The AMPC staff wishes you all the best for the Holiday Season…

Transcription

mpc
Vol. 12 Issue
9 | Nov./Dec.
2010
Formerly
News
&
Ideas
$8.95
today
www.ampc.org
Follow AMPC on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ampctoday
The voice of the mail & parcel industry since 1982
Mark your calendar now for this valuable once-a-year event…
Vendor Expo,
RSi Classes,
Networking,
and Profit Ideas
The AMPC staff wishes you all
the best for the Holiday Season…
USPS Approved Shipper Program Reopens
2
by Jim Kitzmiller
Troubleshooting
6
by Teri Bayus
The Value of Association
16
by Don Yaeger
The New Fotozoomer Design Center
18
by Eric Steadham
If You Think Training’s Expensive…
22
by David Shappee
2010 Carrier Holiday Schedule & Guarantees
26
Information from
AMPC Headquarters
Our Mission is to provide our
members the opportunities for
success through advocacy,
education, resources, research,
and programs.
We do this by:
Working with advocacy groups
and representing the members
to vendors.
Conducting educational classes
through the Retail Shipping
Institute (RSi) at Regional
Events (Mini-Conventions),
and National Events, such as
the National Convention in
Memphis to be held on June
23rd–26th, 2011.
Providing business support through the collective
experience of our members and the Mail & Parcel
Center Knowledgebase: The
Packipedia.
Conducting studies from information collected about those
on both sides of the counter.
Providing programs and vendor discounts with the specific
intention of increasing each
member’s profit.
Our job is your success…
2 – MPC Today | November/December 2010 | www.ampc.org
er
We Deliv
Success!
Jim Kitzmiller
AMPC Executive Director
The USPS Approved Shipper Program is
now open again for new applications. The USPS suspended
the program last January for improvements.
So why be a USPS Approved Shipper? What do you get?
Beyond the Commercial Plus Pricing, the official USPS
Approved signage, and the daily pickup, the number of
stores that become USPS Approved Shippers will have an
impact on how the Postal Service views the mail and parcel
industry.
All new applicants must use a PC Postage vendor such as
Endicia or Stamps.com to process mail, and I believe that
eventually all existing Approved Shippers will be required
to do the same. The reason for the requirement is that the
USPS can measure the volume we do through PC Postage.
The metrics collected by the USPS through these vendors
will provide good data for the Retail Department to present
to the higher management within the USPS. This information will be used to prove the value of the program. The
more value we have, the more the USPS will consider the
mail and parcel industry a partner and possible solution to
many current and impending problems.
Current USPS Approved Shippers will not have to use PC
Postage at this time.
To apply for the USPS Approved Shipper program visit
AMPC.org > Programs > USPS Approved Shipper
and access the link on the right. Print the form to enter the
information and email or mail it to:
Email:
[email protected]
Mail:
HQ Approved Shipper Program
475 L’Enfant Plaza
SW Room 4801
Washington, DC 20260-5013
mpc
today
www.ampc.org
The voice of the mail & parcel industry since 1982
A Publication of
Associated Mail & Parcel Centers
FOUNDER, JIM BAER
PAST PRESIDENT, CHARMAINE FENNIE
past chairman & CEO, Lowell Fennie
2011 AMPC
National Convention
June 23–26, 2011
Memphis, Tennessee
Save the dates and join us in Memphis,
Tennessee. You do not want to miss this once-ayear opportunity to gather with your peers!
Vendor Expo, RSi Classes,
Networking, and more profit ideas.
Midnight FedEx Hub Tour, FedEx-hosted pig
roast, UPS-hosted luncheon, Memphis tours
(Beale Street, Sun Records, Graceland, etc.),
a night out on the town, a trip to the Tunica
Casinos, and lots of fun.
Whispering
Woods Convention Center.
Room Rates are $82 at
www.wwconferencecenter.com
Free airport shuttle, free parking, free internet.
Watch for sign up information…
Board of directors:
chairman/director Craig Steblay
vice chairman/director, Sarah Rohde
Treasurer/director, Dub Johnson
secretary/director, Jim Kitzmiller
director, Jeff Ballantyne
director, Arnie Goldstein
5411 E State St., Suite 207 | Rockford, IL 61108
phone:
800.365.2672
815.316.8255
fax:
866.314.2672
815.316.8256
AMPC Web site: www.ampc.org
Executive Director, Jim Kitzmiller
EDITOR, Ellen Peters, [email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:
Teri Bayus | Jim Kitzmiller | David Shappee
Eric Steadham | Don Yaeger
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: MPC Today is distributed monthly to
members of Associated Mail & Parcel Centers by standard mail.
