Escalate mail
Escalating a mail refers to the process of moving a piece of mail from one level of processing to another, typically from a lower-level sorting facility to a higher-level facility, in order to ensure that it is delivered to the intended recipient.
Here are the general steps involved in escalating a mail:
- Initial Sorting: The mail is sorted at a local post office or a lower-level sorting facility, such as a sectional center facility (SCF).
- Identification: The mail is identified as undeliverable or requiring further processing, usually due to incorrect or incomplete addressing.
- Escalation: The mail is then sent to a higher-level facility, such as a network distribution center (NDC) or a national processing center (NPC), for further processing.
- Advanced Sorting: The mail is sorted again at the higher-level facility using more advanced sorting equipment and techniques, such as optical character readers (OCRs) and barcode sorters.
- Delivery: The mail is then delivered to the intended recipient, either through a local post office or a delivery carrier.
Escalating a mail can be done manually or automatically, depending on the type of mail and the processing facility. For example, if a piece of mail is returned to the sender due to an incorrect address, the sender may need to correct the address and resubmit the mail. In this case, the mail would be escalated manually.
On the other hand, some mail processing facilities use automated systems to escalate mail, such as:
- Intelligent Mail Barcodes: These barcodes contain information about the mailpiece, such as the sender and recipient addresses, and can be used to automatically sort and escalate mail.
- Automated Package Processing: Some facilities use automated package processing systems that can read barcodes and sort packages based on their contents and destinations.
Overall, escalating a mail is an important process that helps ensure that mail is delivered efficiently and effectively to the intended recipient.