Thoughts from the Top Dog!

We’ve all heard it before… “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”

Although we have every confidence those appointed rounds will be completed, the question is when will the mail be delivered? Will it be delivered when you  expect, or will weather-related issues take a toll on those precious campaigns?

Let’s face it, things happen but having a plan in place to minimize the interruption is a prudent idea.

• Plan ahead. Obviously, don’t send chocolate samples in August.  Also consider if February is the best time to send time-sensitive national campaigns knowing that a large part of the country will be slowed down by large storms. Consider the winter months a better time to focus on regional mailings or ones whose delivery time does not impact the results.
• Shipping method options. Consider some parts of the country may need to be expedited while others can go standard methods. This may help the budget during those winter months
• Tracking your packages. How confident are you that your pieces got delivered? Are you staffing your call centers, mail rooms and order processors based on assumptions of delivery dates? Tracking both outbound and inbound provides you with 24/7 data so you can make smarter staffing decisions and save your resources for when the big response days are more likely.
• Think outside the box. Use programs like EDDM for last minute or quick turn around promotions. This may be a great back up when storms have delayed mail deliveries and you need to extend a sale or provide more information.

In the end, common sense and planning that includes a Plan B is the keys to success in all weather conditions.

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay prepared!