Effective May 10, 2007, the procedures on reviewing telephone bills submitted to the Postal Service™ by ProfitLine, a third party billing aggregator, were revised. This article is a review of those procedures. Managers must ensure that these procedures are followed.
ProfitLine is a Telecommunications Expense Management (TEM) company who is under contract with USPS® to receive and pay for all local telephone service invoices. In addition to invoice processing, ProfitLine is responsible for auditing, complying with carrier contracts, and filing disputes and claims with providers on behalf of USPS. A web portal is established for invoice review and approval as well as completing moves, adds, changes, and disconnects (MACD). A service order management (SOM) is centralized for all carriers and for ProfitLine to maintain accurate invoice inventory records.
This article provides basic information and guidance to the appointed Postal Service representative concerning the process of reviewing and approving telecommunication bills for the Postal Service. This section describes responsibilities for facility managers and approvers, and provides guidelines and procedures for allowable and unauthorized charges.
The following policies apply to the processing and disposition of telecommunication bills:
1. The appointed representative listed in the MyTelcoManager Client Batch Approval (CBA) module must review and approve telecommunication bills before payment.
2. Postal Service employees must reimburse the Postal Service for the cost of all personal toll calls in accordance with current policy.
3. In cases of suspected fraudulent use, the appointed representative must make an “Approve and Flag” notation in the MyTelcoManager CBA, notifying ProfitLine of the suspected fraudulent use, and whether a claim should be filed on behalf of the Postal Service. Report confirmed fraudulent use of telecommunication services to the Office of the Inspector General (888-877-7644).
4. Charges for collect calls are permitted only in the case of an emergency.
All managers must ensure that the Postal Service does not incur unnecessary telecommunication expenses. While specific circumstances may require procedures different from those described here, adhering to the intent of these guidelines and procedures will help to eliminate unnecessary, wasteful, or fraudulent telecommunication charges and reduce costs to the Postal Service.
Facility Manager
Each facility manager is responsible for the daily operations of voice and data communications in the facility he or she oversees. ProfitLine is responsible for processing, auditing, and paying the telecom invoices associated with those services. The facility manager’s responsibility includes the following:
1. Ensuring that only official obligations are paid from Postal Service funds.
2. Contacting the designated approver to remove services that are known to no longer be required. Contact your local Information Technology (IT) office for guidance regarding removal of services.
3. Reviewing and researching inquiries from the designated approver in cases where billing variances are flagged for further scrutiny.
4. Reviewing bills, as requested by management, for services or calls related to accredited organizations, such as credit unions and canteens.
5. Collecting the amounts, where appropriate, due from employees or organizations, and furnishing a receipt using PS Form 3544, USPS Receipt for Money or Services.
Designated Approver
The designated approver is responsible for the billing approval process. The designated approver’s responsibilities include the following:
1. Reviewing telecommunication bills for any discrepancies that fall outside of accepted parameters prior to approving the bills. The selected representative must place appropriate approvals or flags in the MyTelcoManager CBA module (http://www3.mytelcomanager.com). Pay attention to the following:
a. Bills received from locations where telecommunication services have been disconnected.
b. Bills received for areas where service is not provided.
c. Ongoing service issues that may affect payment to telephone companies.
2. Marking bills as “Approved,” “Approved and Flagged,” or “Denied” and submitting the bills through the MyTelcoManager CBA module. Provide a detailed explanation for bills marked “Approved and Flagged” or “Denied.” A ProfitLine auditor will follow up on these bills.
3. Following through with ProfitLine to remove unneeded services and associated charges.
4. Noting all issues in CBA at the time of approval, or through the Customer Care Center (888-660-6647) at the time of occurrence.
The following guidelines and procedures are provided to assist the designated approver in processing telecommunication bills for approval:
1. Typically, the designated approver reviews two types of telecommunication bills: local exchange carrier (LEC) bills for local calls and primary inter-exchange carrier (PIC) bills for long distance calls. The two types of bills may be combined, and both must be approved.
2. Consult field IT to identify new or changed services that may cause fluctuations in monthly billing.
3. Permissible charges on telecommunication bills include the following:
a. Primary inter-exchange carrier charges for long distance toll calls.
b. Local service line or trunk charges. These charges include installation, lease of the line or trunk, use of the line or trunk (local calls), and long distance access.
c. Telephone equipment lease charges.
d. Telephone equipment maintenance charges (may be a monthly or one-time nonrecurring charge).
Note: Local IT offices must approve additional features.
4. Conduct periodic inventory reviews of all leased equipment and lines used in the facility. Have the lessor remove any unnecessary equipment from the lease. Ensure that the charges are appropriately adjusted or removed as a result of changes to the equipment lease and review of the line/equipment inventory.
5. If it is cost effective, purchase the leased equipment or replace it with Postal Service–owned equipment. For more information on telephone system procurement, contact local IT.
ProfitLine is responsible for:
1. Following up with telecommunication vendors to resolve any federal tax charges, and reviewing applicable state or local taxes. ProfitLine will file claims on behalf of the Postal Service and follow up directly with the vendor until the issues are resolved. Note: Surcharges are not considered to be taxes.
2. Flagging calls to telephone numbers with a 900 area code; bill-to-caller charges from 800 and 976 area codes; third-party calls; and other bill-to-caller charges. ProfitLine will follow up directly with the telecommunications vendor and place blocks where available and file claims where appropriate.
3. Requesting blocks on collect and third-party calls from local exchange carriers, per Postal Service policy. The Postal Service may incur a charge for these services.
4. Asking local exchange carriers to cancel wire maintenance plans and remove the charges from bills, per Postal Service policy. These charges generally cover the cost of servicing in-house telephone wire, a service that is rarely required, particularly in smaller facilities.
5. Itemizing telephone equipment maintenance charges, detailing hardware, labor, and other costs associated with the service. If a bill does not supply this level of detail, ProfitLine will request the information from the service provider to accurately verify the charges.
6. Auditing vendor contracts to confirm accuracy of billing, filing all appropriate claims on behalf of the Postal Service, and following through until the issues are resolved. Issues are considered resolved when a credit appears on an invoice or the Postal Service receives a refund check.
7. Following up on all “Approve,” “Approve Flag,” and “Deny” actions submitted by the Postal Service. These terms are defined as follows:
a. Approve: The Postal Service selected representa tive confirms that this account belongs to a facility within the confines of a specific district. Further batch approval confirms that you understand that ProfitLine is responsible for reviewing and accounting for all related charges.
b. Approve Flag: The Postal Service–selected representative confirms that this account belongs to a facility within the confines of a specific district and requests that ProfitLine take specific action on a specific account. Further, the Approve Flag action confirms that you understand that ProfitLine is responsible for reviewing and accounting for all related charges.
c. Deny: The Postal Service–selected representative identifies that an individual account does not belong to a Postal Service facility, that the Postal Service facility is not responsible for funding the identified services, or both.
8. Paying telephone bills it receives before the due date. Profitline is responsible for the late charges if the bill is not processed for payment by the due date. However, if the telephone company sends the invoice to the Postal Service and the account holder or the Postal Service–designated approver fails to forward the invoice to Profitline before the due date, the Postal Service will pay the late charges.
— IT Operations,
Chief Information Officer, 9-23-10
