We’re pretty proud of the array of features we offer to customers who want to increase address quality. If I had to list the top three ways to increase quality, it would be point-of-entry address validation, point-of-entry address validation and finally point-of-entry address validation. Not as catchy as the real estate mantra: location, location, location, but the point is if you put good information into your database, with a little maintenance, you will get high quality contact data coming out.

The Address Quality Gatekeeper

Point-of-entry address validation is like a gatekeeper for address quality. When a call center employee or website visitor enters an address, point-of-entry address validation protocols won’t let the contact information pass into the database (unless you decide otherwise) until the address is correct and known to exist.  Strictly speaking, point-of-entry address validation is really three features in one:

Address verification

Checks that the address exists in the USPS® database as a delivery point. This is great for websites that ask for contact information before giving a white paper or some other “free” download. Now you can keep nonsense addresses like 123 Abc Ave. NoneOfYourBusiness, WA out of your database.

Address correction

Ensures that any spelling errors are automatically corrected, abbreviations like Ave. or NE are corrected and placed in the correct format. Missing address elements like ZIP Code™ or apartment numbers are added.

Standardized address formatting

Converts addresses into your preferred address format. This is important for identifying duplicate addresses and change-of-address updates, all those maintenance things that are critical for keeping address quality at its best.

Direct mail campaigns are already hard enough; don’t let an address typo turn into a lost opportunity.

For more information about address quality solutions feel free to give your Satori Software rep a call at 800-553-6477, or check out the MailRoom ToolKit family of products.

address correction · address quality · address validation · data quality · mailing software · real-time point-of-entry validation

In 2008 USPS announced that First-Class and Standard Mail mailings must be processed using an approved Move Update method. Two of the most popular ways of satisfying the Move Update requirement are Address Change Service (ACS) and NCOA^Link® . These two processes have quite a few differences, and the benefits of each can be a little confusing. In this post, we’ll cover how each of these processes work and when to use each one.

What is NCOA^Link?

NCOA^Link is a pre-mailing process you can run on your address list. It satisfies the Move Update requirement for First-Class and Standard mail discounts. To use NCOA^Link, you send your list to an NCOA^Link licensee like Satori Software, who then matches the contacts and addresses against the USPS database of moves. This database contains moves submitted by postal customers via mail or online at www.usps.com. Updated addresses, including information about why some moves weren’t returned, are sent back to you.

This data is available at two different levels: Limited Service and Full Service. Limited Service providers maintain a database of the last 18 months of moves, and Full Service providers maintain 48 months of moves. Satori Software is a Full Service NCOA^Link provider.

NCOA^Link is the easiest pre-mailing Move Update process recognized by USPS. It’s the only process that returns data from more than 18 months ago, assuming you go through a Full Service provider. It does not return data for temporary moves or NIXIE (non-move related, undeliverable mail) information. NCOA^Link is ideal to avoid the lengthy USPS forwarding process and also updates your source data automatically.

What is ACS?

ACS is a post-mailing process you can use to update your addresses. It satisfies the Move Update requirement for First-Class and Standard mail discounts, as long as you have updated your address list with previous ACS results or another Move Update process within 95 days of your mailing date. There are many ways to use ACS, but the easiest is to include the Intelligent Mail barcode with the ACS setting on your mail piece. After you have sent your mail, USPS will return the move data to you, mainly in the form of update files that include the old and new address. You must update your mailing list with these moves in order to remain Move Update compliant. Sometimes you will get your physical mail piece back with a yellow sticker including the ACS data even if you chose to get electronic notifications. This introduces a manual process that can take quite a bit of time and yet is still required to maintain Move Update compliance.

ACS is the most common post-mailing Move Update process. Returned information includes temporary moves and NIXIE information. Data is usually limited to the last 18 months, and isn’t as consistent as NCOA^Link data. ACS is ideal for lists that you use repeatedly and when you want to get more than permanent move data.

Which should you use?

