Postal Desperation: A Last Minute Call to Action to Protest the Pending Rate Hike

By Jim Gilbert

I’m going to interrupt my series on list selects for the issue that’s gotten under just about every cataloger’s skin lately: the pending postage increase. You have until April 12 to make your voice heard by protesting the USPS postal hike. As you may already know the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) is recommending ridiculously high postal increases that could severely damage many catalogers’ businesses.

I urge you before it is too late to make your voice heard! (See below if not clear how to go about doing this.)

The PRC has posted on its Web site a “Notice Of Request For Reconsideration And Order Establishing Procedures.” In this order, it “establishes procedures affording participants (and other interested parties) an opportunity to provide their views on each of the issues on which reconsideration is sought. Participants should address each issue separately since the substance of each issue differs. Initial comments are due April 12, 2007; reply comments may be filed not later than April 19, 2007.”

This is the time for those who stand to be adversely affected by the Standard Mail flats rate hikes to express their views to the Commission. Specifically, they should comment on the harm these rates are likely to do on the Postal Service’s ability to generate the revenue and volume it will need from flat-size Standard Mail to satisfy its statutory requirement to break even in the 2008 test year, and to comment on the specific remedies the Commission should consider to rectify this situation.

The following is a SAMPLE letter, that’s been offered up by several trade associations, including PostCom and the DMA. This is provided for illustrative purposes ONLY. Be sure to reconfigure this sample into your own voice and using specifics that pertain to YOUR company.

DO NOT use this sample as your letter. DO NOT make this look like a manufactured letter writing campaign. If you do, you’ll defeat any gains you might hope to make.

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Jim Gilbert Author's page Jim Gilbert has been creating direct marketing programs that drive superior ROI for almost 30 years. Fluent in consumer or B-to-B, creative, operations, and analytics, he marries the strategic and tactical sides of direct and social media marketing in a seamless fashion that gets results. He's CEO of a multidiscipline direct marketing agency, Gilbert Direct Marketing, Inc., which focuses on direct mail, catalogs, DRTV, telemarketing, print, alternative direct marketing media and social media marketing. Jim has been involved in start-ups, expansions and turnarounds, and is an expert in helping multichannel marketers get to the "next level." He's a former adjunct professor, teaching direct marketing at Miami International University, and is President of the Board of Directors of the Florida Direct Marketing Association. Jim loves to talk direct marketing, and has done many lectures on direct and social media marketing.