Non-members may subscribe by calling 800.365.2672.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING and/or AMPC Supplier Member information:
Contact [email protected]
815-978-2391
PERMISSIONS: Materials in this publication may not be
reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for reprint
permission should be directed to [email protected].
AMPC INC. STAFF & SERVICES DIRECTORY
Executive Director, Jim Kitzmiller, [email protected]
Questions?
Associated Mail & Parcel Centers
has trained staff available to answer
questions regarding your membership.
Please call Member Services at
800-365-2672
Monday – Friday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm - Central Time
Email: [email protected]
General Manager, BRYAN BUFORD, [email protected]
Legal counsel, mark alcorn, [email protected]
Director of Operations, Kim Conboy, [email protected]
Director of Member Store Marketing, Marty Johnson, [email protected]
AMPC FREIGHT DIRECTOR, JEFF BALLANTYNE, [email protected]
DIRECTOR of IT, zack kitzmiller, [email protected]
DIRECTOR, EX OFFICIO, David Shappee, [email protected]
ASSOCIATED MAIL & PARCEL CENTERS
Copyright 2010 by Associated Mail & Parcel Centers
All Rights Reserved. Trademarks AMPC and MPC Today used
under license from Associated Mail & Parcel Centers
MPC Today | November/December 2010 | www.ampc.org – 3
For current news you can use log
on to ampc.org daily…
Read comments from your peers
& post some of your own!
Web Page File Upload Feature
The AMPC Premium Member web pages have a file
upload feature that lets you place large files on our server
for you or your customers to access. For an example, see
www.parceldepot.com > About > lower right.
USPS Retail Reps
An updated list of USPS District Retail Representatives
have been added to the USPS Approved Shipper page in
the Packipedia: http://www.ampc.org/wiki/images/8/89/
District_Retail_contacts.pdf
Interested in Bulk Mail?
Are you new or a beginner with offering Direct Mail services? The Post Office has some great educational tools
you can take advantage of, not the least of which is their
interactive Business Mail 101 site.
This web site will walk you through all of the key decision points in making a mailing. It contains terms and
tips that give you common sense advice for making the
most of your mailing. Check the site out here: http://
pe.usps.com/businessmail101/
Mouthy Customers
I recently had a MPC owner tell me a horror story about
finding a clip on You Tube of an ex-employee complaining about how terrible the store was. He didn’t find the
clip until years after it had been posted.
Customers today have the ability to spread word of
mouth faster than ever. If my wife is in a slow checkout
line at the grocery store, she can post a negative review
of that business to her twitter account a heck of a lot
faster than the poor checkout person can figure out that
the code for bananas is 4011.
You may not use many of the popular social networking
tools like Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and others, but your
customers do. The least you should do is take advantage of tracking tools like Google Alerts and Tweetdeck.
Check out this article from Megan Berry about 5 Tips
for Dealing With Complaints on Twitter http://
mashable.com/2010/08/13/twitter-complaints-tips/ for
more information about nipping negative customer feedback in the bud. –Bryan Buford
USPS: 3-Day Delivery?
Several months ago, AMPC went out to Washington D.C.
and met with both the PRC and the USPS. Part of our
conversation was dominated by the recent push by the
Post Office to move to 5-day delivery.
At the time of our visit, the PRC was researching the
request and noted that it was not a new idea or request.
Back in the 80s, the Postmaster General had discussed
3-day delivery. In fact, it was that discussion that helped
propel Congress to add the line to the budget mandating
the Post Office to provide the same level of service (read:
6-day delivery).
The Post Office is currently asking Congress to remove
that line, and that had some level of concern for the
PRC. Theoretically, should that line be removed the Post
Office could go to any number of delivery days it desired.
All this to post a link to an article on the USPS Office of
the Inspector General’s Blog site. An article discussing
the many, many positives of 3-day delivery. You can read
that article at http://blog.uspsoig.gov/?p=4099.
