5 Things to Look For in a Transactional Mail Vendor

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The printing and mailing of bills and statements, otherwise known as transactional mail, isn’t the sexiest side of business, but it is an important one and the stakes are high if something goes wrong. So, considering some recent disasters -- from hurricanes Harvey and Irma to the Equifax data breach -- here are five things you should look for in your transactional mail vendor:

  1. Redundancy
    Natural disasters happen, hurricanes Harvey and Irma have shown there’s no preventing that. But your transactional mail vendor should have preventative measures in place. A climate-controlled environment with backup generators and redundant network connections for when the power goes out are a must. A disaster back-up plan should also be in writing in case the facility becomes unusable.

  2. Security
    Transactional mail carries sensitive personal information, including bank account numbers, phone calls, and medical records. Nobody wants to end up on the front page of the news for a data breach like what happened to Equifax this year. Security of this information should be your vendor’s number one priority. Entry to the locked transactional mail area should be restricted via access control systems and activity should be monitored by video 24/7. Make sure your vendor complies with any relevant privacy-related standards to your industry.

  3. Flexibility
    Including promotional materials with transactional statements (also called “transpromo”) has shown to be some of the most cost-effective and highest conversion rates in direct mail. Be sure your vendor can dynamically match and insert a promo that fits each customer profile with a camera or barcode match system. You also want to work with a printer that has a wide variety of equipment and experience for when you want to do something more unique and creative with your customer base.

  4. Capacity
    Transactional mail runs often tally in the millions of pieces. Make sure your printer has the capacity to get your mailings out on deadline, as transactional mail is time sensitive! You should also inquire if they have redundant machines in case of a mechanical breakdown that puts a machine out of service.

  5. Efficiency
    Your transactional mail printer should work with you to get the most bang for your buck. A lot of savings can come from postage costs. Your vendor should offer presorting (grouping mailings by zip code) and other mailing services to get bulk mail discounts from the USPS. Use of Intelligent Mail Barcodes (IMBs) will allow for automation discounts. An experienced mail house will also practice commingling to combine multiple mailings into single pallets and drop-ship bundles directly to post office distribution centers to get maximum savings.

If your in-house production team or current vendor doesn’t measure up in these five areas, it may be time to look for a new partner. Learn more about transactional mail at Suttle-Straus.

About the author

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Craig Mueller

Craig Mueller

Craig is the Transactional Mail Manager at Suttle-Straus. In his role he manages the Transactional Mail team which is in charge of printing and mailing for numerous clients. He started his career in the printing industry 14 years ago and landed in-house at Suttle-Straus in 2016. When not in the office, you might find Craig in Mount Horeb or other local communities taking in some of his children's many sporting events.
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Topics: Direct Mail

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