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NOTICE Household Diary StudyThe Postal Service'sTM Household Diary Study (HDS), conducted since 1987, provides information about the contents of the mail sent and received by U.S. households. The Postal Service uses this information to help understand why and how customers use the mail. The results are used to: • Forecast mail volume. • Plan marketing strategies. • Provide information for rate-setting purposes. The HDS is administered at Headquarters by the Office of Demand Forecasting and Economic Analysis, Finance. NuStats, the HDS survey research firm contractor since July 1999, conducts the interviews and collects and analyzes the HDS data throughout the year. HDS is a two-stage survey. Stage 1 is the Household Interview. NuStats sends an advance letter, signed by the postmaster general, to a representative sample of U.S. households. This letter emphasizes the importance of the HDS and asks for participation. These sample households are contacted either by telephone or in person and asked about the mail they send and receive, their adoption and use of various communications' technologies, their attitudes about mail service in general, and information relating to their household and personal demographics. Those respondent households are recruited to participate in HDS Stage 2. Stage 2 is the Mail Diary. NuStats asks households that agree to participate in Stage 2 to record information about the mail they send and receive for a 7-day period from Monday to Sunday. Information recorded includes number of mailpieces received and sent, industry mail source, mail characteristics, and attitudes regarding mail received. As an incentive for HDS Stage 2 participation, households are offered the options of receiving $30 or a roll of 100 First- Class Mail® stamps. |
Customers who participate in Stage 2 of the HDS can expect to receive their incentive about 2 months after they return the diary packet to NuStats. Data gathered in both HDS stages is available in a final report, The Household Diary Study - Mail Use and Attitudes. The report is published in hard copy and a free electronic file. Order forms for the latest HDS report may be obtained via the Postal Service Internet at www.usps.com/householddiary. For additional information, contact either of the following individuals: John Pickett John Mazzone Study participants may also contact NuStats directly for help or information at 888-441-8777 or usps@nustats.com. — Office of Demand Forecasting
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POSTMASTER/FIELD GUIDE REVISION Returned Check PolicyEffective September 15, 2005, the Postmaster/Field Guide is revised to update the policies and procedures for returned checks. The Postal ServiceTM has a national collections contract to collect on non-sufficient funds (NSF) checks returned. Returned NSF checks from the bank are forwarded to Eagan Accounting Service Center (ASC). The Eagan ASC submits returned NSF checks in the amounts of less than $5,000 to the contractor for the collection process. The Eagan ASC processes all other returned checks. The Eagan ASC will attempt the collection of returned NSF checks that are written for $5,000 or more, as well as other non-NSF returned checks, by submitting a written letter to the person or organization that wrote the check. Checks that are not collected are submitted to the check collection agency for additional collection attempts. All returned checks are debited to a service-wide expense account. Any funds collected are credited to the service-wide expense account. For returned checks that Postal Service personnel or contract postal unit (CPU) contractors accept without following the Postal Service check acceptance policy, the Eagan ASC charges back the amount to the accepting unit. The Eagan ASC generates a national bad check list by merging a file of unpaid NSF checks from the contracted collection agency with unpaid checks at the Eagan ASC. The Eagan ASC sorts the list by area and forwards the sorted lists to the district finance managers, who in turn forward their district lists to their district Post OfficesTM, retail units, contract postal units, and business mail entry units. We will incorporate these revisions into the next printed edition of the Postmaster/Field Guide. The online version is accessible on the Postal Service Intranet: • Go to http://blue.usps.gov. • Click on the Inside USPS tab. • Under "Finance" in the center column, click on Accounting Center Support. • Under "What's New with Accounting Services" in the center column, click on Postmaster/Field Guide. (The direct URL for the Postmaster/Field Guide is http://acs.usps.gov/pubs/currentPMGuide.pdf.) Postmaster/Field Guide * * * * * Returned Check Policy - P&P 116 * * * * * Procedure * * * * * [Revise the returned check procedure to read as follows:] Collecting on NSF Returned Checks |
The Postal Service has a national collections contract to collect on non-sufficient fund (NSF) checks returned. NSF checks are automatically re-deposited as a second attempt for payment by the relationship banks; if the second attempt is not successful, then the relationship bank returns the NSF checks to Eagan Accounting Service Center (ASC). The Eagan ASC submits returned NSF checks in the amounts of less than $5,000 to the national collection agency. The Eagan ASC processes all other returned checks. All returned checks are debited to a service-wide expense account. Any funds collected are credited to the service- wide expense account. The Eagan ASC generates a national bad check list by merging a file of unpaid NSF checks from the collection agency with unpaid checks at the Eagan ASC. The Eagan ASC sorts the list by areas and forwards the sorted lists to the district finance managers, who in turn forward their district lists to their district Post Offices, postal retail units, contract postal units (CPUs), and business mail entry units (BMEUs). Assessing Surcharges for Returned Checks Eagan ASC or the collection agency will add a $25 fee when pursuing collection efforts. Processing an Uncollectible Returned Check The Eagan ASC attempts the collection of returned NSF checks written for $5,000 or more, and other non-NSF returned checks by submitting a written letter to the person or organization that wrote the check. Checks that are not collected are submitted to the check collection agency for additional collection attempts. Handling Exceptions For checks returned from the bank that are determined to be part of a scam to pass bad checks, the Eagan ASC retains original checks and notifies the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For returned checks that Postal Service personnel or CPU contractors accepted without following the Postal Service check acceptance policy, the Eagan ASC charges the amount back to the accepting unit. The ASC initiates a Journal Voucher process to credit the service-wide expense account and debit the accepting office finance number expense account. The ASC issues a notification of the expense to the accepting retail unit with an explanation and a copy of the returned check. The retail unit may pursue collection of the amount due, including collection from the Postal Service employee or CPU contractor while adhering to the National Agreement and the Debt Collection Act. Making Payments Locally Do not accept local payments for returned checks. Either the national collection agency or the Eagan ASC will mail instructions for payment of returned checks to customers. Note: This does not apply to checks that the Eagan ASC charges back to the accepting unit. * * * * * — Revenue and Field Accounting, |
