Unneccessary post from building society etc

Now, I appreciate I have to be made aware of changes in T & C's, and be sent tax certs and though begrudgingly, pamphlets (nay, 15 page mini-books) on how I could be better using my money by using such and such an account, but when will someone see sense and invent some sort of system that looks at how many accounts a customer has with the SAME organisation and send them all the relevant documents in ONE damn envelope with ONE advertising pamphlet/booklet?
I have 4 accounts with a high st building society so ended up with 4 tax certificates, in 4 big envelopes with 4 of the 15 page booklets. Talk about literally wasting money.
This barmy system is indicative of this particular building society/bank who once sent me a letter to tell me they've sent me a letter..

[Stuart W]

I found my bank to be the opposite.

I use online banking and have opted to have all my statements delivered electronically and all other bank correspondence to go to my email address.
I haven't seen anything on paper from them since my "welcome pack".

I like this for 2 good reasons,
1: it's cheaper for the bank
2: it means I don't have paperwork with my account details which I have to dispose of by shredding, burning or otherwise rendering unusable by some identity thieving parasite.

I have too. I've had paper free bills/statements etc for a long time.
But I've not been given any option to have anything else delivered electronically, unfortunately.
Do you get your tax certs by email?

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

I've just completed a mailing exercise for a financial institution and whilst your ideology sounds good its often too much hassle.

For example, if you start combining mailshots you often need many many more letters. If you had just 3 mail shots you would need one letter for each mailshot for customeras only getting one letter, one for custs getting 2 mails shots (and one for each combination) and one for custs getting all three. So instantly the number of letters that have to be agreed signed off and prepared increases from 3 to 7 just to cover merging 3 mailshots into 1.

Then theres the issue of postage, we dont weigh each individual mail item, we weigh a sample and apply this so all letters in the mailing. This becomes more complex if there are many many flavours of the mailing, you would obviously have to weigh all flavours of the mailshot and have some technique for sorting the mail to ensure it gets the correct postgae applied.

The big killer issue is the mail assembly. Obviously this isnt completed by hand and there are a finite number of hoppers in the puff and stuff machine. When you have a mailing going out this machine is controlled based on markings on the letter to determine what enclosures need to be added. If you start multiplying this out to combine mailings you soon run out of hoppers in which you can load the enclosures.

Its a good idea but questionable as to whether its worth it to the company sending the mail out.

---------- Post added at 13:19 ---------- Previous post was at 13:17 ----------

Originally Posted by kryogenik

Do you get your tax certs by email?

Not sure its legal to do that in this country. I beleive it is in some countries eg South Africa

[Stuart W]

No, tax certs are posted as they are a legal document.

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

Its a good idea but questionable as to whether its worth it to the company sending the mail out.

And there's The Rub.

Cheers for the explanation - I'd an idea it'd be down to logistics Vs cost.
You'd think though with millions of customers an organisation could be saving pots of money by not sending 4 lots of the same item to one customer.
There must be thousands of people with more than one account with one org - Mortgage, savings, current etc.
Maybe I'm just being too much of a Victor Meldrew eh? Why complicate things just to make things nicer for the customer.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by kryogenik

You'd think though with millions of customers an organisation could be saving pots of money by not sending 4 lots of the same item to one customer.

You also have to consider what people do with their mail. If there are 1 or 2 pages the chances are they will read it and deal with it qucikly, if there are 10+ pages the changes are it gets left and then forgetten about and never read.

For most companies its obviously a big no no to mix messages types, eg changes to T&C with marketing material.

So even before the logistics Vs Costs issues kick in there are other considerations to be made

---------- Post added at 13:41 ---------- Previous post was at 13:38 ----------

Originally Posted by kryogenik

Maybe I'm just being too much of a Victor Meldrew eh?

I dont believe that

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

You also have to consider what people do with their mail. If there are 1 or 2 pages the chances are they will read it and deal with it qucikly, if there are 10+ pages the changes are it gets left and then forgetten about and never read.

Well, yes - that's exactly it. There's so much 'bumf' that I just take one look and shove it in the shredder.

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

For most companies its obviously a big no no to mix messages types, eg changes to T&C with marketing material.

I can appreciate that and why - however, as I said, this lot have just sent me 4 x 15 page booklets on their different accounts along with my one page tax certs and covering letter!
It's just lunacy.

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by kryogenik

I can appreciate that and why - however, as I said, this lot have just sent me 4 x 15 page booklets on their different accounts along with my one page tax certs and covering letter!
It's just lunacy.

If you didnt spot the Tax certs you may well have binned the lot if it was all in one package

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

If you didnt spot the Tax certs you may well have binned the lot if it was all in one package

Not likely really mate. I'm fed up with it, but not so much I'd not at least look what was in the envelope.