News and Updates
Fall 2024
Take advantage of cost-saving mail services CMS offers
To support DES' goal of strengthening the business of government for a sustainable and just future, Consolidated Mail Services' (CMS) offers a full range of mail services to state and local governments. By using our services, such as letter presort and electronic return receipt (ERR), millions of taxpayer dollars are saved each year.
In fiscal year 2024 alone, CMS saved taxpayers:
- More than $7.3 million in letter presort postage
- Over $98,000 in ERR mailings
Our team of mail professionals ensures that important government mailings – including licenses, unemployment checks, and other official documents – are sent and received in a timely matter. In FY 2024, CMS processed more than 69.6 million pieces of mail, averaging over 276,290 pieces of mail handled daily.
CMS is here for you!
We offer a wide variety of services that can improve efficiencies and make the most out of state resources. Our CMS web presence is a great resource with links to get mailing tips, learn about how to use a pink slip, look up a PO box or mailstop, and order mail supplies.
Questions?
If you can't find what you need online, or have a question about the services we provide, you can email our friendly and knowledgeable customer service staff at cmsmail@des.wa.gov, or call 360-586-0457.
Summer 2024
Are you using the correct envelope?
Using a flat, or manilla, envelope is the perfect choice for sending documents, like certificates, that shouldn’t be folded. A pro-tip to remember is a smaller standard 3.5x5” envelope holds up to seven tri-folded pages and a 6x9.5” envelope holds up to fifteen tri-fold pages. Choose a standard envelope when a flat isn’t necessary to save taxpayer dollars.
Recycling is encouraged!
Another way state agencies can save money and help the environment is to reuse boxes and envelopes. Simply cover or remove addresses and barcodes from the previous delivery. And remember, when using campus mail envelopes, be sure to cross out the addresses from earlier deliveries.
USPS now requires Intelligent Mail Idicia metering
What you need to know:
- Intelligent Mail Inicia (IMI) is an enhanced tracking system that helps USPS manage mail more efficiently through automation, improved security and reduced costs.
- As of June 30, 2024, all postage meters that are not Intelligent IMI compliant are being decertified unless updated with a patch provided by the vendor.
- If your device is still non-compliant after this date a grace period will be provided, however, it will need to be withdrawn from service by the end of 2024.
- Non-IMI postage will no longer be considered valid for use or refunds after June 30, 2025.
As a CMS customer, we can offer you our consultation services and meter your mail for you. By using us for bulk mailing services, your agency can receive discounts it wouldn’t otherwise by metering your own mail. Let CMS be your mailing experts so you can focus on your agency’s mission.
USPS rate changes
USPS is changing its postage and service rates effective July 14, 2024. USPS implements postage rate increases twice each year in January and July. Visit the USPS website for a complete list of current rates.
Remember to use Consolidated Mail Services (CMS) presort services for letters and flats to get the benefit of postage discounts. In calendar year 2023, CMS saved the state over $7.5 million in postage by presorting letters. To take advantage of the presort rates listed below, be sure to correctly format and address your mail and check the presort box on your Mailing Instruction Form (pink slip).
USPS First-Class Letters, July 14, 2024
| Weight (not over) |
Metered at full rate |
CMS Presort Rate |
Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ounce | $0.690 | $0.540 | $0.150 |
| 2 ounce | $0.970 | $0.540 | $0.430 |
| 3 ounce | $1.250 | $0.540 | $0.710 |
| 3.5 ounce | $1.530 | $0.540 | $0.990 |
| USPS Service | Jan. - July 2024 | July - Jan. 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Certified mail | $4.40 | $4.85 |
| Return receipt (hard copy) | $3.65 | $4.10 |
| Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) |
$2.32 | $2.62 |
| Restricted Delivery (must be signed by addressee or designated authority) |
$11.65 | $12.75 |
Spring 2024
Shipping a package through DES Consolidated Mail Services (CMS) is now easier, more efficient and can save the state money. The program recently implemented a new software that allows CMS staff to shop UPS, FedEx, and USPS in one place where they can compare prices and print labels from one printer.
