Among their core responsibilities, BSW Heating support annual service appointments for boilers and heating systems. These appointments are arranged on behalf of housing providers, councils and landlords, with residents needing clear, timely communication about when the visit will take place and why it is required.
Service appointment letters are created and sent, usually around two weeks before the visit, to make residents aware of the appointment date and time. These letters often carry the client’s branding, helping residents recognise who the communication relates to, while clearly explaining the purpose of the appointment and any legal requirements.
In many cases, these letters form part of important compliance processes. If access is not provided after the required number of attempts, the process may escalate depending on the contract and client requirements. This makes accuracy, clarity and consistency essential.
Before deciding to outsource to a print provider, BSW used an in-house letter inserter and franking machine. However, the equipment was becoming increasingly unreliable and was no longer practical to maintain. With replacement equipment costs, BSW began reviewing the market for a more efficient outsourced mailing solution.
BSW began working with CFH and the Docmail system in April 2025, following a disappointing experience with a previous supplier. The partnership began after BSW’s Contact Centre Supervisor submitted an enquiry through the CFH website, looking for a more reliable and efficient way to manage customer correspondence.
From the initial enquiry, the relationship was managed by a member of CFH’s Business Development team with the Customer Service Manager at BSW, with training and onboarding supported by the dedicated Docmail Training Manager. This gave BSW a clear understanding of how Docmail could fit into their existing workflow, while providing the practical support needed to begin managing bulk mailings through the simple-to-use system.
BSW utilise the Docmail Print Driver, a hybrid mail system that allows the team to send batches of documents quickly as part of their existing workflow. The Print Driver works in a similar way to an office printer, but instead of printing on site, documents are sent securely to CFH’s production facility. From there, they are simply printed, enclosed and posted on BSW’s behalf.
A key part of the solution is the use of saved profiles within Docmail. These profiles allow pre-defined print and mailing settings to be created for regular document types, such as service appointment letters, one-page certificates and two-page certificates that are distributed following completed safety checks.
For BSW, this made the process quicker, clearer and more consistent. Instead of manually selecting the same options each time, users can choose the relevant saved profile and continue with greater confidence that the correct settings are being used.
Docmail is primarily used by BSW Heating’s night shift team, who manage the bulk uploads during out-of-hours periods. As their Subject Matter Expert, BSW’s Customer Service Manager audits the uploads and will complete the process in the event of team absence.
For both the certificates and the utility service letters, the team use both the Docmail Print Driver and the Docmail website. Particularly for the service letters, the team need to send additional sheets and Docmail allows them to combine the pages to reduce the count of sheets when sending them to the residents.
As part of the upload process, Docmail’s address validation functionality helps users identify potential issues before items are sent. When addresses are added, each record is assigned a validation symbol, indicating whether it qualifies for standard postage, requires further checking, is suitable for secure electronic delivery, or relates to an overseas address.
This gives teams the opportunity to review and amend address data where needed, helping to reduce the risk of surcharges, returned mail or avoidable mailing costs. BSW Heating utilise this address verification functionality as part of their mailing process, with the team aiming to achieve as many verified addresses as possible to support accuracy, manage costs and reduce the likelihood of errors.
To support consistency across the team, BSW Heating have also created an internal Docmail process guide, complete with screenshots and step-by-step instructions. This guide outlines how to open the application, upload documents, select the correct templates, review mailing details and complete each mailing accurately.
Since moving to Docmail, BSW have created a clearer and more reliable process for managing essential bulk mailings. The team can send service appointment letters and certificate records efficiently, all while still retaining the control needed to manage important resident communications on behalf of clients.
Extremely happy with the service received, BSW’s Customer Service Manager described the positive impact Docmail has had on the team’s day-to-day process, explaining that “Docmail is just easier.” She highlighted how staff can “send documents through the print driver, select the right options and use saved profiles to make the process clearer for the team.”
The move away from ageing in-house equipment has helped BSW avoid the challenges of maintaining or replacing unreliable inserting and franking machinery. Instead, the team can upload documents through Docmail, select the correct profile and manage the mailing process with greater confidence.
Whenever guidance has been needed, the Docmail support team have helped with settings, process questions and general advice, giving BSW confidence that a helping hand is available when required.
Looking ahead, BSW plan to build on this progress by training more members of the team and increasing familiarity with the Docmail Print Driver across the wider organisation. As mailing volumes continue to grow naturally, this will help ensure more users are confident in managing uploads, selecting the correct profiles and following the right process.
Docmail has made the process much easier for the team. We can send batches of documents through the Print Driver and use saved profiles for regular communications, such as one-page certificates, two-page certificates and service letters. Because many of our uploads are completed overnight, having a clear, consistent process has been really important. It helps the team choose the right settings, work more confidently and manage essential resident communications more efficiently.
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Customer Service Manager, BSW Heating
