1

BSBCMN212A

Handle Mail

Information and Activities

Page Number

Receive and Distribute Incoming Mail External Mail Internal Mail Opening Mail Processing Incoming Mail

3-6

Receive and Dispatch Outgoing Mail Processing Outgoing Mail Mailing Services Steps for Processing Outgoing Mail Register and Dispatch

7-13

Organise Urgent and Same Day Deliveries Courier Services

14-15

Electronic Mail Facsimile Email Organization Types and Country Codes

16-19

Key Terms and Concepts

20-21

2

BSBCMN212A – Handle Mail

Information

Elements of competency

1. Receive and distribute incoming mail 2. Receive and dispatch outgoing mail

3. Organise urgent and same day deliveries 4. Organise and send electronic mail

Critical aspects of evidence

Integrated demonstration of all elements of competency and their performance criteria Knowledge of the organisation’s policies and procedures relating to mail and electronic mail

Justification for choice of carrier for urgent and same day deliveries Knowledge of carrier’s requirements (eg postal and courie

3

Receive and Distribute Incoming Mail

Businesses often give the responsibility for collecting and posting the mail to one person. The person responsible for mail should ensure that they have necessary requirements for mail distribution at their workstation or close by. The size of the Business will determine the size of mail requirements. There are common facilities used in all businesses relating to mail distribution including;

Inwards mail registers

Pigeon Holes

Circulation Slips

Company Policy Date Stamps Mail Stationary

There are two classifications of Incoming mail; External Mail and Internal Mail External Mail

Paper based mail collected from a private post office box Electronic mail in the form of a fax or e-mail. DX (Document Exchange), delivered to the premises by postal service or courier including; letters,

magazines, journals, packages, invoices, or other types of correspondence.

Internal mail Memos Reports or other information, sent between departments or staff

Opening the Mail Before opening the mail procedures have to be followed

Inspect for Course of Action

Is it marked confidential, private or personal

This mail should be delivered unopened to the recipient

Has it been sent Express Post for speed or Registered Post for security of delivery

Give priority to opening this mail first

Has it been damaged, pilfered or roughly handled

Contact the sender, or negotiate for replacement – refer the matter to your supervisor

Does it look suspicious, make noises, smell strange or appear to have been interfered with

Call a supervisor or security staff and do not touch or move such suspicious mail

4

Processing the incoming mail The person responsible for collecting mail will collect and post it at the same time each day. This routine lets staff know when mail has to be ready each day if they want items posted. Sometimes the person who collects and posts the mail will be different to the person who opens the mail. The person who opens the mail will follow guidelines similar to those outlined below

1. Carefully open the envelope, using a letter opener or slitter and removing all the contents.

2. Check the contents of the envelope; are there enclosures or attachments? Attach as appropriate.

3. Date stamp the materials.

4. Enter the details into the Inwards Mail Register.

5. Sort and prioritise the mail ready for distribution to staff members. Urgent and private mail should be delivered first. Mail should be sorted according to department, seniority of personnel and importance of the communication.

6. Separate out the junk mail.

7. Identify mail designated for more than one recipient and attach a circulation slip

8. Check the accuracy of cheques and total up the total value of cheques received.

9. Any correspondence which is slightly damaged should be repaired before circulation.

10. Minimise waste by reusing internal envelopes and packaging where possible and recycling

appropriate materials.

11. Follow organisational policy and procedures and work within organisational timelines.

5

Receive and Distribute Incoming Mail Question 1 What will determine the size of mail requirements? ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2

a) Where can you locate Pigeon Holes at Randwick Tafe? b) What are they used for?

________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 3 Name the two classifications of Incoming mail _________________________________ _____________________________________ Question 4 - Complete the table with different examples of Mail

External Mail Internal Mail

Question 5 What should you do if you receive mail that looks suspicious? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 6 How should you handle mail marked private, confidential or personal? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 7 Which mail should be opened first? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 8 Does the person who collects the mail open the mail? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

6

Question 9 Put the procedures for processing incoming mail in order form 1-11

Order Procedure

Follow organisational policy and procedures and work within organisational timelines

Sort and prioritise the mail ready for distribution to staff members. Urgent and private mail should be delivered first. Mail should be sorted according to department, seniority of personnel and importance of the communication.

Separate out the junk mail.

Minimise waste by reusing internal envelopes and packaging where possible and recycling appropriate materials

Check the accuracy of cheques and total up the total value of cheques received.