Print Shop Website Widget Added
A new widget has been added to the AMPC Premium
Web Pages. Add this banner to your AMPC Website and
it will link to your Branded Print Shop Web Page. Go
to www.ampc.org > Sign In > My Stores > Widgets >
Printshop Branded Website > Install
To see an example go to www.parceldepot.com.
Business Card Design
This link is to a short post about some aspects of
Business Card design: www.scottkelby.com/blog/2010/
archives/13395#more-13395
Free Marketing Videos
Guerrilla Marketing International has developed some
interesting marketing videos that they are offering free.
http://gmarketingtraining.com/video1/
http://gmarketingtraining.com/gmarketingweapons/
http://gmarketingtraining.com/7stepmarketingplan/
Postmaster General Potter to Retire
After nearly 10 years as U.S. Postmaster General and
CEO of the U.S. Postal Service, John E. Potter will retire
on Dec. 3, after 32 years of service.
The Governors of the Postal Service named Patrick R.
Donahoe, currently Deputy Postmaster General and
Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Potter. Potter’s
accomplishments include: Eliminating more than $20
billion in costs during the last 10 years, with cumulative
savings of more than $50 billion. Building a leaner, more
flexible workforce and increasing efficiency and productivity through technology and the expansion of automation in mail processing and delivery.
Charmaine Fennie Scholarship Fund
Donation Drive Giveaway!
The Charmaine M. Fennie Memorial Scholarship Fund
was established in 2003 in memory of the owner and
president of Associated Mail and Parcel Centers, Inc.
Thank you to all who donated recently for the Scholarship!
We are going to start a giveaway for your generous donations. Each
month we will give away a prize to one lucky person who donates.
October’s prize was a model UPS Double Feeder Truck. All names go
into a hat and we draw one name at the end of the month. There is
no minimum donation for entry and only one entry per person.
$7,500
Any donation, big or small, will help students of AMPC Members go
to college.
How To apply:
The Scholarship is available to students of AMPC Members at the
Classic level and above. Your graduate can apply for the Charmaine
Fennie Scholarship by filling out a Student Application (www.ampc.
org/wiki/images/b/bf/Scholarship.pdf).
$2,383
How to Donate:
AMPC is proud to support its members. A donation of only $5.00
would go along way to help more students go to college.
The Charmaine M. Fennie Memorial Sch
memory of the owner and president of A
Participation in this cause is easy. You can make a donation on our Fennie was an accomplished business lea
website at www.ampc.org > Shop > AMPC. Or, you can mail a check the national trade association for the Mail
payable to Charmaine Fennie Scholarship and mail it to:
provided a legacy of industry improv
AMPC, 5411 E. State Street Suite 207, Rockford, IL 61108.
effectively communicate and interject hu
have forever endeared her in the hearts o
center operators across the country. He
The last AMPC Mini-Convention/Regional for 2010
contributions are aptly served through th
is being held November 6 & 7 in Orlando, FL
in future generations.
Fastrac - $350 (includes two RSi Classes, Saturday & Sunday)
Regional - $150 (includes two RSi Classes, Sat. night & Sunday)
Regional - $99 (Sunday only, includes one RSi Class)
Schedule:
Saturday:
1:00-6:00 Fastrac | 6:00-8:00 Freight
Sunday:
8:00-8:30 Member Benefits
8:30-9:00 Top 40
A discussion on the top 40 profit centers in the MPC industry.
9:00-10:00 Good to Great
What are the common traits of high-performing MPC locations.
10:00-10:30 Vendor Break
10:30-11:30 Quickbooks
Better utilize this financial tracking software tool
11:30-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:30 Pricing for Profits
Tips on cash flow and strategic pricing for the MPC
1:30-2:30 Pricing for Profits
2:30-3:00 Vendor Break
3:00-5:00 PrinTrac
How to start and grow your print for pay profit center
Location:
Holiday Inn – Walt Disney | $89
1805 Hotel Plaza Blvd, Orlando, FL 32830
407-828-8888
Discount Code: AMP
Ask for Kelly
AWARDS
$7,000 in scholarship monies will be awarded: two $2
Awards will be made from applications received and se
Committee. If for any reason a selected award recipient
Decisions of the Selection Committee are final.
