Outsourcing print and mail is the ultimate gift to your business. When you outsource mailing services, you free up resources for more critical initiatives, eliminate stress, and save some money. There is no downside to allowing a professional to handle all of your print and mail needs.
Printing and mailing companies exist to handle all of the tasks involved with getting your next printing project in the mail. After you send the pertinent data to your professional print experts, they do the rest. In record time, your next mail project will be arriving in mailboxes. The best part is that professional quality mail will make your company stand out without ever lifting a finger.
If you are on the hunt for the best print and mail solution for your business, there are some important questions that you should ask. Not all services are created equal, so start your research by searching online reviews and asking for referrals. Once you’ve got a short list of reputable candidates, use intentional questions in your interview to determine if they are worthy of your business.
Ready to interview a printing service? Here are 5 questions you should ask.
1. What are your customer service standards?
Find a mail service that stands behind its work with excellent customer service. They should return your phone calls promptly and prioritize communication with you. You don’t want to waste valuable time trying to reach your point of contact. Whether you send out a direct mail campaign or mail customer invoices, your mail is important. A great print and mail service values your time and will ensure your questions are answered.
Make sure you choose a company that values that by asking the following:
- Who is your point of contact, and how will you reach them?
- How long does it take to get a phone call returned?
- How do they keep your voice in the collaboration process?
2. What experience does your team bring to the table?
You want to partner with someone who adds value to your organization. You can’t risk mistakes when it comes to crucial mail. A typo or address mix-up could have far-reaching consequences for your business. An established print and mail service with high standards knows how to avoid them.
Experience matters, and someone who has spent years mastering the art of print and mail will improve your entire experience. Their refined skills will pay off in design experience, a critical eye for detail, and timing direct mail campaigns. Find out more about the company’s history, its employees, and their professional experience by asking the following:
- How long have you been in business?
- What types of projects do you have experience executing?
- What can you tell me about your team members and their expertise?
- How have your years in the business shaped how you handle business today?
- How do you ensure new employees will meet your high standards?
3. Tell me about how you handle privacy and security.
Many companies handle private and sensitive information as part of their daily operation. Bank statements, medical bills, and important notices travel through the mail each day.
You are acutely aware of the consequences of compromising your customers’ privacy. Any print and mail company you hire should also understand this critical aspect of your business. You can learn a lot by inquiring about their process for protecting sensitive information. Inquire about the following:
- What types of sensitive information have you handled in the past?
- What measures do you take to guarantee privacy?
- How are your employees trained in handling sensitive information?
4. How do you guarantee deadlines?
You need confidence that your mail will be handed off to the post office on the agreed-upon date. An experienced and skilled printer knows precisely how long it will take to get your project through design and production and onto the mail truck.
Find out more about how they handle deadlines and how their process supports your timeline by asking these questions:
- How do you ensure deadlines?
- What is the protocol you follow when a project is running behind?
- If a project isn’t finished on time, what happens next?
5. What is the cost savings I will get by partnering with you?
Outsourcing your mail services results in a magical combination of saving money and reducing workloads. It’s hard to know exactly how much your business spends on your in-house mail operation. Between machine leases and maintenance, office space, supplies, labor, and miscellaneous hidden costs, it can add up fast. A printing company can give precise numbers and an accurate price per piece.
The advantage of partnering with a professional is that their various bulk and volume discounts are passed on to you. Ask these questions to find out how their business can achieve outstanding results while saving you money:
- How do you price your services?
- How do you ensure your customers save money?
- Are there additional ways we can save money on mail services?
Outsourcing print and mail is a simple, practical thing that you can do to increase efficiency and productivity in your business operations. By handing this service over to someone with a streamlined and refined process, years of experience, an eye for detail, and a commitment to quality work, you create an opportunity to reinvest resources within your business.
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