slips.  The next time that you use the generator, it will remember your contact information.  If you need to change the information, hit the link at the top of the page.  We will continue to improve this system and make it more user friendly.

Creating your charge slips with the generator gives a couple of other advantages also.  When the package it sent out, the return address is created from the information that you entered instead of Mail Service's default information.  In addition, you will receive an e-mail's with information about your package.  These include one with the information about your package including the tracking #, if there are any problems with the delivery and a confirmation of the delivery once it is delivered to the recipient.

Clasps on Envelopes

Clasps should not be used to seal envelopes that are being sent with the U.S. Postal Service.  If they are used, the cost of sending the envelope could be increased by $0.17/piece because the Postal Service considers it nonmachinable.  This can cause the envelope to be damaged by postal equipment or delay the delivery of the piece.  If you have clasped envelopes, do not use the clasp to seal the envelope and put tape across the flap to seal the envelope.

Preparing Daily Mail

1.      Make sure all of your mail is going the same way in the bundle. 

2.      Separate the unsealed from the sealed and the international from the domestic.

3.      If you only have one or two envelopes to seal, please go ahead and seal them for us.

Envelope Size

This is a reminder about the size of envelopes.  Some departments are still using the 6 1/2" x 9" envelopes to send items out at the first class rate.  These are costing the departments more money because the U.S. Postal Service considers this size to be a large envelope.  A 1oz letter costs $0.41, while a 1 oz large letter costs $0.80.  The chart below shows the minimum and maximum sizes for first class mail.