HEARD At MAILCOM: SINGLE-PIECE MAIL SERVICE STINKS … POSTAGE RATES WILL RISE 20% BY 2025 … JURY OUT ON PMG … INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO CONSOLIDATE … CERTIFICATION MORE IMPORTANT

HEARD AT MAILCOM: The MAILCOM ’22 Conference & Exhibition ended last week at the Resorts in Atlantic City. Here’s some of the scuttlebutt heard at the show …

SINGLE-PIECE MAIL SERVICE STINKS … one direct mailer said it took 8 days for a First-Class check he sent to be delivered, but only 3 days for a direct mail piece that mailed on the same day. “It’s like 1990, but in reverse. Third-Class is there quick, First-Class takes forever.” … The mail service performance stats the USPS releases do not account for single-piece mail as former measurements did … if they did, they wouldn’t be sending press releases about the results … If you mail bulk First or Marketing, you’re seeing timely delivery … if you’re Grandma in Boise, ID sending a birthday card East, you’re seeing delivery slower than the Pony Express days …

AND IT’S BEEN STINKING FOR A WHILE … why is it so hard to fix First-Class Mail single piece? … Is it because of troubled postal plants or poor management? … is it because rural individuals don’t carry the same clout as volume customers? … or because more mail is being shifted to ground transportation? … maybe prior network consolidations? … the PRC members must feel this poor service, some attendees grumble …

POSTAGE RATES WILL RISE 20% BY 2025 … Inflation is the best thing to happen to the USPS since the last government hand-out … it will be able to raise rates at least 20% by 2025 because inflation is soaring and it has new authorities granted by the PRC … For 2021-2022, rates have increased over 10% … Mailers enjoyed a decade of modest rate hikes because of low inflation … That makes the sting hurt even more as the USPS eyes future double-digit, annual increases …

JURY OUT ON PMG … Some see a FedEx/UPS Exec in Postal Clothing … raise rates, and raise them often …

INDUSTRY CONTINUES TO CONSOLIDATE … Since MAILCOM was last held in 2019, three industry vendors have been consolidated into the same company … and several print-mail firms also saw consolidation …  with rumors of mergers ahead … The industry continues to use less paper, though prices have skyrocketed over the last year … 10% increase in paper costs forecast across-the-board going into 2023 …

TRITEK INCOMING MAIL SORTING SYSTEMS A HIT … Companies looking for automation solutions that convert inbound paper mail into emails … helps serve remote workers … and lowers labor costs …

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER … Several MCOM’s remarked how important it is for managers and executives to be certified … it means higher pay and more confidence in your leadership … AOSP is announcing a new certification program for office service managers … MCOM and CMDSM programs are up and growing as managers complete certification requirements …

GREAT SEEING PEOPLE IN REALITY … not virtually … There was an optimistic feel throughout MAILCOM … It was the first time the conference was held in 3 years because of the COVID pandemic and attendees enjoyed being together … Great seeing everyone …

NEXT MAILCOM IN LAS VEGAS, MARCH 20-222, 2023 … Call for Presentations due December 2 …