Check the contents of the envelope; are there enclosures or attachments? Attach as appropriate.

Identify mail designated for more than one recipient and attach a circulation slip

Any correspondence which is slightly damaged should be repaired before circulation

Date stamp the materials.

Enter the details into the Inwards Mail Register

Carefully open the envelope, using a letter opener or slitter and removing all the contents

7

Receive and Dispatch Outgoing Mail

Organisational guidelines should be followed for collecting, processing and posting mail each day. Guidelines will differ between companies in regards to

a) When the mail is posted b) How the mail is posted c) Method of payment for postage.

Processing Outgoing Mail The person who processes the outgoing mail will follow guidelines similar to those outlined below

1. Decide on the type of service required – normal, electronic, overnight, express, bulk, registered, certified, person to person, DX, special security

2. Choose the most appropriate carrier eg Australia Post, a courier, domestic, international

3. Ensure that the carrier’s requirements are followed

4. Determine the rate of postage and the method of paying for the postage cost

5. Record details of the outgoing mail including date of dispatch, sender, department, carrier, contents, reference number, enclosures

Mailing Services There are a range of mail services available, both from Australia Post and private providers. Conditions and costs vary and change periodically. The services being offered and costs should be checked regularly. Australia Post offers a variety of services including

Service Definition

Letter post Based on size, weight and destination

Express post Guaranteed next day delivery to specified areas

Registered Post A unique identification number for every article provides proof of posting, a signature is obtained on delivery and insurance cover up to $100 is included

Parcel Post Based on size, weight and destination of the parcel

Postage Paid A service that offers discounts on bulk mail and does not require lining up at the post office.

Bulk Mail services Including Pre-Sort Letter Service (300 letters of the same size, category and weight for delivery within Australia), Print-Post (for delivery of a newsletter, magazine or periodical), Local Delivery Service (discounts for delivery to adjacent postcodes) or Clean Mail (a minimum of 300 letters able to be sorted by mechanised letter sorting equipment)

International services

Including air and sea mail and express international post

For up-to-date information and costs for these services, refer to the Australia Post Post Charges website at www.auspost.com.au

8

Steps to Processing Outgoing mail

Receive

Mail is collected periodically, either picked up from individuals or departments or delivered to a central mailroom. Most organisations have procedures in place for collecting mail to ensure prompt dispatch.

Check

Mail should be checked for accuracy and completeness, this includes; address details and layout are correct the letter and envelope are addressed to the same person correspondence has been signed any enclosures or attachments are included e.g. cheque the address is correctly positioned if using window-face envelopes a return address is included parcels are securely packaged

Sort

Sort the mail into similar items – parcels, local letters, international mail, special services to take advantage of cost savings and to more easily calculate postage.

Calculate

and pay postage

The cost of mail will be determined by size weight destination business discounts when delivery is required

Courier companies will quote on specific deliveries or may provide pre-paid document satchels.

When using Australia Post, postage must be paid for at time of lodgement, whether using stamps, prepaid envelopes, an authorised postage meter or franking machine, or using a bulk delivery service. Postage meters and franking machines allow businesses to print the cost of postage on mail items (either directly or using a label) and pay for this postage by phone, modem, or at the post office. Using a postage meter allows businesses up to a 25% discount on postage charges. Register and Dispatch Many companies maintain a record of outgoing mail. Mail can be recorded either; Electronically (using a spreadsheet, database or specialist software application) Paper-based system (mail book, outwards mail register). A record of the outgoing mail should include

Date of dispatch, (Date leaves the office) Sender and sender’s department/title (Who is sending it) Addressee and organisation, (Who you are sending it to) The carrier used (Normal mail, Express Post, courier) Reference number (e.g. Express Post barcode reference number from the envelope) Receipts where appropriate (e.g. registered post receipt)

The prepared and checked mail may be delivered to the Post Office or collected from the organisation. Care should be taken to make sure mail is dispatched in a timely manner. Couriers and Express Post services, for example, have cut-off times for collection, to ensure delivery as required.

