From GraceE + How to Handle Return Addresses

GraceE's happy, mail themed design.

We need to discuss an issue with the post office.

Several of us have had envelopes returned to us - envelopes that have a very clear outgoing address - and also a return address.

Because we like to put the return address on the back - this confuses the scanning machines.

If the scanning machine picks up the return address and applies a barcode based on the return address, the envelope can come right back to the sender - the day after it is mailed.

This has happened to me - and several others.

The most obvious thought when we see our mail returned to us is:

What is wrong with those people? Why can't they see the perfectly clear address on the envelope?

After lengthy discussion with my son, Hunter, who has only been working at the PO since October, I have learned all kinds of things.

Recently, I have learned that there are quite a few really angry people who will start raging at him over a variety of issues.

He patiently listens to them and tries to remedy the situation and let them know that he truly cares.

When he says, "I understand how you feel," the response may be an angry, "NO, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL."

He soldiers on and at the end of one conversation with an extremely irate customer, the lady said, "You deserve a gold star for patience." He was able to hang in there and she eventually realized that one human being is not responsible for the entire system.

Another customer's comment was, "DO YOU EVEN LOOK AT THE MAIL."

As he was relating this particular conversation to me, he chuckled and did a pantomime of himself with his eyes closed, stuffing imaginary mail into boxes - in a wild haphazard manner - to indicate the absurdity of the question.

During the actual conversation, Hunter remained calm and by the end of the conversation, the person did thank him for taking time to discuss things.

Technically, none of the carriers have time to double check each piece of mail that they handle. Some of it is presorted and they do not flip through all of those pieces.

So - no - they do not look at each individual piece of mail. Sometimes they spot mistakes and they do correct things when they see them.

For most carriers, they have 2 to 4 hours of organizing the mail and fitting it into the truck- and then they "go to the streets."

The PO calculates how long it should take to deliver each route and they are all given enough time -theoretically- to get back to the station by the time the truck with outgoing mail is scheduled for pick up.

Most of us are unaware of the picking up of mail that our delivery guys are doing. Making it back in time for the pick-up truck is a big deal.

Often times, they return to the station with the outgoing mail and then they go back to the streets to finish delivering packages. It is rare for him to work an 8 hour day and he usually just eats on the go.

Hunter assures me that if he double-checked each piece of mail, it would take him 8 hours, just to flip though each piece of mail - on a normal day.

As I see it, the biggest problem is that there is no way to anticipate how much mail is going to arrive each day. Each day is a surprise and they have to deal with it. Slow days or light days are rare.

So what do mail artists do - to avoid having the scanner send our mail back to us?

1

Put our return address at the top in the left corner and keep it very small.

That's fine with me if exchangers choose to do that. It is aesthetically un-pleasing, but it is probably the most foolproof - if that's the way you want to go.

2

This has been suggested and usually works - put the return address sideways on the back so that it is not accidentally read.

Writing it in one line at the very top edge of the envelope is also a good way to keep it from being accidentally scanned.

Very weird script that a machine scanner could not figure out would be another option.

3

My latest solution, that was Leslie's innovation, is to forget about the correct return address - and when writing an address on the back, just use the recipient's address as the return address.

This is actually a good idea - especially when we know for sure that the recipient's address is correct.

I don't think there is any law that says you have to put your return address on the mail.

I'm pretty sure you can just trust that it will arrive.

So -- if the address is very clear on the front - you can just leave the back blank.

Recently, if the address on the front is not large and clear, I have been using the back as my *Hey, scanning machine, look at this* side

I put the recipient's address, very large - in the middle - like a regular address.

I also write *the stamp is on the other side* up in the corner.

So, each of us will have to decide how we handle the return address.

Mostly, I do not want to see any of my mail after it goes out.

I have been working to make the addresses very clear.

But -- often times, I lapse into - hard to read designs. 

So -- it's a challenging situation.

I do love the concept of mail art and I do want to send it - but I do not want to add to the stress on workers at the post office.

Putting a piece of mail into the correct mailbox seems like a very easy thing to do  - but the quantity of mail -plus- the need to deliver large quantities, quickly

is complicated.

It is also tempting to rant and rave that they need to improve the system.

Technically, they have made improvements. They do a lot of scanning and recording. They started scanning each envelope in 2013 and by 2017 they were able to offer us the option to see those scans via email.

So, they do adapt. But the whole system is very large and it's like the difference between changing the course of your canoe vs. changing the course of an ocean liner.

Bottom line: The postal system is full of a complete range of people. Some of them are wonderful and others are struggling. Please do not hold the one in front of you responsible for the way the entire system works. I have had more than one conversation  about postal service with a person who originally lived in another country and they say things like this:  I do not know why people in American complain about the post office. If they had to live in (insert name of another country - most often any place south of the USA, and sometimes Asian or island) they would not complain. The service here is very good. 

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

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Here is a link to an article about how more  people are turning to Mail Art.

Mail Art Article