Drop… Kick… Deliver!
September 21, 2011
If some of your customers hesitate to have food gifts shipped across the country to their customers or employees, chances are they’ve received one or more damaged packages in recent years.
Each year, after we’ve identified our new products for the Fall, the Packaging Team begins the process of selecting packing and shipping materials for each new product. Their mandate is to ensure each package arrives in pristine condition at the customer’s door.
Here are the steps we take to avoid mangled, melted, or misshapen boxes.
The Drop-and-Kick Tests. Yes, we do in fact drop boxes, typically from 6 or 7 feet in the air. We drop them from a number of angles to test the integrity of the sides and corners. (It’s a fun activity. Some of our employees don Green Bay Packers apparel and pretend they are kicking field goals.)
The Vibration Test. Imagine a box with a jigsaw puzzle inside. You can shake it up, down and sideways without the pieces getting damaged, right? We make certain the pieces we ship can withstand similar shaking.
The Transit Test. We ship the new package to a few of our sales reps far, far away – in the southwest, northeast, and southeast. We then instruct them to return the package to determine if we need to make adjustments to the inside or outside materials. (We aren’t keen on dings or dents, either.)
The Heat Test. We learned long ago how to ship perishables to ensure they remain temperature-safe. For instance, let’s say you have a customer who wants a package of English Butter Toffee and milk chocolate-covered almonds to arrive at their customer’s office in Miami the week of November 7. We’ll ship the package on a Friday so it sits in a cool Midwest UPS or FEDEX hub/warehouse over the weekend. For the remainder of its journey, the package will travel in a climate-controlled vehicle.
Another example: Our new Cheesecakes are shipped frozen. To test transit time, we packed the Sampler in three different boxes – one with 1” of insulation and 8 pounds of ice; one with 2” of insulation and 4 pounds of ice; and one with 2” of insulation and 2 pounds of ice. Then we placed the boxes in a closed car during the summer and parked the car in direct sunlight. Using remote thermostats, we recorded box temperatures daily. Based on how the package handled the heat, we determined the time we can allow for shipping the box. (To learn more about shipping of the Cheesecake Sampler, click here.)
Each food item on our website includes details about shipping and storage of the item.
Each year, after we’ve identified our new products for the Fall, the Packaging Team begins the process of selecting packing and shipping materials for each new product. Their mandate is to ensure each package arrives in pristine condition at the customer’s door.
Here are the steps we take to avoid mangled, melted, or misshapen boxes.
The Drop-and-Kick Tests. Yes, we do in fact drop boxes, typically from 6 or 7 feet in the air. We drop them from a number of angles to test the integrity of the sides and corners. (It’s a fun activity. Some of our employees don Green Bay Packers apparel and pretend they are kicking field goals.)
The Vibration Test. Imagine a box with a jigsaw puzzle inside. You can shake it up, down and sideways without the pieces getting damaged, right? We make certain the pieces we ship can withstand similar shaking.
The Transit Test. We ship the new package to a few of our sales reps far, far away – in the southwest, northeast, and southeast. We then instruct them to return the package to determine if we need to make adjustments to the inside or outside materials. (We aren’t keen on dings or dents, either.)
The Heat Test. We learned long ago how to ship perishables to ensure they remain temperature-safe. For instance, let’s say you have a customer who wants a package of English Butter Toffee and milk chocolate-covered almonds to arrive at their customer’s office in Miami the week of November 7. We’ll ship the package on a Friday so it sits in a cool Midwest UPS or FEDEX hub/warehouse over the weekend. For the remainder of its journey, the package will travel in a climate-controlled vehicle.
Another example: Our new Cheesecakes are shipped frozen. To test transit time, we packed the Sampler in three different boxes – one with 1” of insulation and 8 pounds of ice; one with 2” of insulation and 4 pounds of ice; and one with 2” of insulation and 2 pounds of ice. Then we placed the boxes in a closed car during the summer and parked the car in direct sunlight. Using remote thermostats, we recorded box temperatures daily. Based on how the package handled the heat, we determined the time we can allow for shipping the box. (To learn more about shipping of the Cheesecake Sampler, click here.)
Each food item on our website includes details about shipping and storage of the item.