9

Receive and Dispatch Outgoing Mail

Question 1 How do guidelines for collecting, processing and posting outgoing mail differ between companies? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

Question 2 Complete the table of guidelines for outgoing mail

Process Example

Decide on the type of service required

Choose the most appropriate carrier

Forms are filled in correctly including senders and receivers address and contact and dangerous goods declaration

Take it into the post office to be weighed, collect quotes from couriers

Record details of the outgoing mail

Question 4 True or False

Statement True or False

There are a range of mail services available, both from Australia Post and private providers

Australia Post is the only service that can deliver mail in Australia

Express Post guarantees next day delivery to specified areas

Registered Post has a unique identification number for every article provides proof of posting, a signature is obtained on delivery and insurance cover up to $100 is included

The cost of posting letters is determined only by the destination

The cost of posting parcels is based on size, weight and destination of the parcel

International post can only be delivered by airmail

Bulk Mail services Includes Pre-Sort Letter Service (300 letters of the same size, category and weight for delivery within Australia), Print-Post (for delivery of a newsletter, magazine or periodical),

Bulk Mail services does not include Clean Mail (a minimum of 300 letters able to be sorted by mechanised letter sorting equipment)

Sea mail is more expensive that airmail

The cost of postage on a standard letter anywhere in Australia is 55c

10

Question 5 Go to the following website http://www.couriersplease.com.au/ Click on Coupon Calculator on the left hand side Calculate the cost of postage for the following items

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4

Length 12 150 15 10

Width 12 120 12 10

Height 12 180 15 10

Cubed Weight .43 810 .68 .25

Physical Weight 1.6 12 7 .05

Place of Pick up Cronulla Sydney Sydney Bondi Beach

Destination The Rocks Melbourne Melbourne Yeppoon

Cost

Time for Delivery

Question 6 Go to the following website http://australiapost.com.au/ Click on Calculate postage rates

Calculate the cost of postage for letters within Australia

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4

Lodgment Postcode 2226 2226 2226 2226

Destination Postcode 2000 2000 2000 2000

Size DL DL C5 B4

Thickness Less than 5mm 5mm-20mm 5mm-20mm 5mm-20mm

Weight Up to 50g Up to 50g 50g-125g 250g-500g

Cost Small Letter

Delivery Time

Cost Express Post

Delivery Time

11

Question 7 Go to the following website http://australiapost.com.au/ Click on Calculate postage rates

Calculate the cost of postage for parcels within Australia

Item 1 Item 2 Item 3 Item 4

Lodgment Postcode 2226 2226 2000 8000

Destination Postcode 2000 2000 4700 3232

Weight 1-250g 19001-20000g 7001-8000g 251g-500g

Dimensions 10x10x10 10x10x10 5mm-20mm 5mm-20mm

Cost Regular Parcel

Delivery Time

Cost Express Post

Delivery Time

Question 8 Go to the following website http://australiapost.com.au/ Click on Calculate postage rates

Calculate the cost of postage for International Parcels

Country Belgium Austria Brazil Canada

Parcel Weight 250-500g

Air Mail

Parcel Weight 19500-20000g

Sea Mail

Parcel Weight 0-250g

Express Post International

Parcel Weight 5000-5500g

Air Mail

12

Question 9 Go to the following website http://australiapost.com.au/ Click on Calculate postage rates

Calculate the cost of postage for International letters

Country New Zealand Germany Finland America

Postcard Cost Airmail

Delivery Time

Letter up to 50-125g

Registered International DLE

Delivery Time

Letter up to 125-250g

ECI Documents

Delivery Time

Letter up to 250-500g

Airmail

Delivery Time

Letter up to 250-500g

Express Post International C5

Delivery Time

Question 10 Match the terms with the correct definitions

Receive

Mail should be checked for accuracy and completeness, this includes; address details and layout are correct the letter and envelope are addressed to the same person correspondence has been signed any enclosures or attachments are included e.g. cheque the address is correctly positioned if using window-face envelopes a return address is included

Check Sort the mail into similar items – parcels, local letters, international mail, special services to take advantage of cost savings and to more easily calculate postage.

Sort

The cost of mail will be determined by size weight destination business discounts when delivery is required

Courier companies will quote on specific deliveries or may provide pre-paid document satchels.

Calculate and

pay postage

Mail is collected periodically, either picked up from individuals or departments or delivered to a central mailroom. Most organisations have procedures in place for collecting mail to ensure prompt dispatch.

