Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!telecom-request From: abvax!iccgcc.decnet.ab.com!herrickd@uunet.uu.net (CONTR HERRICK, DAN) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Why do Telcos Use Window Envelopes for Payments Message-ID: Date: 25 Feb 91 18:33:00 GMT Sender: news@bu.edu.bu.edu Organization: TELECOM Digest Lines: 30 Approved: Telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 158, Message 11 of 13 In TELECOM Digest #136, Ron Heiby writes: >> The thing about my IL Bell bill-paying envelopes, and many others, >> that I continue to find a mystery is, "Why the heck do they need that >> window on the envelope?" As far as I can tell, it's just to give me a >> pain by forcing me to a specific orientation of contents insertion. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >> The envelope already has the city/state/zip+4. In fact, the zip+4 is >> BAR CODED on the envelope! [...] > It may give you a pain to put the contents into the envelope in a > particular way, but it aids the Telco's automation. If the check is > always behind the bill and the bill is right side up, a machine can Ohio Bell annoys me with an envelope that is outsize and won't fit into a shirt pocket or the rubber banded bundle of mail to be posted at various future dates. So I wad it up to fit. Many of my creditors who provide envelopes have the extra flaps that they want me to tear off and use to buy something else. I carefully put my check in the envelope, fold the flap in on top of it and then put their coupon in so it shows through the window the way they specify. My perversity considers the effort a wasy compared with tearing off and discarding the coupon. I want to take away any productivity benefit they get until they stop using those dumb flaps. dan herrick herrickd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com