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Snail-Mail, E-Mail and a Possible Postal Strike – a Tipping Point?
News reports say that there may be a postal strike in Canada later this week. If it goes ahead, I’m wondering if it might be a tipping point that leads to even less mail being sent.
If we look at the mail we receive at home (after we recycle the junk mail), much of it is bills to pay. The major utilities and credit card companies have online bill presentment options that they encourage us to use. I suspect there are a lot of people who have not made the switch to receiving their bills online simply because they are creatures of habit, and don’t bother to take the time to make the change or learn how to do it.
Will a strike be the event that changes that and results in a significant uptake in online bill presentment?
I actually wonder about all the comments that not nearly as much mail is sent anymore. I do A LOT of buying and selling online – have people forgotten about online/eBay businesses? I would also say that Canada Post is making online selling very hard for people because of their ridiculously high prices for shipping packages and parcels as compared to the United States and overseas. There is plenty of money to be made from online business owners, but very little incentive.
David, it’s a good point. Even some snail mail addressed directly to me I wonder about, quite often product catalogues available online or event flyers that I have already seen on the web. I wonder at the cost of printing and mailing all this out only to have me toss it.
Candice, I wonder therefore if our Canada Post will have to morph into something slightly different?
Still, nothing beats receiving a hand-written card.
You can go a big step beyond merely recycling junk mail toward preventing junk mail by participating in Canada Post’s “Consumer Choice Program“: