Mailing returns

If a birthday card or newsletter is returned, what is the workflow?
  1. Find the respondent by searching for their name or address in the Add/Edit Records screen.
  2. Click on their Resp ID in the toolbar to jump to their dashboard.
    sidebar resp ID
  3. You will see a mailings column. If there are already traced returns for this person, you will see a red icon; if not, it will be a blank circle.
    Mailings example circles
  4. If the item you want to add has a blank circle, just click that circle to add a new entry. If it has a red circle, or a bunch of filled-circles, click the plus (+) icon to add a new entry.
  5. For newsletters, fill out a nickname for the newsletter and an approximate newsletter sent date. For birthday cards, enter the date that the card labels were generated... or close.
  6. If new information was provided with the return:
    1. Choose "New information provided".
    2. Save the form, leaving "update complete" empty or set to "No".
    3. Now, go forward with the edit; if it is an address change, go to the Tracking instrument and update that. If it is a last name change, you will need to use the Sensitive fields workflow.
    4. Once the edit is completed, you can go back to that mailing entry by clicking on the icons in the respondent dashboard like before.
    5. Set "Update complete" to yes, and save.
  7. If tracing is required, or no information is available:
    1. Choose "No information/Tracing needed".
    2. Save the form, leaving "update complete" empty or set to "No".
    3. Do the necessary research to try to locate updated information in Lexis-Nexis, etc.
    4. Once the edit is completed, you can go back to that mailing entry by clicking on the icons in the respondent dashboard like before.
    5. Choose either "Tracing done, no new information" or "Tracing done, new information found".
    6. Set "Update complete" to yes, and save.
  8. If this is a suspected decedent:
    1. Choose "Decedent".
    2. Save the form, leaving "update complete" empty or set to "No".
    3. Now, go forward with the edit. You will need to use the Sensitive fields workflow.
    4. Once the edit is completed, you can go back to that mailing entry by clicking on the icons in the respondent dashboard like before.
    5. Set "update complete", and save.

Keywords:
birthday,newsletter 
Doc ID:
156351
Owned by:
Dan F. in MIDUS Admin DB
Created:
2025-10-27
Updated:
2026-02-13
Sites:
MIDUS Admin DB