13

Question 11 When using Australia Post when does postage have to be paid? ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 12 What are two advantages of having a franking machine? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 13 List two ways that companies can record outgoing mail? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 14 Complete the table in relation to outgoing mail

Procedure Definition

Date of Dispatch

Who is sending the mail

Who is receiving the mail

The carrier used

Reference number

Receipts

14

Organise Urgent and Same Day Deliveries

Businesses which require documents or parcels sent urgently will often utilise a courier service. There are many courier companies Australia wide and they offer services such as door-to-door or person-to-person delivery, within the hour, same day or overnight, international or secure delivery services. Costs vary according to

urgency or speed of delivery location and destination of the delivery quantity, size and weight of the item/s nature of the contents e.g. fragile, confidential, bulky, perishable

Courier Services Couriers can provide pre-paid satchels for small items or documents. A consignment note has to be attached to all items, showing clear details of sender’s and recipient’s name and address. The pick-up driver will sign the consignment note and leave a copy, providing proof of dispatch. It is also usual for courier companies to have the recipient sign for receiving the delivery and as proof of delivery. Some Local and International Courier Companies are

Local Couriers International Couriers

Couriers Please UPS

Snap Couriers DHL

Fastway Couriers TOLL

TNT Express Courier International

Other options for urgent and same day delivery include

Express Post Facsimile or email DX (Document Exchange) Hand delivery

Items should be correctly prepared for delivery, clearly addressed with any special instructions specified and all documentation completed. Following up, to ensure the delivery has been received, may be as simple as a phone call to the recipient. Clear records of all consignments should be kept. Good record keeping allows you to be able to follow up any missing documents or parcels

15

Organise Urgent and Same Day Deliveries

Question 1 How do business mail urgent items? ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2 List five services that courier companies may offer ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ Question 3 List reasons why cost for mail delivery by a courier will vary ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ Question 4 What is a consignment letter? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 5 Go to http://yellowpages.com.au/ Type in Couriers – Sydney List eight courier companies ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________ Question 6 Name other options for urgent same day delivery of mail ___________________________________ _______________________________ ___________________________________ _______________________________

Question 7 Why must documents be addressed clearly? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 8 Why must accurate records of outgoing mail be kept? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

16

Electronic Mail

The capacity to send correspondence from one computer to another has transformed communication within many offices. Electronic mail can be sent using a facsimile (fax) machine or as email via computer. Organisations will have procedures for sending and receiving electronic communications; employees should know how often email and fax machines should be checked and how messages are delivered to the correct recipient. Facsimile Facsimile provides an easy and quick method of sending written or graphical information. It is important to

use a cover sheet to provide clear details of both sender and receiver; use just the cover sheet when writing short messages

check that all the required information is attached indicate, on the cover sheet, the number of pages being sent make sure that the correct number of pages is transmitted.

Email Email is utilised both internally (for memos, reminders, reports, telephone messages etc between personnel) and externally (correspondence and communication from outside the organisation). The main advantages of electronic mail are its speed and cost effectiveness. The same email can be sent to a wide range of destinations with the one transmission, both within Australia and overseas. There is no need to go to the Post Office. Attachments (other files) can be ‘attached’ and sent with the message. Disadvantages include security problems (despite the need for password access), accidental deletion and email being transmitted on to other (unauthorised) people. It is not wise to send confidential information in an email message. Electronic address books are used for addresses of people regularly sent mail, and are stored within the email system or in a separate database. These need to be regularly maintained to prevent email going astray or recipients being left off a mailing list. Old records should be regularly deleted, new records added and information corrected or updated as necessary. Remember – a full stop in the wrong place can prevent email messages arriving. Email addresses contain both the user’s name and a domain name (the name of the Internet Service Provider or the name of the company or organisation).

For example trista.vallentine@tafensw.edu.au

trista.vallentine @ Tafensw .edu .au

user’s name at domain name type of organisation Country Code

17

Organization Types and Country Codes of Email Addresses

Code Type of organisation Code Country

gov government au Australia

edu academic nz New Zealand

org miscellaneous organisation uk United Kingdom

com commercial company com USA

net miscellaneous company de Germany

Emails should be carefully checked for the following before sending.

Is the address correct?

Does the message have a meaningful title?

Is the body of the message clear and concise; are details accurate?

Does the email include a signature block – the name, title, organisation, address and phone contact

details of the sender?

Is the email message a manageable size?

Are necessary files attached to the email message?

Has a record of outgoing email been kept?

Has the email been sent within the designated time?

