Friday, June 10, 2011

I'm going to harp on the importance of a return address once again

Postcard piles: a comparison

I just sorted the postcards in my "needs response" pile into two separate piles.

The ones on the right have a return address, the ones on the left don't.

Guess which ones receive a faster response?

...For those that don't have a return address: in most cases I know the sender in some way, and can look up their address online or in my address book. But I don't write down everyone's address in my address book, so it's a real guessing game sometimes. At times I don't mind looking up an address online, and at other times, mail-time is strictly computer-free... hence the two separate piles. Now when I say "it's time to respond to a postcard," I can go directly to the A+ folks who do take the extra-credit care to write (or stamp, or sticker-stick) their return address on the postcard.

And now I'll get off my soapbox.

Everyone has their own mail habits, and if you're one of those carefree types that doesn't include a return addrress, rock on. Just know that if there is a mailing error, it may never reach the recipient OR come back to you, and it may take me twice as long to feel like looking up your address.

Grumble, grumble. I realize I'm ridiculously anal about this. I put a return address on everything, always. (Or did you figure that out already?)