Comment from the
Mini-Convention
in Dallas…
ELIGIBILITY
The now
scholarship
awardwhy
program
is open to any employe
I can
understand
some people
standing) who has applied for or has been accepted in a
keep
going
back atoregistered
AMPC conventions.
or is
currently
student in good standing at a
They
are
addicting!!!
not sure
if attendinstitution of higherWas
education
must
be provided prior to
ingAMPC
the Mini-Convention
would
be of benMember Store (in good
standing).
efit since I attened the annual in Chicago,
but even the “Pricing for Profit” session
APPLICATION SUBMISSION
from
MPC Coaches,
had
attentedto:
Completed
applicationswhich
shouldI be
submitted
in Chicago, gave me some new food for
thought.
If you
on the
fence about attedAssociated
Mailare
& Parcel
Centers
M. Fennie Memorial
Fund
ingCharmaine
a Mini-Convention
in yourScholarship
area, jump
in,
Glenn Drive,
Suite
150
it’s950
definitely
worth
it.
Folsom, CA 95630
Nasir Piracha
The Mailing Point
We Deliver Succes
s!
Troubleshooting
by Teri Bayus
T
here is trouble here folks,
right here in boxing city! I am
as mad as heck and not going
to take it anymore. That said, this
will be a tirade about the problems
that can occur in the life of a small
business, and specifically an MPC.
It is also about the things you can
do to prevent problems and what
can ease your mind while you are
going through your issues. (My hit
man name is Guido and he can be
reached at www.killtheannoyingpeople.com.)
Landlord – When they throw
all the mafia out of Los Angeles,
they move to Pismo Beach and
open Italian restaurants. With
the profits from overpriced pasta,
the Godfathers buy up all the real
estate. Being more thug-minded
than business-minded, they are
difficult at best to deal with as the
landlord. When I bought the business, my Don had just bought my
building and didn’t know how to
write a lease, so I got to write my
own. This was to my advantage,
except I am not an attorney, nor
do I play them on TV. I left some
vague areas that became an issue
when a family of rats made nests
in the peanuts in my attic while
feasting on the free Italian bread
left in the dumpster behind my
store. I called the landlord and
explained this was his problem,
because it was his restaurant and
his building. He sent a henchman over to put traps in my attic.
Picture this, I have a store full of
grandmas and from the ceiling
comes a snap, a scream, the ceiling tile begins to vibrate from the
rats death throws as we all look
up in horror. By the end of the day,
this scene has repeated
itself four times. I call the
landlord for body retrieval
and he said it is my problem. I threaten to blow his
Federal Protection Cover
and he sends a dishwasher
over with gloves and big
plastic bags. After that, I
went to a real estate attorney and had a REAL lease drawn
up that clearly defines each area of
responsibility.
The silver lining: I now have a
10-year assignable lease that makes
the business more valuable to sell.
I also have the mobs respect.
The things I did wrong: Thinking
I was getting a great deal by not
hiring a professional to write my
lease.
Lawsuit #1 – It was the 22nd
of December; my wrists are so
sore from running the tape gun
over thousands of boxes that I
can’t tie my shoes. My nerves are
raw from too many verses of the
Jingle Bell song sung by barking
dogs and kids tearing up my store
like a strong Florida breeze. In
walk two guys in lab coats carrying a HUGE piece of medical
equipment. They want me to pack
it and send it overnight to Ohio.
Immediately the greed part of my
brain takes over as I calculate the
profit I will make on this monster. My sensible side steps in for
a minute when I realize that all
the employees have gone home to
wrap Christmas presents and this
wrap job will be all mine. I tell
them they need to crate it; they
say they don’t have time. I take it
anyway and pack the bejesus out
of it (a technical term for triple
boxed and strapped). They insure
it for $40,000. It is picked up the
next day and deemed to be packed
properly and then bounces all the
way to Ohio. It arrives in pieces.
Screaming at the claims people
begins and ends with them denying the claim because of improper
packaging.
The silver lining: I am heavily
insured through Prudential and
for only $50 a month, they defend
me in these nasty court-destined
cases.
The things I did wrong: To accept
this package when I knew it
needed to be crated and I didn’t
take pictures of the packing job to
prove it was sufficient.
Lawsuit #2 – The ADA
(American Disability Act) is a
Federal law that states all businesses must provide handicap
assess for all humans. Each city
and state has their own statutes
of what a business must provide
according to the age of the building. In most states, a business can
only be sued to bring the building
up to the Federal guidelines. Oh
but this is Cal-li-fon-ah and anyone can sue for anything.