Will the message and attachment negotiate the Internet Service Provider (ISP) gateway?

o Can the attached files be compressed to make them smaller?

o Should files be sent separately to reduce time?

o Can the attachment/s be opened by the receiver?

o Watch out for large files e.g. large documents or self-executable (.exe) files.

18

Electronic Mail

Question 1 Name the two types of Electronic Mail ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 2 What machine is used to send emails? ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 3 True or False

Statement True or False

A cover sheet to provide clear details of both sender and receiver should be used when sending a fax

You should check that all the required information is attached

There is no need to indicate, on the cover sheet, the number of pages being sent

You should make sure that the correct number of pages is transmitted.

Question 4 Complete the table in regards to email use

Internal Email External Email

Question 5 Complete the table in regards to the advantages and disadvantages of email usage

Advantages Disadvantages

Question 6 What are electronic address books used for? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________

19

Question 7 When should electronic address books be updated? ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ Question 8 Complete the tables

Code Type of organisation Code Country

government au

edu Italy

miscellaneous organisation France

com de

net ru

Question 9 True or False

Statement True or False

Emails should be carefully checked before sending

You should check that you have the correct address

Is the body of the message clear and concise; are details accurate

The email should include a signature block

The size of the email does not matter

You can not make attachments to emails

You should keep records of when the email was sent

Emails should be screened for viruses

20

Key Terms and Concepts

Term Definition

Addressee The person to whom the mail is to be delivered

Bulk mail-outs The sending of large quantities of mail at one time, which saves considerable cost. This may involve pre-sorting the mail into postcodes, bundling the items into multiples of 10 envelopes, sorting according to size, delivering to the post office counter etc

Circulation slip

An attachment to a memo, journal or report etc which several people will need to read. Each name is written on the circulation slip and the item is passed on to each in turn. Also known as a routing slip. Internal delivery envelopes are often used for this purpose and allow for one item to be conveyed to a number of recipients in turn

Confidential Items of mail are often marked ‘confidential’. These should be left sealed and delivered to the named recipient

Courier Businesses which pick up documents from the sender and deliver them to the receiver; can be within hours or overnight

Damaged items Items of mail that have been received in a damaged condition. Damaged items should be carefully checked; damaged correspondence may be repaired before distribution

Delivery options

A wide range of options are available within Australia for delivery of mail using either Australia Post eg Express Post, Certified Mail, Security Post, Parcel Post, Ordinary Mail or a courier service

Dispatched Mail which has been collected, prepared and recorded is then sent out using the most appropriate method to ensure quick, safe delivery

Express Post One of the services offered by Australia Post for speedy delivery of mail within Australia. Items must be posted in special Express Post boxes or at Post Offices offering this service

External mail Mail arriving from outside the organisation eg letters, magazines, journals, packages, invoices, or other types of correspondence or electronic mail in the form of a fax or e-mail

Incoming mail All mail coming into a business or organisation, whether via the postal service, e-mail, fax, courier or other means

Internal mail Information sent from one person, or department, to another, within the same organisation

Junk mail Mail (usually unsolicited) sent to the organisation which may, or may not, be of interest eg advertising materials

Missing items Items, such as enclosures or attachments, which may be missing when the mail is opened. All mail should be checked when it is opened and missing items noted and followed up

Outgoing mail All correspondence going out of a business or organisation, whether via post, e-mail, fax, courier or other means

21

Term Definition

Overnight bag An internal courier service, which some large organisations operate overnight, to enhance communication between branches or departments

Pilfered mail Mail which has been damaged and appears to have been opened or interfered with

Postcode A unique number allocated for each place within Australia; the postcode speeds the processing of mail

Prioritise Place in order of importance

Registered mail One of the services offered by Australia Post for secure delivery of mail within Australia

Seniority Of higher standing or rank; having precedence of position

Sorted After the mail has been opened and recorded it is usually arranged according to department/recipient and in priority order

Suspicious items

Incoming mail that looks suspicious, makes noises, smells strange or appears to have been interfered with. The supervisor or security staff should be called and the article should not be touched or moved

Urgent Requiring immediate attention

Key Terms and Concepts

Complete the table

Term Definition

Addressee

Items of mail are often marked ‘confidential’. These should be left sealed and delivered to the named recipient

Courier

Dispatched

One of the services offered by Australia Post for speedy delivery of mail within Australia. Items must be posted in special Express Post boxes or at Post Offices offering this service

Junk mail

Outgoing mail

Place in order of importance

Suspicious items