Tracking Returned Mail in RE

Rita Nicholson

Hi,



Does anyone track returned mail, if so how and where do you code it?  I was thinking on the appeal code (response - "returned mail")and then an action item to track the success of finding a new address.   Any better ideas?



Thanks, Rita

 

Sunshine Reinken Watson

We have an Address Type for Invalid-Mail Returned. I change the address type to that, add a "Date to" on the address record, and mark the constituent as "Has no valid address" on the Bio 1 tab.

JoAnn Strommen

We don't have the volume of larger orgs of returned mail.  What I do is go to that address record, uncheck the send mail box, enter a date to and then go to the address attribute tab. I have a table for categories including things like "USPS - Return to Sender"  "NCOA notes" and others....  then in description field another table with the main reasons listed on the USPS sticker.  I put in date of notification.  This has worked for me.



If the record has no valid address it's also checking box to that effecton bio 1 tab.

JoAnn Strommen

I don't know that I'd do it on the specific appeal tab as the address issue is related to the entire record - not just that appeal.  For your appeal analysis you could certain note something but I'd track it on address tab.

Jen Claudy

I put "Mail RTS" as the Response on the appropriate Appeal record (so that we know they didn't receive it).  And then I will investigate to be sure it's actually an invalid address before marking the address itself in any way.  I couldn't even count the number of times we get returned mail for a perfectly valid address.  We also screen our addresses every 90 days, and we do it thru our mailhouse who uses the full 4-year NCOA database (many places who screen only use 2 years worth of data), so we don't get a high volume of returned mail.



If I can't figure out whether it's USPS error or our error, then I leave it in the mix for the next mailing.  If the next one is also RTS (return to sender), I'll discover that when entering the Response on the Appeal and noting that the prior mailing was also RTS, then I'll add a constituent note, mark No Valid Address on Bio 1, and uncheck the Send box on the address.  If there is another, still valid, address on the record, I'll change it to make that one preferred and not check the box on Bio 1.

Nicole S

I mark the record "no valid address"



If I have a large group, I make a query and add a note and comment on the appeal (appeal returned -- UTF) as well.  Other wise I try to do it as I update.  Often people will come back to me like "this address is good!" and I have to show that the last 3 mailings were returned.



I don't change the address type because we use addressfinder and it pulls the address type from the past address.

Doreen Ha

Hi there,



As time allows, we try looking for a new address with a reverse address/phone search on Canada411.com (being Canadian based).



We track returned mail by checking off "has invalid mail" on Bio 1/Org 1 tab and add a Constituent Attribute "Mailing Status" with a description table entry of "Bad Address - Moved / Unknown", add the date, and in the comments the RE user's initials and reason, ex. "DHa - Returned Spring DM 2015 - moved".  This allows us to add a date and more description of which piece was returned. Then we add an action to the constituent (returned mail, could not find address).  



When we pull mailing lists, we make sure to exclude addresses with invalid address and mailing status.  Other drop-downs we include are "Remove from mailing list per donor, remove from mailing list per fundraiser, do not send mail - minor < 18 years old, etc"  We set up Load Defaults to help add all the information (bio 1/org 1 tab, consttiuent attribute with description, date) and a load default action for returned mail.  Hope that helps!



 

Elaine Tucker

Most of our mailings are also actions, so we go to the action and on the status change completed to "Returned Undeliverable".... we then research the address and if a new address is found we update the address on bio 1 and then change the "Returned Undeliverable" to "Remailed" and then add a note to the action to show both the old and new address.



If no new address is found we will mark No Valid address after the 2nd piece of mail is returned.

Joy Cox 2

We track returned mail using the appeals tab and then with an action.  We also add a solicit code for "gone away" and copy preferred address to alternate and then use "old address"

Chris Z

Looking at just the Appeal, if I've taken the time to assign the appeal globally, I change the response to Returned Mail only if I cannot find a new address to resend the piece to.  If I can find a new (or sometimes a seasonal) address, then I will resend the piece, update the appeal date and make a comment that I resent it.  My comment is something about being a "second attempt," because I've had times when there are several bad addresses for a person.  I don't mark No Valid Addresses until I've exhausted all the possibilities.

Nicole S

One more thing -- I mark no valid address, but if those constituents are later updated with AddressFinder, I use a query and global change to uncheck the box.

Dawn Miller

I mark them as "Has No Valid Address".  I also make a note in the note section that says why it was returned.  Then I put an annotate that pops up when you go into the record that says, "Returned Mail" so that if someone goes in the record while talking on the phone with them or meeting with them, they see that and can ask for current info.