(continued on page 8)
Troubleshooting…
Continued from page 6
In to my store rolls a man in a wheel chair; he asks to use my bathroom.
I gave him the key and he goes about his business without even buying
a stamp. Next week I get a lawsuit saying he got stuck in my bathroom
because it was not up to code. (I swear I am not making this up!) After
research I find that this guy has hit every old building and has over 150
lawsuits in California. Again my insurance took the charge like a handsome knight flying the Mail Plus colors.
The silver lining: I no longer let anyone use my bathroom, which has
saved me a fortune on toilet paper and cleaning.
The things I did wrong: No peepee without the purchase of a
10-pound overnight package.
My PostMaster – There are
people who work in the bowels of
the post office that are so offensive
to the rest of the world, they cannot work with the public. These
tiny-cubical-dwellers spend their
days reading the DMMs and looking for violators. This guy was so
crazy, he used to sit outside the
Post Office in his truck, and point
riffles at the employees as they left
for the day. He happened to catch
a piece of mail with my customer’s
return sticker that read ‘Suite 230,’
not PMB or #. Taking the law into
his own hands having witnessed
the ultimate crime, he became
enraged. The Texas-Rangerwanna-be decided to make an
example of my non-complainant
customer by holding all 300 of my
mailbox customer’s mail. For a
whole week, no call or letter from
the Post Office, just no mail. I
called the Post Office and got the
runaround about the Postmaster
being out of town and no one
seemed to know what was going
on. Finally, my postman caved and
told me why they were holding my
mail. I immediately called AMPC
and they showed me where to get
the DMM rules and how to get my
mail back. I crafted a letter to all
my Congress people, gave it to all
my customers and asked them to
email, write or call the message
of injustice done to us. It worked
beautifully. When Mr. Postmaster
came back from vacation he had a
barrage of calls from Washington
and then had to call me and grovel
for forgiveness. The mail began
flowing again!
The silver lining: All my customers are now aware that their mail
must be addressed in the correct
manner and no playing “I am big
business in a big building” game.
Integrated into PostalMate, Resource, ShipRite & iShip
USPS® Approved Shippers now
qualify for Commercial Plus
Pricing with Endicia!
Commercial Pricing
for Priority & Express Mail
(Domestic & International)
Free or Discounted
Delivery Confirmation
Hidden (Stealth) Postage
Includes Bulk Acceptance SCAN
Sign up today & recieve your
first 60 days FREE
NEW: Free USPS® supplies available on Endicia.com/store
More profitable than just a postage meter.
www.endicia.com/mpc
Troubleshooting…
There is no science in merchandising your store! Just
ask yourself these questions before you put a new product line in your location:
•Which product is related to shipping/business
center offerings that every business needs
regardless of the economy?
•Which product can help me to expend my
offers for B2B and “walk in” retail customers?
•Which product can increase traffic in my store?
•Which product can bring me repeat customers?
•Which product can provide me with margins to
justify having this product in my store?
The answer is simple — remanufactured printing supplies.
In this economy people are looking for high quality
products for better prices and this is exactly what your
store can provide for them. This product will require
work just like anything you sell at your store and it will
require time for your customers to learn that it’s there.
But the rewards will be worth it.
Please call Anthony Khalemsky at 913-894-7454 or
e-mail him at [email protected] to discuss
the opportunity.
Provide highly profitable
pre-inked stamps with
while-you-wait service!
Turn $7 to $9 in materials into a $25+ sale in only three
minutes! This exclusive commercial system creates a
major profit center by turning
signatures, graphics, text, clip art,
photos and logos into pre-inked
stamps. Unsure? Ask a store
owner that currently uses the
Stampcreator system – you’ll hear
good things!
RubberStampMaterials.com
Simply “click” to order all Stampcreator system supplies.
Order history and customer profile information are
retained to make re-ordering quick and effortless.
Jackson Marking Products Co., Inc.
9105 N. Rainbow Lane • Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
Tel: 800-STAMP-CALL • Fax: 800-STAMP-FAX
www.rubber-stamp.com • [email protected]
The things I did wrong: Not reading and understanding every page of the DMM the day I took over this
business. It is not pleasant reading, but before bed, it
will sure make you sleep!
Using Friends as Contract Workers
to Save Money – I am as cheap as a Mexican
blanket, so when it comes to cleaning, fixing, or
repairing my store I try to find a friend with a skill
that will do it after hours and all under the table.
