Make sure order's correct

Dear Heloise: I work in the order department of a catalog company and have some important pointers to help people who are mailing in orders:

• Check your address. People forget to include their name and address or use address labels that were free but incorrect! We need to be able to read your address and have it be accurate.

• Use a blue or black ballpoint pen. Felt-tipped, glittered or gel pens are difficult to read.

• Include quantities. If you are ordering an item that comes in a set (e.g., two chairs, four plates — Heloise), order the quantity that you want to pay for. If you want a set of four, you order one set, not four.

• Don't forget to give us the color, style, size and personalization for each item. Look for information outlining your choices and how much space is allowed for names/etc. Make sure we can read the personalization and that it is spelled correctly (Heloise Hint: Print in block letters).

• Double-check your math. Don't try to "forget" shipping and handling. Does your state charge tax? Then check your math again.

• Give us a phone number so we can call you if we have a question on your order. We do not call our customers for any other reason.

• Now, before you put the order and check into the envelope, look one more time to make sure your name and address are listed correctly.

Thank you, and happy ordering! — Dottie, via e-mail

Dottie, I love your hints to help those of us, myself included, who order from catalogs via mail. My hint? I tear out the page (or pages) and the front or back cover that has the customer information. This is kept until my goodies arrive. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: I'm saving a lot of printing paper on my computer by keeping any paper that comes in the mail with print on one side only. I use the clean side to print my bank statements and anything that will be shredded anyway after a while. I might even be saving a few trees in the long run. — Max Seifert, Sun City, Ariz.

Max, some printers may not "like" the different thickness or texture of some papers, but it's worth a try! — Heloise

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Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to 1-210-435-6473 or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column. © King Features Syndicate Inc.