This improved service helps customers save time by selecting ‘CMS Rate Shop’ on their pink slip so CMS can find the best value for them. Other benefits from this upgrade include:
- Flexibility in the shipping process through single sign-on one-stop-shopping and printing
- Makes international shipments more intuitive
- Provides comprehensive reporting to CMS so they can better track your packages status
January 9, 2024
Inclement weather can impact mail delivery
It’s that time of year again. Please be aware that in the case of inclement weather, Consolidated Mail Services drivers will make every attempt to service all stops, but weather and road conditions will determine whether mail pick-up and delivery is possible for your location. The safety of our drivers is a priority.
If your office will be closed, let us know by emailing cmsmail@des.wa.gov. Include your mailstop in the email. You can also call us with questions or concerns at 360-586-0457.
November 6, 2023
News and Updates is moving
Beginning in 2024, CMS is moving the news and updates online so you can have access to important dates and news on demand. The new site will include a three-month calendar, important updates, and helpful tips to help you plan for your mailing needs. Watch your inbox for more information in the coming weeks.
CMS rate adjustment coming Dec. 1
Effective Dec. 1, 2023, Consolidated Mail Services is adjusting its rates. This adjustment allows CMS to recover costs and will appear on your January invoice.
For an individual consultation or information about how CMS can serve your agency, please call Customer Service at 360-586-0457.
Be prepared for winter weather
When planning your mailings, factor in holidays and inclement weather. This time of year the weather can change drastically without much warning. When the weather is bad, delivery and pick up times can vary due to traffic issues. Be aware that FedEx and UPS departure times are subject to change during the peak season. Let’s help keep everyone safe on the roads by reducing the need for last minute shipping.
If your office will close early because of the weather and you won’t need mail services from CMS, please let us know by calling 360-586-0457.
August, 7, 2023
Coming soon: virtual tutorials
Consolidated Mail Services (CMS) is developing on-demand, online customer tutorials and we’d like your input. Please take this short survey to help us prioritize subjects you’d like to learn about including:
- Using a pink slip
- Prepaid return shipping labels
- Electronic Return Receipt
- Overnight mailing
- International mail
USPS rate changes
USPS price changes to first class letters went into effect July 9, 2023. USPS is now implementing scheduled postage rate increases twice each year in January and July. In January, rates were adjusted for Certified Mail, Return Receipt (hard copy), Electronic Return Receipt and Restricted Delivery. Visit the USPS website for a complete list of current rates.
Coming up
Labor Day, Sept. 4
May 2, 2023
Pink slips
The pink slip is the form that gives CMS instructions on how to process your mail and ensures charge-back for your agency’s outgoing mail. If you are unsure of which service will best meet your mailing needs, visit our website for step-by-step instructions or call CMS Customer Service at 360-586-0457. We’re happy to help!
Help us help you
Thank you for reading CMS News and Updates! Please take this short survey to tell us if you find value in this newsletter, and to let us know how we can improve. We've added a new question asking for your suggestions for online tutorials that would be helpful to you. Your feedback is an important tool for us to better understand what topics are most valuable to your organization and how to present them to you.
Coming up ...
- May 29 -- Memorial Day
- June 19 -- Juneteenth
- July 4 -- Independence Day
January 31, 2023
New USPS postage rates approved
USPS price changes went into effect Jan. 22, 2023. The changes include postage increases to first class letters, presorted letters and flats. USPS is now implementing scheduled postage rate increases twice each year in January and July. Visit the USPS website for a complete list of current rates.
Campus mail
Campus mail is mail sent between state agencies and programs through Consolidated Mail Services (CMS). To ensure your mail reaches its destination, it is important to address it properly with the recipient’s name, agency, P.O. Box or mailstop. It’s a good idea to include a return address, as well.
