Business Reply Mail^® (BRM) and Courtesy Reply Mail^® (CRM) are crucial tools for businesses managing payments and customer responses. Yet, recent USPS disruptions are leading to delays that may impact your ability to receive and process incoming mail on time. Here’s an overview of the issues and how GrayHair Software’s tracking solutions provide a proactive edge.

USPS requires a BRM clerk to manually count pieces before billing for postage. When clerks are unavailable, mail processing can stall, delaying your mail’s delivery. USPS is working on cross-training and location-based monitoring, but short-term disruptions are still occurring.

How GrayHair Can Help: With our inbound mail tracking solutions, you can monitor delivery times and track your mail’s location. This enables you to predict processing windows, helping you allocate resources efficiently, even when USPS faces staffing shortages Additionally, this supports the migration to using IMbA which requires less manual operations by the USPS.

Some BRM and CRM pieces are initially routed to incorrect ZIP codes within the same City and State where the same PO BOX number exists, causing additional delays.

How GrayHair Can Help: GrayHair’s inbound tracking offers real-time insights, allowing you to know when a piece is “in the mail” and monitor each item as it moves through USPS, so you can quickly identify and address any incorrect routing issues.

A more recent trend is BRM/CRM mail being returned to the original sender as “Undeliverable-as-Addressed” (UAA). This error may originate from handling or carrier mistakes and has left mailers frustrated as it interferes with critical incoming payments or customer responses.

How GrayHair Can Help: GrayHair’s Director of Address Intelligence, Adam Collinson, is actively working with mailers and USPS to examine returned samples and understand where and why these errors occur as well as what mailers can do to minimize the amount and impact of UAA mail as a whole. By partnering with us, you gain an advocate within the industry who’s helping drive solutions.

With GrayHair’s tracking services, you gain critical visibility into each step of your inbound mail journey, allowing you to maintain timely responses and avoid costly delays. Let’s discuss how our inbound tracking solutions can help your business avoid delays and operate seamlessly. Schedule a consultation today!