Category Archives: Blog With BEB

Welcome Kerry Dicapua

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Join us as we welcome Kerry Dicapua!  Kerry is a native of Boston,  and has lived in Houston for the past 20-years.

Kerry is studying accounting at Lone Star College and has a daughter named Brooklyn (13).  The pair enjoy baking and have recently started cooking together, too.  She also       enjoys collecting vintage handbags and is passionate about family.

Kerry handles A/R and other accounting functions as well as  managing the day-to-day office happenings.

We are excited to welcome Kerry to our BEB family.

 

 

 

The Magic of (USPS) MERLIN is Gone

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For over 10-years, the USPS Mail Evaluation Readability Lookup INstrument, also known as MERLIN, has been used by acceptance clerks to test and verify mailings.  When first rolled out, it created quite a stir within industry surrounding measuring mail quality at the point of mail acceptance.

Full-Service mailers have moved to Seamless Acceptance and   enjoy the benefit of standardized acceptance and verification         processes thereby eliminating the need to have mailings tested on MERLIN.

MERLIN is also used to ensure that addresses were updated within 95-days of the mailing date with customer filed COA (Change of Address) orders.  The USPS announced that on January 21, 2018, the method for ensuring compliance with Move Update              requirements will change from the MERLIN Method to a new Census Method.    The new method checks compliance on all mail pieces (unlike MERLIN that verified samplings), and reduces the current 30% threshold to .5%.

This marks the end of the MERLIN era, and the start of greater efficiency in measuring postal compliant mail.

 

The Nonprofit Postal Rate Controversy

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The PRC (Postal Regulatory Commission) has been petitioned for approval to amend its method of calculating Standard and Nonprofit (NP) prices.

Since 2000, the 60% rule applies to NP rates.  That means that the average NP revenue per piece should be 60% of the estimated average revenue per piece rate, class-wide.  The USPS wants to revert to using a methodology that was used prior to the passage of postal reform legislation where  regular and ECR (enhanced carrier route) rates are considered subclasses of mail.  The Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers alerted members that by reverting to the prior methodology, prices could increase 3.3% to 6.9% over and above other increases that are proposed for implementation in January of 2018.

The PRC Public Representative recognized the potential “rate shock” facing nonprofit mailers, and urged the USPS to apply any corrective price adjustments (over the annual CPI cap increase) over more than two       price-adjustment cycles.

There isn’t a time constraint applicable for the PRC to issue a decision on the matter, and the comment period on the USPS proposal ended on September 18th.  Knowing the possibility of a legal challenge, the PRC may be more deliberate in issuing its ruling than usual.  We’ll keep you posted as this issue unfolds.

*from The Bureau-October 2017 issue

 

USPS Resumes Normal Operations

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ALL OFFICES IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT HAVE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF:

Retail Operations, Delivery Operations, and Drop Shipments have all been suspended at the following offices-with services being offered by an alternate location:
1) ALL OPERATIONS FOR DWTN BEAUMONT HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 5815 WALDEN RD, BEAUMONT TX 77707-9998

2) ALL OPERATIONS FOR BEAR CREEK HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 315 ADDICKS HOWELL RD, HOUSTON TX 77079-9998

3) ALL OPERATIONS FOR GLEN FLORA HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 141 E MILAM ST, WHARTON TX 77488-9998

4) ALL OPERATIONS FOR KATY FINANCE HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 20180 PARK ROW DR KATY TX 77449-9998

5) ALL OPERATIONS FOR NOME HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 305 N BROADWAY ST, CHINA TX 77613-0016

6) ALL OPERATIONS FOR STOWELL HAVE BEEN MOVED TO 324 HIGHWAY 124, WINNIE TX 77665-0190

7) ALL OPERATIONS FOR WEST COLUMBIA HAVE BEEN MOVED 100 CANNAN DR, ANGLETON TX 77515-9998

Until further notice, Retail Operations, Delivery Operations, and Drop Shipments have all been suspended at the following offices and no alternate location is available:

1) DEWEYVILLE, 680 TX STATE HIGHWAY 272, DEWEYVILLE TX 77614-0001

2) MAURICEVILLE, 11424 HIGHWAY 12, MAURICEVILLE TX 77626-0016

PRIORITY MAIL EXPRESS SERVICE UPDATE:
All Priority Mail Express service to the following 3-digit ZIP Codes will resume normal operations effective Tuesday, Sept. 5, at noon: 770, 772, 773, 774, 775, 776, 777 and 778

USPS Post Hurricane Harvey

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During an Industry Briefing with USPS Headquarters in Washington DC on Friday, it was reported that 75% of the Houston area USPS staff have returned to work. It was also confirmed that mail is NOT being held at the North Houston Post Office. The USPS will assess the condition of delivery units effected by flooding and determine reopen dates on a case-by-case basis. USPS delivery status is updated online daily.

The Houston BMEU (Business Mail Entry Unit) will tentatively re-open on Saturday, September 2, 2017. Other tentative drop-shipment acceptance dates are Friday, September 8 and Monday, September 11, 2017.

We will keep you posted on the recovery status and if you have questions or need additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Hurricane Harvey

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Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us inquiring how we’re doing during #HurricaneHarvey. The devastation in Houston is alarming. However, our fellow Houstonians continue to shine with acts of incredible selflessness & kindness. Our compound is doing great. It is dry and sustained no damage from the storm! That being said, our most valuable asset (our staff) are a bit scattered throughout the city (several had to evacuate their homes), but all 100% are safe. We are working to return to a normal business schedule and will keep you posted! Thank you for your business and patience and our prayers go out to all of the people & businesses touched by this storm! Stay safe everyone.

Solar Eclipse is Tomorrow

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Tomorrow is also the total eclipse of the sun. It starts at 11:46am, maximum coverage for us to see will be at 1:15pm, and it will be complete by 2:45pm.
The next solar eclipse that can be seen from the US will be in 2024!
Don’t forget to wear protective eye wear if you want to watch it.
Check out this cool video giving you the scoop on why it’s a big deal!
https://youtu.be/7DZ4NrjBGfw