Track it
When you send campus mail, you can have CMS track it for $3.50 per piece. To request this service, email us at cmsmail@des.wa.gov, or call 360-586-0947, and a CMS Customer Service representative will send you a form to attach to your campus mail.
Customer Success Story
Learn how CMS kept government operations running smoothly during the pandemic.
Tell us what you think
Thank you for reading CMS News and Updates! Please take this short survey to tell us if you find value in this newsletter, and to let us know how we can improve. Your feedback is an important tool for us to better understand what topics are most valuable to your organization.
Coming up ...
- Feb. 20 -- Presidents' Day
- March 12 -- Daylight Savings Time begins
November 4, 2022
Big jobs take more time
Vehicle tab renewals
W2s
1095(B)
Have you ever received one of those notices or forms?
If you have, DES Printing and Mail staff printed it, inserted it, presorted it by zip code and got it in the mail stream so it could get to you.
How millions of notices, forms, and data files become tangible documents for Washingtonians to read and act upon
It all starts with a need from a government entity to communicate information to people in our state. Michael Zimmerman, Print and Imaging's IT Application Developer Specialist, receives customer requests. “Zimm” turns that request into data. Machines take that data and turn it into documents that are printed at our facility in Tumwater. Thousands of documents are then loaded on trucks and delivered to downtown Olympia where Consolidated Mail Services (CMS) operates.
Here, our inserting staff place those documents into machines that insert them into envelopes. Next, our Optical Character Reader (OCR) reads the address and checks the U.S. Postal Service database for an update. If there is a new address, the piece either goes back to the customer for updating or is sent to the intended recipient's current address.
Thank you
Big jobs can take extra time, and we are committed to providing the most reliable and best possible service to you, especially during our upcoming busy winter season. We appreciate your patience, cooperation, and partnership.
Campus mail goes beyond the Capitol Campus
Campus mail is mail delivered from one CMS mailstop to another throughout western Washington. No postage necessary!
If you have mail to send to a government entity within this delivery network, check our website to see if we serve the location. Using CMS to send campus mail saves your agency money, time, and resources.
Track your mail
For $3.50 CMS will track any piece of campus mail. We can present a chain of custody for any piece of trackable campus mail. The tracking shows when your mail was picked up, delivered, and signatures of receipt.
Nov. 17, 2022 in-person customer training
CMS is offering an in-person customer training Nov. 17. The training includes:
- Instructions on how to fill out a pink slip
- Overviews of:
- Your potential savings options
- Helpful features on our website
- United States Postal Service (USPS) standards for on-time delivery
CMS shipping options
- A tour of our 45,000-square-foot facility where you can see staff using state-of-the-art technology to sort and process mail
Capacity is limited. Call 360-586-0457 to reserve a spot. Trainings are held quarterly.
Customer Spotlight: Department of Ecology
The Department of Enterprise Services consistently functions to fulfill our mission to strengthen the business of government. CMS is one of several programs within the Business Resources Division of DES. We have the honor of helping all state agencies focus on their missions by delivering and picking up mail and being mail consultants.
The Department of Ecology's mission is to “Protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.” CMS helps Ecology fulfill its mission by coordinating interoffice communications between their Lacey, Seattle, and Vancouver offices, and handling their package delivery. Our staff has the pleasure of working with Kari Heikkila, a customer service representative with Ecology. We asked Kari to answer some questions about her experiences with CMS and this is what she had to say:
For mail customers, time is very important. Tell us about CMS turn-around times and responsiveness?
I count on the reliable service that CMS offers. It is with confidence that I send our mail out with CMS! Once our mail is picked up in the afternoon, I know that it will be processed correctly and in a timely manner. If an issue arises, someone from CMS quickly reaches out to resolve the issue and avoid delay.
How does CMS typically address concerns?
