James Allyn Printing & Mailing File Preparation

Improving the Quality of Your Address Database

Maintaining an accurate database of customer names and addresses can be a time consuming process. You’ll need to identify and correct records that contain key-punch errors, inaccurate addresses, or addresses for people who have moved (the average person changes residences every 3-4 years.) When you mail using inaccurate or outdated addresses, you’re spending money for printing, mailing and postage for advertisements that may not get delivered.

Here are some points to keep in mind:

If you mail via Standard and your advertisement is addressed to a specific person who has moved, or if the home is vacant, or if the address in undeliverable, the USPS employee throws that piece into the trash! (If the person has moved and you printed a request for forwarding services on the front of your advertisement, the USPS will forward it - for a hefty fee. See item 2d below)
If you mail via First Class and your advertisement is addressed to a specific person who has moved, your advertisement is forwarded to that person (even if they’ve moved to Houston, Texas… not a good idea if you’re advertising your pizza parlor in Pleasanton, California.)
If you mail via First Class and the home is vacant, the USPS will return the mail piece to you, hoping that you’ll update that record in your database.
If you mail via First Class and the address is undeliverable, the USPS will return the mail piece to you, hoping that you’ll update that record in your database.
If a record has an invalid 5-digit ZIP code or a blank address field, our mail processing software will ignore that record and not attempt to prepare an address label.
If you forget to include the directional (i.e. 123 N. Apple Street - “N.” is the directional), or if you misspell the street name, or if you have an inaccurate street number, we’ll label your mail piece and “hope” that the local Post Office will get it to the correct location. This type of incorrectly addressed mail does not receive the lower postage rates received by correctly addressed mail.
If you mail via First Class and you have a person’s name in the address block, the USPS requires that you have each record used for that mailing updated within 180 days prior to the mailing, via one of four approved methods (see 2c and 2d below for some examples.)

Here are some options to help you improve the quality of your database, improve the deliverabity of your mailing and save you money:

You can direct us not mail any record with an inaccurate address.
1. If you want to only mail to addresses that you’re sure will get delivered, this option is a good choice.
2. This eliminates any possibility of your mail being thrown away or returned because it’s undeliverable.
3. The downside to using this option is that you’ll miss those homes with an address that was inaccurate - but close enough that an USPS employee could figure out where it belongs.
4. This will not identify vacant homes.
5. There’s no charge for this service; it’s included in our normal file-processing fee.
We offer the USPS’s Delivery Sequence File (DSF) service to have your large files updated.
1. This places your file in a sequence that allows for lower postage costs and faster delivery.
2. It identifies those homes that have been vacant for more than 90 days. Note, since the USPS only updates this DSF file every 30 days, there’s a chance that the home is no longer vacant.
3. You can direct us not to deliver to homes identified as vacant by the DSF processing.
4. This service takes 2-3 days and has a fee (with a minimum charge) based on the number of records processed.
We offer the USPS’s licensed National Change of Address (NCOA) service to identify those people who have moved.
1. You’ll know who has moved in the last 8 months and have the choice of mailing your advertisement to their new address or dropping them from your mailing.
2. NCOA does not identify vacant homes.
3. This service take 1-2 days and has a fee based on the number of records processed.
Print an Address Service Requested endorsement (there are four different services) on the front of your advertisement.
1. You’ll receive some form of documentation from the USPS with the correct address, allowing you to update your database.
2. The USPS charges between $.50-$1.25 per returned item, depending on the type of service requested.
3. We can help you select the best type of endorsement.
4. This service will not identify vacant homes.
If you mail via First Class, use Current Resident, instead of the person’s name in the address block.
1. This prevents the USPS from forwarding your advertisement and allows the USPS to leave your advertisement at every non-vacant home you’ve targeted.
2. Of course, this removes the personalization of having someone’s name in the address block and it should not be used if you want the mail forwarded.
After processing your file, we can send you a file containing all of the records with questionable addresses.
1. You can then use this file to help update your database.
2. There’s a nominal fee for this service.
We can remove all records with duplicate addresses or duplicate names.
1. A word of caution, if you’re mailing to more than one person at an address (mailing to individuals within the same company) removing dupes by address will drop all but one person from your mailing.
2. Removing dupes by name is going to be inconsistent, because the same name can be spelled differently (i.e. Robert A. Jones, Robert Jones, Bob Jones)

In summary, here are some of the ways to improve the quality of your mailing list:

Only mail using addresses that have been verified by us as 100% accurate.
Allow us to remove duplicate records.
Use our DSF service to identify homes that have been vacant for 90+ days.
Have us send you a file of all questionable addresses, use it to update your records.
Use FASTforward to identify people who have recently moved.

James Allyn Printing and Mailing offers a wide range of printed products; everything from postcards to full-color brochures. Our services include graphic design, marketing, branding, fulfillment, mailing services, bindery solutions, scoring, coating and digital printing. If you don't see what you’re looking for on our site, please give us a call for custom pricing.