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COVER STORY
Special Delivery
Getting custom window treatments from here
to there is rarely routine.
The horror stories are many and well known. Expensive, custom window
treatments arrive damaged, boxes ripped open, parts missing. Or
the cartons are large—too bulky and too heavy to be managed
easily by a normal-size person. Or when shipping products out extra
charges are added to the same box because it is now oversized—oversized
by the carrier’s definition.
The bad examples are easy to remember and the stories get told and
retold. Yet, there probably are many more window treatment dealers
and workrooms who will attest to the fact that fabricators, suppliers
and third-party carriers do a commendable job ensuring quick, reliable
delivery with all the necessary parts included. Technology has helped,
too. Online tracking of orders and shipments is a convenience that
keeps everyone informed along the way. Most of the time, things
go smoothly—as they should.
The fact of the matter is that in the custom window treatments industry,
with so many shipments of varying sizes, weights and complexities,
getting products from Point A to Point B is rarely routine, and
those whose responsibilities include packaging and shipping take
it very seriously.
RELIABLE, TIMELY, CAREFUL
Most industry manufacturers and suppliers rely on third-party parcel
shipping and delivery services, such as United Parcel Service (UPS)
and Federal Express (FedEx), which for the most part are reliable,
timely and careful. In addition, many manufacturers use their own
trucks.
One of the industry’s largest independent manufacturers and
fabricators, Lafayette Interior Fashions, operates its own fleet
of delivery trucks and runs regular delivery schedules. Lafayette’s
Leslie Bedrock explains that it’s part of the company’s
ultimate objective of providing its customers with a satisfying
experience from the point of order entry to delivery.
“Controlling our own fleet of trucks is part of our central
strategy, and offering free delivery has been a core value from
the day of our conception,” Bedrock states. “This value
is still something we hold to very proudly. Our trucks are reliable
and maintain a consistent delivery schedule, allowing our customers
to take comfort that their orders will arrive in a timely manner.”
For suppliers, much—if not more—emphasis is placed on
packaging to ensure products arrive undamaged and whole. Scott Smith,
president, Hunter Douglas Fabricator Division, says, “We spend
a lot of time on packaging and have invested in packaging technology
to ensure speedy and safe delivery. It is a significant focus.”
“We have engineers throughout our organization working on
packaging—and test our packaging internally as well as with
UPS,” Smith adds.
Joy Belue, shipping manager, ADO, says good packaging requires extra
effort. “You do not cut corners on packaging material,”
she says. “Just like in draperies, you get what you pay for.
You may have to spend a little more.
PACKING TIPS
Just about everyone responsible for shipping items across town or
across the country agree on basic tips for packing items for shipment.
Things like:
• Use a new box whenever possible
• Do not exceed the maximum gross weight limit of the box
• Cushion items inside
• Close properly (do not use string)
• Label correctly
• Check with specific carriers for special instructions for
unusual items.
On their Web sites, individual carriers offer more detailed
tips:
United Parcel Service (UPS):
• Make sure the box is rigid and in excellent condition with
no punctures, tears, rips, corner damage and that all flaps are
intact.
• Wrap each item separately.
• Each item should be surrounded by at least two inches of
cushioning and be placed at least two inches away from the walls
of the box.
• To close a box securely, do not use masking tape, cellophane
tape, duct tape, string or paper over-wrap. Use a strong tape—two
inches or more in width.
• Fabric and rolled goods should be shipped in corrugated
boxes for best results. If shipped in a bag, use a bag with a minimum
thickness of six mils.
Federal Express (FedEx)
• Center contents in sturdy box surrounded by cushioning (bubble
wrap, “peanuts” or foam pads).
• Cushion fragile items inside one box, then put into a larger
box.
• Do not wrap the outer box with paper.
• Cover sharp or protruding edges with taped corrugated panels
or pads.
eBay:
• Use proper labeling that includes complete delivery and
return address information. Make sure to place a duplicate label
inside the box. Remove or cross out any old labels or markings on
a used box.
• Keep in mind that the maximum gross weight of a used box
may have diminished through wear and tear.
• If a fabric roll is shipped in a bag, make sure the bag
is tightly wrapped and taped to reduce the risk of tearing. Place
duplicate labels inside core or between top layers of material.
DHL:
• Do not consider “Fragile” and “Handle
With Care” labels as a substitute for careful packaging. They
are only appropriate for information purposes.for a quality product
such as a heavyweight box or thicker mil polybag, but you save in
the long run with lower damage costs and ensure that materials arrive
in as good a shape as possible.
For dealers and workrooms, the situation is more complicated because
they are on the receiving end of deliveries and often must deliver
finished products to the end-user as well. Packing product ready
to install and delivering it to a homeowner is a fine art. Most
dealers use their own trucks or vans, handling each piece by themselves.
But even workrooms that have the designer or decorator pick up the
draperies must keep proper packaging and handling in mind.
D&WC contributing writer, Kitty Stein, a 29-year veteran of
the drapery workroom industry, says in her business everything was
wrapped in plastic before it left the workroom. “If we had
to fold, we put cardboard tubes in the folds to eliminate some of
the creases. We fan-folded all pinch pleat draperies and bound them
with paper tape.”
