I’m curious… on average, what would you guys guestimate you pay to print and mail your reports? If you take into consideration color printing, paper, envelope, and postage, what would you guess? I imagine that a 10-15 page report will cost over $3-5 all told (particularly if you factor the run to the post office), but I could be wrong. Anyone got some numbers for me?
Thanks!
Used to do a binder report, about 25 pages, with tabs, color pictures, home manual and all the bells and whistles. Ended up costing about $25-$30 plus $5 to mail. Everything is email now. Saved over $3k so far this year by not printing and mailing. I offer it, only 2 have asked for the printed version.
Thats the ticket Stephen
We don’t do mailed reports in Massachusetts. Buyers want their report immediately on-site.
Here is a cost breakdown of my mailed report/binder. I put this together last year when I was doing my due diligence on mailing the report. While I still feel a mailed report in a nice binder can be considered a strong advertising tool for future business I don’t think it’s effectiveness warranted the continued use so I quit sending it unless the client requested a hard copy. I add $20 to the inspection fee if the binder is requested and I’ve only had two also in the past year that wanted it. One was a lady last week that was living in her motor home and didn’t have easy access to the internet nor a printer…I didn’t charge her the extra $20.
Binder Costs.pdf (12.4 KB)
I did about the same thing. I have gone to delivery by electronic means as standard pratice and offer a hard copy upon request with a $15 “document fee”. There are very few takers for the hard copy.
No document offered. Electronic only. Perhaps once a year
someone wants a hard copy mailed out.
All my reports from day one have been via PDF file attachment in an e-mail.
I’ve considered binders, etc., but have stayed away due to “Cost of Business”.
I’ve actually delivered 4 reports via hard-copy. Two where client did not have e-mail/internet and one client wanted two hard-copies due to timing and he was unable to get to a PC and the WWW along with a printer.
Helps keep the overhead ‘low’.
I send my report Electronic and Mail a hard copy. The reason I send them a hard copy, I am hoping they will file the report away, and if they need my service or know of someone in need of my service in the future they have my info.
I post my reports on my website as a pdf file and send an email to the client and if they wish their representative. Some agents were a bit concerned about not getting printed copies, but the added speed of delivery made it all worthwhile for them.
I use to deliver the reports in the email message itself, but a few individuals complained that it was too big and blocked their email download. When you put a link in an email they know what’s taking so much time, so I guess they don’t complain as much.
I have had one client in the past 18 months who asked for a printed report. They didn’t have a phone or internet connection, and were not allowed to print anything at the internet computers at the library.
Ditto. I’ve mailed one hard copy this year.
I mail a hard copy when asked, which is about twice per year. Sometimes someone will have a PC but will not have internet access yet. For those folks, I offer them a CD with the PDF report on it. They seem to like having that (and it costs me much less than printing paper).
To answer your question, I would guess that my average report, about 35 pages, costs me about $.30/page to print and $3.00 to mail. About $10 - $15 total. I hate mailing reports.
I send a binder and hard copy, Picture CD. Mail it. Total cost come to about $15, Email same, cover it on the phone when the customer has time. Charge it up to providing good business. Only for out of state customers. All other’s must come to the inspection and listen to explain the report, then they get the binder and copy and CD for free.
Done this many of times…USPS 8.95 one rate mailer. And no!! I do not charge extra for the mailing.