Many countries do not track how many pieces of mail go
undelivered. So, it comes as no surprise
that international statistics on undelivered mail do not exist. Some mail is undeliverable because of poor or
incorrect addressing. Mail is also
abandoned, when a signature is needed or a fee must be paid or something else
prevents delivery.
No mailer wants to waste the resources that go into
maintaining addresses, printing mail pieces and posting them on mail that will
not reach its destination. Postal
operators spend a large amount of money to return undeliverable mail and to
destroy mail that can neither be delivered nor returned. Both groups would benefit from more information
on the exact causes of unsuccessful delivery.
Finding out what is preventing delivery and why and where
will allow the postal community – mailers, logistics companies, and postal
operators – to take appropriate steps to reduce the waste that this
creates. As international commerce from
Internet purchases increases, gathering this information becomes more important
to all our businesses.
Support is now being gathered to submit a resolution the Universal Postal Union’s quadrennial congress this September that will mandate a study of this problem. This proposal deserves support.
It is time to stop guessing and find out what is
happening. We all know that good
business decisions depend on knowledge.
We all need this knowledge to improve the international postal system
and our own businesses.
As I wrote last week, it is time for a system for
international notifications for changes of address or “gone away” addresses. That would reduce undeliverable international
mail, too.
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