CMS is customer and solution focused. You listen, share knowledge & information and problem solve. You are accommodating by providing guidance and contact info, correcting mail, sharing cost savings ideas, etc. CMS does what it takes to meet customer needs.
What's it like to work with CMS?
It is like having a valuable tool in my back pocket. I look good at my job because of your assistance and expertise. I love asking CMS questions as I always learn something new about the mail realm. I also believe I could learn a thing or two from CMS Customer Service. It is stellar!
As a CMS customer I want to do my part so CMS employees can do theirs, however, you have often taken care of both, especially during the pandemic. Typically, I strive to prepare our mail so CMS does not have to question it, correct it or provide additional preparation once you receive it.
Has working with CMS helped your agency save money and time?
Yes, CMS is very knowledgeable and offers up ways in which to save money on postage and shipping fees. Capturing savings is a big part of my job and CMS helps me do it for my agency. I love the CMS Rate Shop option on pink slips for you to find the best rate for me.
Do you have a funny/interesting mail story to share?
Not off the top of my head but I would like to give a big shout-out to all CMS drivers! Mail delivery and pickups are very reliable. I appreciate the consistent and friendly service you provide. Thank You! I enjoy working with all of you.
We'd like to hear from you
Thank you for reading CMS News and Updates! Please take this short survey to tell us if you find value in this newsletter, and to let us know how we can improve. Your feedback is an important tool for us to better understand what topics are most valuable to your organization.
Coming up ...
- Nov. 11 – Veterans Day
- Nov. 17 – CMS in-person training
- Nov. 24&25 – Thanksgiving
- Dec. 26 – Christmas holiday
July 28, 2022
Consolidated Mail Services (CMS) is offering an in-person customer training Aug. 25. The training includes:
- Instructions on how to fill out a pink slip
- Overviews of:
- Your potential savings options
- Helpful features on our website
- United States Postal Service (USPS) standards for on-time delivery
- CMS shipping options
- A tour of our 45,000-square-foot facility where you can see staff using state-of-the-art technology to sort and process mail
Capacity is limited. Call 360-586-0457 to reserve a spot. Trainings are held quarterly.
We are your mail consultants
In addition to quarterly training, CMS offers consultations to meet your agency's specific business needs and get all of the value CMS has to offer.
For example, each detail of your mailing has a cost component to consider. Did you know you can save money by changing the color of tint on the inside of the envelope? Or that by using a State Standard envelope you can save thousands of dollars of the course of a year? Please ask for a consultation to see if there are ways you can save money, time, or both!
Meet Your Customer Service Team
Pictured from left to right: Jim Bradley, Kathleen Sanders, Mandy Cavender, Brion McCoy
The CMS Customer Service Team has seen some changes in the last few months.
Goodbye Diane, hello Mandy
After nearly 20 years of service with the state of Washington, CMS Customer Service Manager Diane Wilkinson retired in June. She looks forward to traveling and spending time with her family. Mandy Cavender replaces Diane and says she is eager to continue with a customer focus.
Welcome to the team Kathleen
Katheleen Sanders joined the Customer Service Team's front office in May as a Program Specialist. Katheleen came from the mail presort section where she was a Mail Processing Driver. Her six years of expertise with CMS makes her a perfect fit for this role. Katheleen has exceptional listening, analytical and customer service skills and is often the first to offer help when needed.
Experts in the field
Brion McCoy and Jim Bradley, who have a combined total of nearly 40 years with CMS, round out our Customer Service Team. Brion is a Management Analyst who takes care of our billing processes, and Jim is a Program Specialist and jack of all trades. He knows all there is to know about mail.
As your go-to subject matter experts, the CMS team members are available to answer your questions and troubleshoot your challenges.
Please call us at 360-586-0457 or email cmsmail@des.wa.gov.
Rate Changes
If you receive notices through GovDelivery, you received a notice on July 10 about USPS postal rates increasing.
If you didn't receive notification, please register for GovDelivery here.