Problem is they show up with a bottle of Tequila and
short-timers disease. All of a sudden your huge whole
in the front door is not their problem, no matter how
much you beg. Then when you call a REAL contractor, the price is double because of the mess he’s fixing. Bottom line, hire people you don’t know that
are licensed and give you referrals (which you call to
check).
The silver lining: I now have a great stable of qualified
workers that I can recommend to my customers and
fellow small businesses.
The things I did wrong: Not drinking all the Tequila
myself.
Don’t let all this scare you, statistic wise, you can own
a business for 20 years and never have any problems.
Just be prepared and buy all the insurance you can.
When and if trouble hits you, your first call should be
to the AMPC and then remember to keep your sense
of humor! l
Teri Bayus is the owner of Mail Plus
in Pismo Beach, CA, where she
keeps little bottles of tequila in her
desk drawer. She can be reached at
[email protected].
GUARANTeeD
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or your
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Voted: Best Business Service - AMPC 2007
Introducing
Marty Johnson,
AMPC Director of Member Store Marketing
The AMPC welcomes a new Director of Member Store Marketing. Marty Johnson
recently relocated to Rockford, Illinois from upstate New York where he was previously the General Manager of three Pack & Mails.
Marty grew up in the MPC industry, filling out the carbon-papered UPS manifest
books at the age of 12 and helping open additional locations for his family business at 15. He could safely pack a bongo drum and ship it to Bangladesh long
before he could drive.
Marty and his family have been AMPC members since the early 1990s and are
also charter Neighborhood Postal Center members. He’s been among the crowds
at conventions and mini-conventions and is certified by RSi in almost everything.
Where can you find a new source
of revenue at your store?
Look in the mailbox!
Let AnswerMailbox help you:
Increase revenue from customers
Promote your products and services
Attract new mailbox rental customers
Help customers save time and money
The only fully automatic mailbox notification system.
No software to install
Set it up and forget it
No buttons to push
Saves you time
No barcodes to scan
Saves your customer time
Let our system do the work for you!
Contact us to determine the best Answer Mailbox solution for your store.
For more information call: 1-877-258-8294 | www.answerMailbox.com
With a B.B.A. in Marketing from
Texas Tech University, Marty
has also done graduate work at
Binghamton University and studied
overseas at Buskerud University in
HØnefoss, Norway. He has worked
as a Sales & Bid Coordinator for
MeadWestvaco, has been a K-12
Substitute Teacher and has spent
part of his career as a Visual
Specialist for Banana Republic,
designing 5th Avenue display windows in New York City.
Marty’s responsibilities at the
AMPC will include working with
the Neighborhood Postal Centers
brand, assisting with conventions,
mini-conventions, growing and
improving vendor programs, helping member stores reach their goals
through innovative marketing and
promotion techniques, and working directly with the AMPC’s own
store, Mailboxes & Parcel Depot in
Rockford, IL, to guide the ongoing
creation of a flagship store.
Already proven to be a phenomenal asset to the AMPC, Marty has
some great ideas and a determined
attitude to support AMPC’s legacy
as the industry’s top advocate for
independent mail and parcel centers and an outstanding leader in
networking and diversification.
So, look for Marty at the next event
or call AMPC and say “hi!” He is
thrilled to get to know more of you
and always loves to hear new, interesting and exciting ideas and suggestions. Marty can be reached at
[email protected]. l
from HotTalk
What to do with PITA Mailbox Customer
I
admit that some days (like
Freaky Fridays) I have to hide
any and all sharp objects,
including the Eye Gouger, to keep
from inflicting pain on certain
customers, or more likely, myself.
The breathing exercises we
learned in Lamaze classes come
in really handy. You know what
though? We’ve decided a good laugh, usually at the
customer’s expense, after they leave, can release a lot of
tension. That, or chocolate.
#68 calls everyday. “Do I have any mail? Bills? A check?
A letter from my brother?” We check her box and she
decides if it’s worth coming into town for the mail. It
takes what, a few seconds for us to look in her box and
answer her? We don’t mind. She doesn’t do email or
texting.
