FOR YOUR DISCUSSION

Directions

Enter your response after each question or statement.

1. Identify at least five e-mail netiquette rules to follow.
Never send anything via e-mail that you wouldnt want made public.
Address the receiver of the email by name in the opening sentence.
Keep messages concise.
Reread messages before sending.
Use capital letters sparingly.
Set e-mail applications to automatically display original messages in replies and
forwarded messages.
Always get permission before forwarding or sharing an e-mail.
Dont forget attachments.
2. Discuss the impact of systems knowledge related to mail operations on a company.
The better that an administrative assistant knows the systems of their company, the more
efficient they can be at handling all types of mail and making sure that it gets to the right
people/departments in a timely fashion.
3. List the steps, in sequence, for processing traditional incoming mail.
Sort mail
Open mail
Inspect mail
Register special mail
Date-time stamp mail
Read and annotate mail
Present mail to manager
Handle packages, publications, & advertising by mail
Distribute mail
Answer mail in managers absence
4. Identify the four steps in preparing traditional outgoing mail.
Review all documents for signatures and enclosures
Verify correspondence address with envelope address
Determine most accurate way of mailing item
Presort mail for speedier handling by post office
5. Use two to three sentences to describe the basic classes of domestic mail.
First-Class Mail includes all personal and business correspondence (all matter
sealed or otherwise closed against inspection and matter wholly or partly in writing
or keyboarded). Must weigh thirteen ounces or less.
Priority Mail offers two- or three-day service to most domestic destinations. Any
mailable item may be sent as Priority Mail. Maximum weight is 70 pounds, and
maximum size is 108 inches or less in combined length and distance around the
thickest part. Flat rates are available based on weight or destination using a flat rate
envelope or box provided by the Postal Service.
Express Mail offers the fastest service, with next-day delivery by noon or by 3
p.m., to most destinations. Express Mail is delivered 365 days a year, with no
extra charge for Saturday, Sunday, or holiday delivery. Features include tracking,
proof of delivery, and insurance up to $100. All packages must use an Express
Mail label. Maximum weight is seventy pounds.
Parcel Post is used for mailing certain items gifts and general merchandise,
including books and other printed matter. Maximum weight is seventy pounds.
Maximum size is 130 inches combined length and distance around the thickest
part. Rates are based on weight and zone.
Bound Printed Matter is identified as advertising, promotional, directory, or
editorial that is securely bound (not loose-leaf binders); consists of sheets of which
at least 90 percent are imprinted by a process other than handwriting or
typewriting; contains no personal correspondence; and is not stationery, such as
pads of blank printer forms. Maximum weight is fifteen pounds. Maximum size is
108 inches in combined length and distance around the thickest part. Each piece
should be marked Bound Printed Matter.
Media Mail (Book Rate) is generally used for books (at least eight pages), film,
manuscripts, printed music, printed test materials, sound recordings, play scripts,
printed educational charts, loose-leaf pages and binders consisting of medical
information, videotapes, and computer-recorded media such as CDs. Media Mail
cannot contain advertising. Maximum size is 108 inches in combined length and
distance around the thickest part. Mark each package Media Mail in the postage
area.
6. Distinguish among the following: Certificate of Mailing and Certified Mail; Delivery
Confirmation and Return Receipt; Delivery Confirmation and Signature
Confirmation.
Certificate of Mailing is evidence of mailing, purchased at the time of mailing.
Certified Mail is a service that provides proof of mailing at the time of mailing and
date and time of delivery or attempted delivery.
Delivery Confirmation is a service that provides the date and time of delivery or
attempted delivery and is purchased at the time of mailing. Mailers may retrieve
Delivery Confirmation information at usps.com. With Return Receipt, the sender
receives a postcard or electronic notification, via fax or e-mail, with the date of
delivery and recipients signature.
Delivery Confirmation provides the date and time of delivery or attempted
delivery. Signature Confirmation notifies the sender of the date and time of
delivery or attempted delivery and the name of the person who signed for the item.
7. What are three special situations you might encounter in handling outgoing mail that would
require your attention?
Changing an address the company I work for moves.
Recalling mail a serious mailing error was made that warrants recalling a piece of
mail.
Returning undelivered mail the recipient of the mail has moved and forwarding
information is not available or has expired. Mail must be placed in a new envelope
and resent with new postage.
8. Using two to three sentences for each, describe the office technology related to the mail
function that was presented in this chapter.
Postage meter a machine that applies postage to an envelope or package. Consists
of a meter, which belongs to the post office, and the mailing machine, which belongs
to the company. The major advantage of a postage meter is the convenience of not
using stamps, not waiting in line at the post office, and being able to apply whatever
amount of postage is needed.
Postage scale shows both the weight and amount of postage required. Any scale that
weighs in ounces will work as a postage scale. Translate the weight into the correct
postage by using a current postal rate chart from the USPS.
Postage price calculation calculates the postage price for domestic and international
mail from your computer by using the postage calculation link on U.S. Postal
Services Web site. You can also print postage from this site.
Fax machine a device that will copy and transmit graphics and text messages as
electronic signals via the telephone lines or from a personal computer equipped with a
modem. The document will be reproduced on paper at the destination fax machine or
as a file stored in a computer.
Scanner a device used to input text, such as a report; photographs; and bulky items,
such as the cover of a DVD. Scanners are useful in offices where the goal is to move
into a paperless document system. Types of scanners include flatbed, sheet fed, photo,
and portable scanners.
Photocopier a machine that makes paper copies of documents and other visual
images quickly and cheaply. With the convergence of printers, scanners,
photocopiers, and fax machines into a single device, you can now find multifunction
printers, all-in-one, or multifunction devices. Todays printer/copier provides
networked printing, scanning, copying, digital sending, and even faxing, with the full
finishing capabilities of a traditional photocopier.
9. Describe at least five tips for making the copying process efficient and economical.
Save copy jobs until you have several to do at one time.
Determine best times to use the copier. Avoid high-traffic times.
Keep track of monitoring device assigned to you for copying purposes.
Plan ahead for large copying needs.
Make sure you comply with Copyright Act. Rule of thumb you can photocopy
from published edition of more than ten pages, 10 percent of total number of
pages, or one chapter. If you are photocopying from a serial, then you are allowed
to photocopy one article from a single issue.
10. What traditional incoming mail would you consider to be urgent?
Certified Mail, Overnight Mail, Registered Mail, and Special Delivery mail would be
considered urgent. The senders of all of these types of mail have paid a higher rate of
postage to ensure delivery, signature, and or protection against loss or damage.