Polette in the mailroom

What It Means to Have an Automated Mailroom and Why You Need One

Implementing an automated mailroom solution can help keep package pileups under control, avoid security risks, and deliver a positive customer experience through a virtual mailbox. 

Want to automate your mailroom without adding mail management tasks? Whether you are a mailroom operator, community manager, or run a mail center, keeping track of everything manually is practically impossible. From renter notifications, checking in mail from couriers, and handing off mail to renters, to ID verifications, compliance follow-ups, and customer requests can become hard to keep track of. Implementing an automated mailroom solution can help keep package pileups under control, avoid security risks, and deliver a positive customer experience through a virtual mailbox. Better yet, less stress for you and your team as you manage it.

Why You Need An Automated Mailroom

Automatic reminders

This mail management and handling technology keeps operators on track with the latest mail updates, reminding them of pending requests, assignments, and compliance.

For your customers, as mailbox renters, the technology can automate their action requests. They can configure their mailbox to automatically submit open & scan and forward requests each time mail is received and assigned to their PMB.

Mailbox renters also receive notifications of their incoming mail and packages, pick-up reminders, and scheduling options (recipients can arrange a convenient time to pick up their package—convenience and efficiency at its finest).

As for email notifications, renters can configure to receive a reminder as soon as mail is received and assigned to them. They can also choose to receive a message once a day or never and schedule notifications for a specific time.

Security features

The features below allow your automated mailroom to be efficient and secure:

📤 Automate ID verification & CMRA forms

In compliance with U.S. Postal Service regulations, a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency, acting as an agency to receive delivery of mail of others, follows a compliance process to verify a mailbox renter’s identity. This ensures the renter and recipient’s identity match. The process requires:

  • Private mailbox renters provide the CMRA with photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, government or “recognized corporate identification card.
  • Private mailbox renters write the letters “PMB” and the number of their mailbox on the second line of their mailing address similar to the standard post office box address on regular mail.
  • Private mailbox renters must sign CMRA Form 1583 to authorize the delivery of their mail to a renter as their CMRA.
  • Commercial mail receivers are required to provide an alphabetical list of their customers and former customers every three months to their local postmasters under these regulations.

Automating this process removes the headaches of following up with renters, physically notarizing forms, verifying IDs, and keeping track of pending and complete compliance. 

Need some more guidance? Here is our CMRA 2023 Cheat Sheet.

📤 Secure pick-up

A signature or ID verification is required to collect a package. This process ensures mail and packages are handed off to the correct person. In turn, it helps the recipient feel their mail is handled carefully and securely. If the package gets into the wrong hands or goes missing, you have a detailed record of where it went and when it happened.

📤 Customized permissions

Access levels help maintain delivery details safe and secure. It allows mailbox renters to invite specific people on their team to give them visibility to their mailbox. Recipients permit an operator to accept their mail. Recipients and managers can also make requests such as open & scan, receive notifications on incoming mail, and be notified on fulfilled requests. Access can be limited to team members designated simply for pickups.

Mail is dispatched to the correct recipient and mailroom operations are more secure and reliable.

Improve mailroom operations

Mailroom management automation can provide you with helpful information to improve your operations. You can identify any problems or inefficiencies and make the necessary adjustments. For example:

📤 Improve and ensure secure delivery and hand-off processes.

📤 Keep mail and package pileups under control. Configure your digital mailroom with storage reminders and fees for renters. It helps members be aware of how long their mail has been waiting for them to be picked up. As an operator, you can profit from unclaimed packages with storage charges after a set period.

📤 Reduce liability and human error by keeping track of mail trails. Having a digital log of your mailroom reduces liability by keeping track of every piece of mail that lands in your mailroom and becomes your responsibility.

This information helps you to make informed decisions to respond to workspace needs, such as increasing mailroom space to make room for more packages. You may also need to hire more personnel or adjust the work schedule when there is an influx of deliveries.

Create a seamless experience

With an automated mailroom, your mailbox renters will know when their mail and packages have arrived so they can schedule a convenient pick-up time. On pick-up day, the mailroom staff is ready for the hand-off. Easy and stress-free.

This software allows your workspace and mailroom to flow, benefiting you and creating a better, seamless experience for your members, mailbox renters, and business operations team. It is a win for everybody.

Did you know PilotoMail partnered with OfficeRnD for state-of-the-art mailroom automation? Read more about it here.

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.

Don't put off the most sustainable path toward profitability. Request a Demo with one of our mail experts below.