The Art of Mail Management: USPS Compliance in Coworking Spaces
Understanding USPS rules is vital when dealing with the intricacies of holding and forwarding mail.
- By Rose Rivera
- October 19, 2023
In the bustling world of coworking spaces, where startups bloom and freelancers flourish, virtual mailboxes tend to take a backseat. Yet, in this ecosystem, mail management is more than just receiving letters—it’s about ensuring every piece of correspondence reaches its rightful owner, even if they’re constantly on the move. With the complexities of holding and forwarding mail, understanding USPS compliance becomes crucial. Let’s demystify the process.
Receiving Mail
Every entrepreneur knows a universal truth: business doesn’t stop just because you’re away. Whether it’s a short vacation, a few days-long business trips, or a quick hiatus, mail continues to trickle in. The USPS has strict regulations on holding mail. Legally, mail has to be held for up to six months. In a coworking location, the responsibility often lies on the managers of the space to ensure that held mail is secure and easily accessible upon the member’s return.
Best Practices
- Communication is Key: Inform members to let you know if they plan to be gone for longer than usual and what they would like you to do with their mail during this time. Some members prefer their mail to be forwarded, stored, or picked up by an authorized member.
- Secure Mail-Handling: USPS compliance involves securely receiving, storing, and distributing mail within the coworking space. Including measures to prevent unauthorized access to mail and protect the privacy and security of members’ mail. This means that only authorized individuals should handle and access mail within your coworking space.
- Mail Storage and Organization: Compliance includes maintaining an organized and secure mailroom or storage area where mail is sorted, labeled, and stored properly. This is crucial to avoid mix-ups, misplacement, or loss of mail items. At our coworking spaces, Piloto 151, these range from lockable file cabinets to bigger mailrooms.
- Timely Reminders: Implement a system—be it digital notifications or physical markers—to remind managers when the holding period is nearing its end.
Keep (mail) moving
The reality of work today means that not only are our spaces transient, but so are our members. Businesses grow and contracts end. Members move between spaces, across state lines, and now, through work models ranging from hybrid to fully remote. For spaces offering mail forwarding, this practice ensures continuity, but it comes with its challenges.
Best Practices
- Update Records: Regularly maintain member records up-to-date. An outdated address can mean missed business opportunities and communications errors.
- Tech to the Rescue: Consider investing in mail management software, like PilotoMail, which can send digital notifications to members when mail arrives, allowing them to decide on the spot what action to take (from anywhere in the world!). Mail management software also helps automate your mailroom, which can help keep package pileups under control, avoid security risks, and deliver a positive customer experience through a virtual mailbox.
- Make Things Clear: Have a system for handling undeliverable mail. Whether it’s a return to sender or another solution, having a standardized approach minimizes errors and reduces time.
About PilotoMail
PilotoMail is a mail management platform that creates recurring revenue streams for mailrooms through postal mail handling automation, and virtual mailboxes for the remote workforce. Property managers, coworking spaces, mail centers & registered agents can handle large volumes of mail efficiently, comply with all postal regulations, and increase revenue from their existing footprint effortlessly.