NPGA Announces Affinity Program Endorsement of P3 Compliance System and Duty to Warn. Businesses in the propane industry (and across all sectors) are trying to save money this year. Have you examined your internal processes to discover areas where you can cut costs? When looking to save money on labor, materials, and overall financial obligations, check out your safety mailing process. You may be surprised to learn that outsourcing your annual propane safety mailings is a great place to begin.
“But we moved our mailings in house to save money in the past!”
It’s a common misconception that you can save money on propane safety mailings by sending in house—but have you considered all the hidden costs? Scrutinize your safety mailing process from all angles before assuming that in-house mailing will result in a lower price. This blog post outlines some of the hidden costs associated with sending your safety mailing on your own.
Consider…
The cost of training & labor
Most propane marketers who manage safety mailings in-house use their staff for production. Whether you plan on taking staff away from daily operations or paying them overtime, the labor it takes to produce your safety mailing will compound quickly. Once you have the supplies (more on that in a bit) you will have to allocate time for someone on your team to go through your customer list to make sure addresses and contact information are up to date. And unless you’re planning to hire more employees just for the safety mailing season, you’ll have to sacrifice in other places while you create, organize, mail, and track your annual safety mailing.
Related Post: Why You Should Send Your Propane Duty to Warn Before Your Summer Vacation
The cost of supplies & maintenance
You’re going to need more than just stamps and envelopes to send your mailing in house. Weigh the time, effort, and finances to acquire all the necessary materials, including copy paper, mailing labels, ink, cartridges, tape, fluid, and toner. You may need advanced equipment, like a laser printer and envelope-stuffing equipment. You’ll also need to purchase PERC scratch-and-sniff brochures for every customer. You must print your introduction letters, order your brochures, ensure your printing equipment is working properly, plan to have enough ink and toner, and prepare to label, mail, and track each letter to ensure it was delivered successfully. Don’t forget that it may cost more than you think to maintain and repair your printing and tracking equipment when it needs service.
The cost of liability
The final—and biggest—hidden cost arises if a propane accident happens to any of your customers. Help your company avoid the financial burden and reputation-killer of legal disputes if your customers experience an emergency that could have been prevented with a propane safety mailing and the third-party verification that providers like P3 Duty to Warn offer. Managing the propane safety mailing process internally yields a significant margin for error because internal safety mailings have a higher mail return rate that is commonly caused by changed addresses.
Related Post: Keeping Propane Safety at the Forefront of Your Business
Simplify Your Routine with the Leading Safety Mailing Provider in the Industry
Our team here at P3 Duty to Warn manages the whole safety mailing process for you. Our mailing includes a custom safety letter and scratch-and-sniff PERC safety brochure. We manage customer lists with the highest security standards and use the CASS software system and National Change of Address database to keep your customer list of addresses up to date. Our entire program is designed to keep you and your customers protected for a great price—contact us to learn the steal of a rate you can receive!