Client Background

Superior Nut Company started back in 1929 in Somerville, Massachusetts. Dedicated to providing high quality, small batch roasted nuts, dried fruits and nut butters; they operate a very successful online store.

The Problem

Shipping temperature sensitive products was always a challenge. In the summer, chocolate covered nuts and fruits proved especially bothersome. When the destination was out of the shipping zone, they needed to be shipped next day or second day with special insulation and ice gels. Inability to block inappropriate shipping methods and add the necessary fees for expedited shipping and specialty packing materials from the checkout page on temperature sensitive items was a problem. The customer service department had to go through every order and put temperature sensitive items on hold while they called the customer to have them change the shipping method. This was very time consuming and bothersome for employees and customers.

The Solution

We added a shipping module that communicates with the Weather Channel and checks the weather for the origin and destination locations. If the temperature threshold is exceeded in either location or the destination is out of area, invalid shipping methods are automatically blocked and extra fees are added to cover the specialized packing materials.

What the client has to say

“At times we have had orders that shipped the wrong shipping method which has resulted in the chocolate melting, the customer calling back and complaining and us having to re-ship the product. It got to the point where as a company we decided to stop shipping perishable items in the summer.  All these problems came to an end when we started using the module based on the temperature and the ship to location, the customer can only pick from select shipping methods.”

How often do you wait to make a change until everything seems perfect? Or, maybe you agonize over the decision forever- running over all possible scenarios while delaying the inevitable.

So why would some of us rather jump off a cliff-into shark infested waters than shake up the status quo? We all have goals and dreams and we aren’t going to get anywhere near them without making some kind of change. We should live for change-crave it-seek it out instead of hiding in the corner from it.

So what’s the culprit? Good old fear. Fear of losing it all and making a mistake of such magnitude our lives will be ruined. Fear of making a fool of ourselves. Fear of losing something  you love. Fear of the unknown. Fear of change.

Fear that if every variable isn’t perfect, you will fail.

One of the most annoying things is when you get sick just before a vacation. You’ve taken time off work, booked your trip and are looking forward to much needed R&R. The countdown has begun, you are a few days away from bliss and…you get that old familiar feeling. Tickling throat, headache-maybe you’re acting grumpy for no reason. Then you realize,”Oh (expletive!) I’m getting sick!”

Vacation ruined? I don’t think so.

Fast forward 6 months, a year-what do you remember? I’m willing to bet you barely remember the sick part. Sure, it may be  a vague part of your memory, but when it’s all said and done, it makes no difference. You have your memories, you relaxed-somehow your stuffy nose and headache doesn’t seem so earth shattering.

The key is to remember that in the moment. Don’t let the lack of  perfection get in the way of your good time-or your life. That isn’t to say preparation and planning aren’t important, they are-but don’t plan yourself into oblivion.  At some point you need to dive in head first trusting in yourself-knowing you’re on your way.

What have you been waiting to tackle?

Last summer I was fortunate enough to have my closest friends travel from all over the country to attend my wedding. The next evening, we all went to a baseball game where our home team lost miserably. With the star pitcher on the mound and about 20 of our closest friends there to share our favorite activity, they blew it. It wasn’t just a loss-it was a beating.

A couple hours later, a few of us were walking through the hotel lobby after a post game get together. I turned and spotted our home team coach sitting alone. During the season, he calls this particular hotel home so I was hoping for a sighting. Very excitedly, I did a few double takes to make sure I was seeing right and tried to casually alert the others to his presence. He saw the whole spectacle; there was no one else in sight.

I had a decision to make at that moment. Do I keep walking or do I walk over to a man I admire who surely wants nothing more to be left alone? We kept walking. I thought I was doing the right thing, respecting his privacy, giving him a break from the public eye. But, I regret that decision to this day. I’ve thought about it a million times since. Why couldn’t we have just walked up with words of support and encouragement or just to shake the hands of a legend?

I felt that our presence was a reminder of his failure, but I’m pretty sure I over thought it. Although the source for all your inspiration and everything else in life, your mind is also the primary source of the roadblocks you encounter. How many opportunities do we miss on a daily basis because we were over analyzing or over thinking? How does that add up over a lifetime?

I suspect it is a survival instinct that usually does more harm than good for us “evolved” humans. That “fight or flight” that comes at the most inopportune times-a first date, a job interview, maybe your wedding? While inconvenient, it does present an opportunity to learn something, to stretch your limits-to push yourself into new territory.

It’s understood that to break out of a mental block you need to change your surroundings for a few minutes. Stand up, move around, get the blood flowing. This forces your brain into a new thought pattern-enables it to process ideas in a new way.

What could happen if you made a practice of that in your daily life? If you pushed yourself bit by bit out of your comfort zone. Imagine what you could accomplish. Don’t you think it would be incredibly liberating and exhilarating? It would make you realize how invincible and capable you are. It can also feel pretty impossible-but it really isn’t.

So, how do you take the first step? Easy, just shut your mind up and do it. Ignore the nagging, the self-doubting scared voice and put one foot in front of the other.  Oh, and don’t look back. You will never be the same again-and you won’t want to be. You may think about the time you may have wasted, but don’t let that get you down. Just remember those days are gone forever.

Who doesn’t love springtime? Maybe if you suffer from allergies, but even then, you still  have to admit it’s pretty amazing.  It’s such a time of renewal and promise. Increasing daylight, flowers, trees,  it’s all so energizing. It makes you feel like anything is possible. Many people revisit their New Year’s fitness resolutions, rethink an old idea or just try to make more time for their families. Are you making time for what matters to you, or do you find yourself spending too much time on minuscule details?

Shipping can be a time-drainer, particularly if you ship a wide range of sizes or weights resulting in complex dimensional weight issues. That doesn’t even take into consideration drop shipping or climate controlled items. Even if you don’t have to worry about any of these special situations, there are still instances when a customer will choose an invalid shipping option which only slows down delivery and causes confusion. This results in wasted company time while you or your employees modify or cancel orders.

Maybe your shipping runs flawlessly and you have other areas you need to streamline, but if not, maybe it’s time to consider a more advanced shipping system. With its range of features and unique rate calculations, the first version of the Advanced Shipping Manger has been winning people over for almost 5 years. Now, we are proud to announce the arrival of Version 2.

To introduce V2 and the accompanying website, we will be holding a webinar on Wednesday, May 5^th at 2PM ET.

We hope you will join KingWebmaster founders George Chityat and Dan Rotem to learn how the new features and increased control can help you streamline and perfect how you handle shipping. Please take a moment to sign-up. Since it is all about saving you time and money we will keep it short and to the point,  about 15 minutes.

Read what our customers have to say about the Advanced Shipping Manager.