While both NCOA^Link and ACS make your list Move Update compliant, selecting one can be difficult. The data used and returned for each is different, and in the case of ACS the data is only available after the mailing and through different channels. NCOA^Link is by far the easiest to use and update, and does not require additional steps once your mailing is out the door. We recommend using NCOA^Link for all your mailings to reduce the number of returns and keep your list Move Update compliant. If you need NIXIE or temporary move information, use ACS in addition to NCOA^Link processing. By using NCOA^Link first, you will limit the number of ACS returns, which can cost up to $0.50 per piece. Reducing your ACS returns will also limit the number of manual steps needed to keep your address list up to date.

ACS · address correction · address quality · data quality · move update · NCOALink

The following article by Satori Software President, Hugh Rogovy, was published in the Mail magazine 2011 CEO Perspectives issue:

Over the last fifteen years, growing use of the Internet has claimed many functions formerly only handled by mail. Everything from daily correspondence with family and friends to bill payment and other business transactions have moved from physical mail to email and online transactions. Every industrialized country’s post has experienced double-digit decreases in mail volume in the last decade.

Yet people still look forward to receiving mail. And more importantly to marketers, people still respond to materials received through the mail. To prosper, mailers must continue to be advocates of direct mail AND help clients improve their ROI on direct marketing activities.

Educate Clients about Address Quality

A successful mailing preparation operation needs to look beyond per-piece-profits and encourage their clients to go for quality rather than quantity. USPS^® estimates that the quality of stored U.S. addresses decays at a rate of 17% per year. Low address quality results in mail that cannot be delivered, recipients receiving multiple copies or mail meant for another person. This hurts everyone: the mailer, the client and USPS — and contributes to the general public’s feeling that all advertising mail, or junk mail, is annoying and bad for the environment.

Help clients improve the odds of a successful mailing. For a very conservative example, consider that for a mailing of 10,000, where it cost $1.50 for printing, postage and mailing preparation, a 20% undeliverable rate equals 2000 printed pieces thrown-out and $3,000 in wasted budget. Beyond these hard costs, the response rate could have been 20% higher.

When applicable, encourage clients to implement point-of-entry address verification. Good address quality starts at the source. Point-of-entry software does not eliminate the need for on-going address maintenance, but it does improve the efficiency of address maintenance processing.

Simply put, an uncorrectable address cannot be updated by an automated process — yet the mailing house gets the blame for the returned mail.

Identify and Remove Duplicates

Duplicate addresses cause more problems than just wasted materials—and are not worth the incidental revenue they generate for mailers. They waste everyone’s time and lead to poor customer satisfaction.

Imagine the problems and ill will generated for the mailer’s client when a customer record is duplicated as a prospect. This can happen when a contact comes through a call center but purchased through a website or visa-versa. That customer may get promotions for a product they already own, perhaps at a lower price, resulting in a poor impression of the organization.

Mailers that go beyond the USPS-required address cleansing processes to truly help their clients use only the best quality lists will gain trust, respect, loyalty and more orders.

Continue to Advocate Direct Mail

Organizations that continue marketing efforts in a down economy are best positioned, not only to wait out the market, but are generally the first to benefit when the recovery comes. Direct mail continues to deliver both a strong return on investment as well as positive brand recognition when executed properly. Decision makers read and respond far more consistently to relevant offers received by mail than other mediums, including email. From the results of their 2009 Channel Preferences Survey ExactTarget reported a similar finding in consumer behavior. Less waste and greater efficiency enables marketing dollars to go further.

Protect your clients’ return-on-investment and provide first-class service so that they will not drift to other suppliers. Build trust by freely sharing your knowledge of postal regulations to help your clients get the most out of their mailing dollars. Encourage them to design mail pieces to get the best postage rates and still achieve the goals of their mailing. Jump on opportunities to quickly and inexpensively improve address data — and improve customer satisfaction — every time you prepare mail.

address quality · data quality · direct mail