By Bradford Koshland, F313666
July 2011
Hello from Cincinnati. Well, the weather sure has heated up fast here, and it seems like we went right from winter (cold) into summer (heat and humidity). This month I have asked the supervisor of FMCA’s mail forwarding service, Cindy Ackley, to explain their operations. It has been a while since FMCA’s mail forwarding service was featured in FMC magazine. So, some newer members might not know that this benefit and service exists. With that said, mail forwarding is a member benefit that our association provides to motorhome owners at a very minimal cost. It is just one more reason to belong to or join FMCA.
Cindy will provide an overview of all the responsibilities and procedures with which her section is tasked. After reading her comments, I think you will be impressed as to the work that goes on behind the scenes, five days a week, in order to get the mail shipped out for our subscribed members to receive. Cindy and the mail forwarding staff do an outstanding job! So much so that a number of members have stated to me that FMCA’s mail forwarding service is the best and most personalized mail service they have ever used. To the mail forwarding staff’s credit, as far as we know, they have never lost a piece of mail. And over the many years, I am certain they have handled hundreds of thousands of letters, packages, and other pieces of mail. So, please consider using FMCA’s mail forwarding service if you will be traveling for an extended period of time.
Until next month, may your travels be safe this summer, and I hope to see many of you at our Family Reunion and Motorhome Showcase in Madison, Wisconsin, August 10-13. On behalf of the 49 hard-working staff here in Cincinnati, may you all be blessed with good health and happiness. Thank you for allowing us here in Cincinnati to serve you, our membership.
Mail Forwarding For Motorhomers
By Cindy Ackley
Mail Forwarding Supervisor
FMCA’s Mail Forwarding Service enables FMCA members to travel throughout the country and have their mail forwarded to any address they may choose. The service is designed for members who plan to be on the road for an extended period of time (at least two months). Once a week, members may have their mail packaged and sent via first-class or priority mail to a mailing address they provide. Mail for members whose last name begins with A through C is mailed on Monday; D through G is sent on Tuesday; and so on.
At this time, there are approximately 1,800 active mail forwarding accounts.
A service fee of $8 is charged the first time mail is sent in a new month, or if mail is picked up at the mail forwarding office located on Round Bottom Road in Cincinnati. If there is a month when mail is not sent, the service fee is not charged. There are no hidden charges, and no enrollment or cancellation fees. Members pay the monthly service fee and also pay for the postage required to send their mail to them. Mail forwarding participants are able to receive a large volume of mail and unlimited packages at no additional charge. A deposit of $50 is required upon enrollment for postage and the monthly service fee.
The Mail Forwarding Department has two full-time employees, Cindy Ackley and Cecilia Rosenberger, and three part-time employees, Laurie Ammerman, Ruth Keith, and Lu Ann Frost, who work four hours per day. Every morning they carefully weigh and package all mail that is to be sent that day. Once all of the outgoing mail has been processed and is ready to be picked up by the U.S. Post Office, they begin sorting all of the incoming letters, magazines, and packages. The Member Services Department also provides assistance with sorting the incoming mail to ensure that all mail will be ready to go out for the next day’s mailing. The Member Services and Mail Forwarding personnel answer the telephone calls to accept mailing instructions, assist with inquiries regarding participants’ mail, provide detailed information about the service, and complete mail forwarding applications over the telephone.
Recently, a new enhancement was added to notify participants via an automated e-mail when a package of mail is sent. The e-mail includes the postage cost, to give an indication of the size of the mail packet, and the current balance for the participant’s postage account.
You can read more about the procedures for using mail forwarding and view the required forms at FMCA.com under Members, Benefits. You may reach the mail forwarding office by calling (800) 448-1212; cell phone users please call (513) 388-5315; or e-mail mailforward@fmca.com for further information. The Mail Forwarding and Member Services staff will be happy to assist you.