Adam addresses common misconceptions regarding how address data is structured and printed, emphasizing the importance of proper alignment for postal processing.
- Misconceptions about Address Lines: Clients often confuse “Address Line 1” with the “primary address line,” assuming it must always be the first line of an address block.
- The Correct Hierarchical Structure: To ensure proper mail delivery, an address block should be ordered from least specific to most specific information, processing from the bottom up.
- Bottom: City, State, and ZIP code.
- Immediately Above: The primary address line (e.g., street address and house number).
- Above Primary: Secondary information, such as apartment, unit, or internal mail stop numbers.
- Top Levels: Company name, department, title, and the recipient’s name.
Consequences of Improper Formatting: Because the United States Postal Service (USPS) equipment processes addresses from the bottom up, incorrect ordering can lead to delivery failures.
- Adam also cites an example of a resident with a basement apartment labeled “B”.
- When the secondary indicator (“B”) was placed below the street address, automated equipment misinterpreted “B” as a street name in cities where such a street existed, causing the mail to be routed incorrectly and loop indefinitely until manual intervention.
