SDC survey caution

[Hallabutt]

I just filled out my SDC survey questionnaire. The instructions indicate that the survey sheet is to be folded, stapled and mailed. Don't do it that way! There are two things that you never want to see as a description of a mail piece, the first is non-standard, which can cost an additional $.20 in postage, but the worst is non- mailable. A mail piece that is mailed using staple is considered non-mailable. I know we have all gotten our local newsletter secured with a staple, with no problem but technically it can be held by the PO.

The real culprit on our survey questionnaire is it's flimsy nature. If run through the optical character reader and some of the other automated equipment without the corners of the mail piece being properly secured, it can be destroyed. It can be mailed satisfactorily by folding it twice, like when you would fold an 8 1/2x11 inch piece of paper for insertion into an envelope and then using cellophane tape an inch from the corner at the open side of the length and another along the leading edge of the piece. Or the best, most failsafe method just put it in a legal size envelope and mail it like you would any ordinary letter.

I would just hate to see this very important survey go astray because of improper mailing!

[studegary]

Thank you for this good information.
Now if I ever receive my August TW, I will be able to submit the survey. This afternoon, I spoke to my mailman about it (not receiving TW). He mentioned delivering one to someone further up his route a few days ago. I know of no one else in this area that would be receiving one. If it was mis-delivered, the person kept it.

[mbstude]

Thank you for this good information.
Now if I ever receive my August TW, I will be able to submit the survey. This afternoon, I spoke to my mailman about it (not receiving TW). He mentioned delivering one to someone further up his route a few days ago. I know of no one else in this area that would be receiving one. If it was mis-delivered, the person kept it.

Haven't gotten mine either. Yet a friend 10 miles away received his a week ago.

[raprice]

When I did my questionnaire, I folded it and put it into a business envelope to mail it.
I didn't trust stapling and taping it. I'm glad I'm in good company on this issue.
Rog

[SN-60]

I sent mine in sans envelope, but I taped the edges instead of stapling.

PS.....I feel bad for Stude buffs who have to wait so long for their Turning Wheels Magazine.

[StudeRich]

Someone may hate having to open all the envelopes, but at least they will get there.

[Commander Eddie]

Maybe this cautionary tale should prompt the club to start using e-mail, or some other online method for collecting data like this.

[karterfred88]

Thank you for this good information.
Now if I ever receive my August TW, I will be able to submit the survey. This afternoon, I spoke to my mailman about it (not receiving TW). He mentioned delivering one to someone further up his route a few days ago. I know of no one else in this area that would be receiving one. If it was mis-delivered, the person kept it.

Happened to me, about 5 issues ago. My neighbor received BOTH copies, plastic bags stuck together. He dropped it off to me. Two months later same thing, only this time I got both! Check if the "one up the route" may have gotten both.

[karterfred88]

Maybe this cautionary tale should prompt the club to start using e-mail, or some other online method for collecting data like this.

Problem with that, is not all members have a registered e-mail with the club, that would leave them out.

[53k]

I just filled out my SDC survey questionnaire. The instructions indicate that the survey sheet is to be folded, stapled and mailed. Don't do it that way! There are two things that you never want to see as a description of a mail piece, the first is non-standard, which can cost an additional $.20 in postage, but the worst is non- mailable. A mail piece that is mailed using staple is considered non-mailable. I know we have all gotten our local newsletter secured with a staple, with no problem but technically it can be held by the PO.

The real culprit on our survey questionnaire is it's flimsy nature. If run through the optical character reader and some of the other automated equipment without the corners of the mail piece being properly secured, it can be destroyed. It can be mailed satisfactorily by folding it twice, like when you would fold an 8 1/2x11 inch piece of paper for insertion into an envelope and then using cellophane tape an inch from the corner at the open side of the length and another along the leading edge of the piece. Or the best, most failsafe method just put it in a legal size envelope and mail it like you would any ordinary letter.

I would just hate to see this very important survey go astray because of improper mailing!

I mentioned the problem on the 27th in the Less Internationals thread, but you spelled it out much better here. I did go ahead and fold my survey to letter size and taped it because I was afraid it wouldn't make it otherwise.
Several years ago the PO told our newsletter editor that she couldn't staple the pages to mail them. She did get by with taping over the staple, but now most of us get the e-version so now it's probably a non problem.

[BobPalma]

When I did my questionnaire, I folded it and put it into a business envelope to mail it.
I didn't trust stapling and taping it. I'm glad I'm in good company on this issue. Rog

You are, Rog; I did the same thing.

The postage is the same, so why not put it in an envelope? BP

[Mark57]

Thank you for this good information.
Now if I ever receive my August TW, I will be able to submit the survey. This afternoon, I spoke to my mailman about it (not receiving TW). He mentioned delivering one to someone further up his route a few days ago. I know of no one else in this area that would be receiving one. If it was mis-delivered, the person kept it.

Don't worry Gary. No August TW here yet and not likely for another 2 weeks. In addition, once I complete and mail the survey back to TW (at a US address I assume), it will take a good 2 weeks to arrive. I expect the SDC Board is making allowances for this sort of "normal" delay that happens when you use snail mail.

As has been pointed out, there is no good reason that I can see why it would not be acceptable for me to complete my survey, scan it so that it becomes a pdf file (which can be opened universally by free software) and then I could email the whole thing back to Mimi or whoever is collecting the surveys. This would save a lot of time and me about $1.25 in postage. I'm not complaining and it won't stop me from participating, but the Club needs to be more flexible in how the members can chose to communicate. We have folks of all stripes and beliefs (just like the general population), so why not make it easy for people to communicate by paper mail, email or even online.

Surely the object of the exercise is to get as many people to respond as is possible - You will not accomplish this objective unless you make it easy for as many people as you can. That translates to providing choices to folks. I am involved in public communications regularly and increased choice does not cost any more either.

Okay, I am off my soapbox now... just another couple of weeks and I'll get my chance to provide input!

[JRoberts]

Being a newsletter editor I have had some experience with the staple issue. For years I folded the newsletters into the size of a regular buisness letter envelope size and sent them through the mail with no problem then one time I was buying stamps and I asked the clerk about the staples (one of our members was warned that he would not received the newsletter with exposed staples.) and he said the big problem for sorters is the staples sometime stick their fingers. I had never thought of that happened but is certainly looked possible so from then on I sent the newsletters with the stapled corner folded to the inside. Problem solved.....now I have been told by a couple of the few members still getting their newsletter via snail mail that their newsletters were getting torn up by the time they got them. Now this happened after I started taping each corner, on each side and the top/bottom of the newsletter. Now I use an envelope. Of course this means I must pay 71 cents to mail the newsletters because the envelope puts the weight of the newsletter one ounce over a 49 cent rate. This ounce costs 22 cents. Luckily only have to mail 11 newsletters nowadays. As for the survey, I cannot imagine it surviving outside of an envelope. It a single page is light and very easily destroyed amongst the other items it would encounter along the way. It is an envelope for me!

[candbstudebakers]

Sent mine in today, 3 day internationals would kill any trip more than 500 miles for me.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Uh oh...
I dutifully followed the instructions and stapled my survey...(even put in an extra one).
Put a regular stamp on it.
Took it to the post office with some other mail.
Was served by the postmaster.
He took it without any problems.
I now live in fear that the survey will jam up a critical piece of mail sorting equipment.
This could start a cascade failure event, and the entire postal system will grind to a halt.
Or......