What incredibly bad timing for a mailing snafu! We had planned to send copies of our video, “Face the Truth” to our supporters whose contributions had made the video possible. The video was to go out in mid-August, but through a series of delays in production and in the artwork for the video package, the package did not go out until just after the September terrorist attacks and the anthrax threats.
And to make matters worse, the video duplication and mailing house failed to put any return address on the video package and failed to include the cover letter we had sent them to go with the package. The U. S. Postal System was putting out warnings to people to be cautious of any mail without return addresses or from unknown destinations. The mailing house we used was in Long Island, NY, so naturally since the Pro-Life Action League is located in Chicago people weren’t expecting a package from Long Island. In one bizarre instance, the post office put a cancellation stamp on the box from London and Bangladesh! There was no explanation for that oddity.
Our first indication of a problem was when we began getting phone calls and emails from various people who had received the video and were hesitant to open it. Once they discovered whom it was from they called to let us know their concern. Then we asked our supporters to contact us if they had received the video and to let us know whether the package contained a cover letter. We received a large volume of responses. Most people had simply opened the package. But a significant number had been leery and several had opted to throw it out. A few actually took the package to a nearby police or fire station or back to the post office.
The mailing house was very embarrassed and apologized profusely for the errors in handling the mailing. They also paid for the follow-up letter we sent to everyone who had received the video, explaining the complications that had accompanied the mailing. In addition they lowered the cost on future video duplication to further emphasize their commitment to making up for the mess involved in the “Face the Truth” mailing.
It is our hope, in spite of the problems encountered in getting the Face the Truth video into the hands of our loyal supporters, that many of you will seriously consider organizing a Truth Tour. We have a great how-to booklet available, with details on all the aspects of coordinating a Face the Truth Tour—from selecting the sites to contacting the media to providing water to the participants. For a copy of the booklet, just call our office (773-777-2900) or email us (Scheidler@attglobal.net).