Carl Movrich, Drapery Connection, Hinsdale, IL, makes a presentation
out of delivering a custom drapery to a homeowner. The panels are
carried in by the installer on hangers, wrapped in protective plastic
and covered in a velvet cape with bullion fringe and the company’s
logo on it.
THE EXTRAS
When it comes to delivering the goods, many suppliers will go the
extra mile—sometimes literally. “We adapt to the customer’s
priorities,” says Hunter Douglas’ Smith. “We are
focused on the customer and can move the product as quickly as needed.”
Speed is a valuable extra. “On-time is very important,”
Smith adds. “Customers often need our products as soon as
they can get them. We do everything possible to make this time as
short as possible.”
ADO’s Belue says, “We ship within 24 hours from the
time the order is taken for fabric orders. This is one of the fastest
in the industry. We also take great care in researching new ways
to pack our products to find the methods that will best ensure delivery
of products in good order.”
Steve Walton, Shades of the Future, Beaverton, OR, praises the use
of triangular-shaped boxes. Not only does the shape prevent long,
narrow packages from bending, it uses less cardboard.
Running a company-owned fleet of trucks provides extra benefits.
For example, Hunter Douglas trucks will pick up blinds for repair
during regular delivery schedules, and Smith notes that many of
its company drivers have keys to dealers’ stores so that they
can deliver product even when the dealer is not there.
As far as parts go, Smith says Hunter Douglas pre-packages parts
so there is much less chance of a part missing. The packaging also
includes a list of everything that is in it so customers know all
the parts are included and can easily find and identify them.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Experience is the best teacher and those who have been in the window
coverings industry for any length of time have tips to offer when
it comes to shipping and receiving.
One of the best is to get to know your delivery driver personally.
If a driver knows what he’s handling and understands its vulnerability,
he’s likely to take more care in delivering it. Establishing
a regular delivery time is also a great help—you will know
when to expect a delivery and the driver will know you will be there
to accept it.
It’s also important to take time to learn your suppliers’
shipping policies—from order turnaround to how product is
shipped and what to do and who is responsible if product arrives
damaged or with missing parts.
When sending out boxes it often is less expensive to go directly
to a carrier’s distribution center rather than a standalone
mail store as found in many strip malls. Although many of these
stores are actually owned by the carriers, they operate as profit
centers and may charge more.
Find out if you are shipping to a commercial or a residential address.
Often, larger and heavier boxes can be sent to commercial addresses
for lower charges than to a residence.
Walton brings a bit of do-it-yourself to the area of receiving packages.
His prime shutter supplier is Woodfold/Marco, about a half hour
drive away, and so he goes right to dock to pickup his shutters.
Not only does this save Walton time and money, but he can eliminate
much of the container packaging that otherwise would be required,
which saves the shipper money.
It’s also important to talk to your insurance agent. A lot
can happen while on the way to a client’s home. Don Leggett,
Advanced Risk Management, Inc., Tampa, FL, says dealers and workrooms
that deliver product should ask about an “installer’s
floater” that will cover damage that can occur should an accident
happen. Leggett says that in most cases, once a dealer accepts delivery
of a product from the manufacturer, it belongs to the dealer and
not the end-user until it is actually installed in the home—even
if the customer has paid a deposit or paid in full in advance.
Another good tip is to inspect packages immediately and always check
them before leaving for a customer’s home to make sure everything
is there, undamaged and really ready to install.
PACKAGING WASTE
When all is said and done—or rather, opened and unpacked—there
remains the “peanuts,” rigid foam, paper and cardboard.
And it’s a bigger problem than one might guess.
California started initiatives to promote efficient packaging to
reduce waste about 10 years ago. The state’s Integrated Waste
Management Board reports that every year Californians generate 66
million tons of solid waste, of which approximately one third (22
million tons!) is packaging. Because landfill space is limited,
the state’s retailers and manufacturers have been urged to
work together to reduce packaging waste. The board offered a few
simple ideas: eliminate packaging, reduce packaging, design refillable
or reusable packages, and produce recyclable packages and packages
made of recycled materials.
Fabricators may struggle with how much packing is enough. They want
to ensure undamaged deliveries, yet overreacting makes for packages
that are hard to open and create more waste. “Disposing of
debris in Oregon is expensive,” Walton says. “There
are both financial and environmental reasons to recycle.”
Mailing stores may accept used bubble wrap, plastic air pillows
and foam peanuts as long as they are clean. Walton says he throws
bubble wrap into a garbage bag and when it’s full exchanges
it for an empty bag at a local mailing center. “All cardboard,
box stiffeners and paper wrapping is recycled. My recycling center
now accepts polybag. I take the time to sort debris after an installation
and I recycle almost all packaging,” Walton says.
The most common exception to recycling is rigid plastic foam, which
either is not accepted or requires a fee to recycle. Perhaps this
industry’s next big innovation won’t be a new product,
but a new way to protect the ones it ships.”
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