We have folks who call for us to check their mail; and
since we told them when they opened the box that
unlike the PO we would be glad to provide that service,
we do it with a smile. We also told them that if they
were waiting for something important we would keep
an eye out and call them when it came in. We purposely
put our service counter next to our mailboxes. We
grab their mail for them when we see them pull up or
if they’ve forgotten their key. We always try to at least
say hi and smile no matter how busy we are. We have
a sign in our window that we turn over when mail is in
for the day and the customers know when they drive
up if the mail is ready. Folks have commented on it
positively. Since we use MDD to monitor our incoming
packages they automatically get a text or email or both
when they receive a package. Many of them think that
is the neatest thing since Starbucks came to town.
Since our mailbox prices are higher than the local PO
we give folks reasons to want to have a box here. Many
of them do a lot of other business with us. Some do very
little and still they grab a handful of candy on the way
out. Small courtesies go a long way. We do little things
like put a get well note in their box. A congrats note
occasionally. We give a small baby gift for new arrivals. We have a list of the kids and they get surprises in
their mailbox, usually a little treat bag, for holidays like
Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween. We
have dog treats behind the counter.
There are four of us that work at the store and no matter how we try to disguise ourselves when out in public
we are always recognized as “there’s my Mail Lady”!
Hugs from the little ones, a joke from the old men, or
my favorite, updates on Grandpa’s bowels. My sisterin-law says we are as sacred as the hairdressers of the
good ol’ days.
It’s funny, the nicer we are to
them the more likable they
become.
Granted, we don’t have the number of mailboxes rented that
Arnie does, but at 350 rented we
can still find time to be personable and helpful. I’ve ordered
more boxes and wish I could install even more. My
mailbox customers are my bread and butter. They pay
for rent and utilities and half my payroll. They are
indispensable to my bottom line. That’s not counting
the shipping, notaries, printing, forwarding, faxing, and
other stuff we do for them. I will answer their calls all
day long if I have to. I will put in an extra phone line if
needed. They are worth it. We get lots of referrals from
our mailbox customers. When out of town guests visit
our customers we are always on the list of “must see’s.”
#96 called everyday during the last Primary to see
if her ballots were in, even though we told her daily
that we would call when they showed up. Everyday we
would joke with her and tell her that they weren’t here
yet because we a)sold her ballot, or b)voted for her, or c)
shredded it because we knew how she was voting. She
would chuckle and call back the next day. Even after
she finally got them she would call periodically just to
be kidded. She’s lonely. We get that. It only takes a minute or two of our time to make her day. My parents are
that age. I’ll be that age sooner than I want to be.
I’m not understanding the “they are the enemy” mentality.
Have you ever run behind the mailboxes and got ready
to play peek a boo when your youngest mailbox customer came in? Have you ever saved the root beer hard
candy for box #105 because that’s his favorite? Have
you ever slipped a thinking of you note into box #246
because their dog was not doing well? Have you ever
printed a joke off and forwarded it to #326 because
they have a “unique” funny bone? Have you ever donated a mailbox or two or ten to non profits in town? If
not, you should try it. Make their day, and yours as well.
Do you realize how big a deal the daily ritual of getting
mail is to some folks? Make it a pleasant, memorable
experience, day in and day out. See what happens. I bet
you’ll end up with a waiting list for folks who want to
rent a box from you or like us you can keep adding virtual boxes behind the keyed ones.
Della Crossley
Mail Express
Enumclaw, WA
S
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The key to great P.O.S.
Whatever the trend, you CAN
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www.sellersprogram.com
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Jim Baer’s Seller’s Program
[email protected]
610-438-1608
Find some answers at:
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800-205-0650
Achieving Greatness:
The Value of Association
by Don Yaeger
A
ssociation leaders and corporate executives have long recognized that
great lessons – lessons in leadership, team building, handling adversity,
and managing success – can be learned from their peers in the world of
sports.
This explains why some of the most sought after public speakers at corporate events are sports greats: Miami Heat President Pat Riley, Duke
basketball coach Mike Krzyewski, former Pittsburgh Steeler running back
Rock Bleier, and former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown are among the
most popular speakers on the circuit. The lessons they teach and exhibit
in their world translate perfectly into yours.
In my 20-plus years as a writer for Sports Illustrated and author of more
than a dozen books, I have been blessed to spend hours interviewing
great winners like Riley, Krzyewski, basketball legend Michael Jordan
and Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.
Some of the best lessons I have learned, however, have come at the foot
of the greatest winner of them all, the late John Wooden, former UCLA
basketball coach and winner of unprecedented ten NCAA championships.
