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Office Skills Index

In spite of the growing use of electronic mail and faxes, the Post - now often referred to as "snail mail" - remains an important means of communicating and sending hard copies of documents.

Mail arriving at an office will invariably include diverse documents: invoices, quotations, estimates, applications for jobs etc.

Incoming mail

Normally an office clerk will handle incoming mail, unless there is an office policy which demands that the manager process all mail.  It is unethical to open mail which is marked "personal" or "confidential".

Some points to note when opening mail:

• Private or confidential mail must be put aside.
• One must ensure that all contents are emptied from an envelope before discarding it.  It is best to open an envelope from both sides.
• Some letters, or documents, may have enclosures attached to them.  These may include catalogues, price lists, leaflets, samples, photographs, cheques, stamps or postal orders.  These should be stapled to the main letter or document.
• When opening a letter one should be on the look out for any indication (on the letter) that it should include an enclosure.  If the enclosure is not attached, the recipient of the letter must be made aware of this so that he/she may contact the person who sent the letter.

Outgoing mail

In Malta we do not have a first/second class system (known in the UK as a two-tier system).  All mail processed locally normally arrives the following day after posting.

All mail sent abroad is no longer posted using surface mail (i.e. using other means of transport besides air transport) but is sent by air mail.  Bulky mail for items exceeding a weight threshold may be sent by surface mail.  Surface mail was traditionally a cheaper method of mailing post, but the costs have increased to such an extent that it is cheaper for the Post Office to send mail by air.

Bulky Letters

It is important not to cram too much into a small or flimsy envelope.  Jiffy bags (a padded bag) are often used to send long documents.

Franking machine

Some postal systems license organisations to use franking machines, which bypass the Post Office desk by allowing the organisation to frank letters before they leave its premises.  The organisation is then charged according to the meter usage on the machine.

Packing for Special Parcels

• Large maps, plans, unframed pictures should be rolled and packed in a cardboard tube, securely sealed at both ends.
• Leaflets, brochures, exam papers should be placed in a padded bag.
• Photographs and certificate should be placed between sheets of cardboard in an envelope marked DO NOT BEND.
• Liquids in tins and bottled should be surrounded by polystyrene chips or sawdust (this will absorb the liquid if there should be a breakage) and packed in a strong box.
• Pictures in frames should be sandwiched between stoup pieces of hardboard and wrapped in corrugated paper and strong brown paper.
• Magnetic tapes, cassettes, videos, floppy disks etc should be packed using a minimum thickness of 100m of soft packing material all round each item.

Special Postal Services

• Recorded Delivery and Registered Service.  The former authorises the Post Office to record delivery (normally by means of the signature of the recipient) of a posted item.  The latter records delivery but also grants compensation if the item is not delivered.
• Datapost is a postal service allowing for swift delivery (normally overnight) of urgent letters, packets and parcels.  Other companies offer a similar courier service, including UPS, Cassar & Cooper, Miles and Wings Couriers (amongst others).  This form of service is especially important where a guaranteed delivery is important.
• Freepost service can be used by an organisation who wishes to obtain a reply from a customer without putting him to the expense of paying postage.
• Redirection service is available for those who would like their mail redirected to their new address.
• Private Post Office boxes may be rented annually at a Post Office. Mail to an organisation (addressed fully by the sender) would then be directed to the PO Box, from where it is then collected.  Some organisations may well indicate a PO Box rather than an address, but few people will want to "deal" with a PO Box.