Customer Spotlight – Labor & Industries
The Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety, health, and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. L&I helps employers meet safety and health standards and inspect workplaces when alerted to hazards.
CMS helps L&I focus on its core mission by metering millions of pieces of mail every year. In the last fiscal year, CMS metered over 6 million pieces of mail that were delivered to injured workers, employers, contractors, medical providers, and other state agencies. The agency receives large amounts of mail as well. Recently, CMS delivered 40 general purpose containers (GPC) of mail to the agency in one month. One GPC is over 5 feet tall and can hold up to 1,200 pounds of mail.
From the Mailroom
We asked L&I Mailroom Program Support Supervisor Trina Kinney a few questions about what it's like to work with CMS.
Timeliness is very important to mail customers. Tell us about CMS turnaround times and responsiveness?
CMS has great turnaround times and is very responsive. Sometimes I'm surprised by how quickly they reply to me when I have a question or concern.
How does CMS typically address your concerns?
Via email or a phone call. It depends on the issue and how urgently it needs to be resolved.
What is it like to work with CMS?
My experiences have always been positive. It doesn't matter which section or person I'm dealing with. Everyone has always been helpful, polite, and quick to respond. I could not ask for a better experience when it comes to working with another agency.
Has working with CMS helped your agency save money and time?
Yes. They met with me personally to review our invoices and made suggestions on how to save money in small ways, like using the state standard envelope. Switching to the standard envelope allowed L&I to save warehouse space, time, and money.
Do you have a funny/interesting mail story to share?
Not really funny, but I feel like staff went above and beyond to correct an error. Recently, there was a mix-up for payments that needed to be mailed out but were accidentally delivered to one of our service locations instead. When the error was discovered the next day, CMS sent someone to the Vancouver office to retrieve it so that it could be mailed that afternoon. I was really impressed with the resolution and desire to make it right.
Thank you, Trina, for sharing your experiences with CMS.
If you would like your agency to be spotlighted, please reach out to our Customer Service Staff at 360-586-0457 or email us at cmsmail@des.wa.gov.
Coming up
- Labor Day, Sept. 5
April 25, 2022
USPS proposes rate adjustment in July 2022
The United States Postal Service has filed a proposal with the Postal Regulatory Commission to raise product prices. If approved, the rate changes will take effect July 10, 2022. Learn more.
Saturday mail processing discontinued
Consolidated Mail Services is discontinuing Saturday mail processing due to decreased mail volumes and to increase efficiency in state government. Starting April 22, 2022, presort letters that are received Friday afternoon will be processed the next Monday. Letters that must be processed before Monday can be sent Friday at the full postage rate. Please indicate your preference on the Mailing Instruction Form, also known as the pink slip.
For more information, contact CMS at cmsmail@des.wa.gov or call 360-586-0457.
Speaking of pink slips...
The pink slip is the form that gives CMS instructions on how to process your mail and ensures charge back for your agency's outgoing mail. If you are unsure of which service will best meet your mailing needs, visit our website for step-by-step instructions or call CMS Customer Service at 360-586-0457. We're happy to help!
We'd like to hear from you
Thank you for reading CMS News and Updates! Please take this short survey to tell us if you find value in this newsletter, and to let us know how we can improve. Your feedback is an important tool for us to better understand what topics are most valuable to your organization.
Coming up ...
- Memorial Day, May 30
- Juneteenth, June 20
| USPS Service | Jan. - July 2024 | July - Jan. 2025 New |
|---|---|---|
| Certified mail | $4.40 | $4.85 |
| Return receipt (hard copy) | $3.65 | $4.10 |
| Electronic Return Receipt (ERR) |
$2.32 | $2.62 |
| Restricted Delivery (must be signed by addressee or designated authority) |
$11.65 | $12.75 |
Contact us
Consolidated Mail Services
Business Resources Division
Phone 360-586-0457
Email cmsmail@des.wa.gov