Wooden also was an oft-tapped corporate consultant on the subject of
leadership.
Before Wooden’s passing, I often traveled to Los Angeles to talk with him
about Greatness and the traits of those who have achieved it. One characteristic he was passionate about was that the truly “great” understand the
value of association. They know they can only become great if they surround themselves with others who are headed in that direction.
Just a couple of years ago, the then 97-year-old Wooden, his mind sharp
as any 30-year-old I had met, got a twinkle in his eyes when told me he
had a story to share, one I would enjoy sharing with others.
“Many people, when they ask me about coaching great players, always
ask me about my two most famous centers, Lew Alcindor (who became
Kareem Abdul-Jabaar) and Bill Walton,” the coach said, “But one of the
greatest I have ever coached is a player many wouldn’t suspect. It was
Swen Nater.”
I think Coach enjoyed the look of surprise on my face. I remembered
Nater, but just barely. What I remembered was that he was cut from his
high school basketball team as because, even at 6-foot-11, he was too
clumsy to offer the team any value. He didn’t give up, though, and several
years later made a community college team. He became talented enough
that several four-year colleges offered him scholarships.
At the time, UCLA and Wooden were in the middle of one of the most
spectacular runs in all of sports, winning seven of eight national championships. Alcindor had graduated, but Wooden had a new center, Walton,
who he thought might be even better.
Nater’s community college coach asked Wooden to consider his player.
“I was told he could, at the very least, be a great practice opponent for
Mark these words…
You will never outperform
your inner circle. If you
want to achieve more, the
first thing you should do is
improve your inner circle.
Walton,” Wooden recalled. “So I
spoke with Swen. I was honest. I
told him he could go to a small
school and play all the minutes
he wanted, or he could come to
UCLA, where he likely would never
start a game, but where he could
play against the best center in the
country every day. That’s the best I
could offer him.”
Nater didn’t flinch. He accepted
the opportunity and, as Wooden
had promised, he didn’t start a
single game at UCLA.
“Swen understood that to become
the best he needed to associate
himself with the best he could
find,” Wooden said. “There was no
better than Bill Walton.”
Or John Wooden.
When his three years at UCLA
were complete, Nater had been
part of a team that won a recordbreaking 88 straight games and
had played for three more national
championships – all as Walton’s
backup.
Nater then made history when he
became the first player selected in
the first round of the professional
basketball draft without ever starting a college game. He played 12
years professionally and now is a
senior executive in the corporate
offices of Costco. His career “is
absolutely and directly the result
of having made the decision to
associate myself with folks who
were the very best,” Nater told me.
“I learned that you are who you
associate yourself with.”
Holiday Shipping Calendars
Coach Wooden was succinct:
“Mark these words… You will never
outperform your inner circle. If
you want to achieve more, the first
thing you should do is improve
your inner circle.”
AMPC has created Holiday Shipping
Calendars for the upcoming season.
These calendars are meant as counter reference tools for customers or
employees.
At its core, that is exactly why
associations hold annual events.
Those conventions are a member’s
opportunity to improve his or her
inner circle, to learn and associate
with the very best.
These pdfs can be downloaded by
everyone (no log in needed) at:
November: http://shipp.in/g/1eb
December: http://shipp.in/g/1ec
November/December Combined:
http://shipp.in/g/1ed
Like Swen Nater, I hope that each
of you have identified those in
your profession from whom you
could learn, those who share your
passion for greatness. Then, while
attending your state or national
conferences, introduce yourself,
spend time asking and learning
what it is they do that makes them
successful. These lessons are often
transferable.
Then take the lessons home with
you. Make your aspirations known
to your staff and your membership
because they want to associate
themselves with greatness, too.
You’ll be amazed by what you can
achieve when you surround yourselves with those headed in the
same direction.
At each of these steps you’ll understand why John Wooden agreed
that the value of association is one
of the most significant traits of
greatness. l
Don Yaeger is a
nationally acclaimed
inspirational speaker,
New York Times bestselling author and longtime associate editor of
Sports Illustrated. He
speaks on the subject of
Greatness, taking lessons from the world of
sports and translating
them to business and professional audiences.
He can be reached through his web site:
www.donyaeger.com.
NEW!
December 2010 Holiday Shipping Reminders
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
1
*UPS commitment times for air
and international shipments
delivered within the U.S. will be
extended by 90 minutes
THURSDAY
2
FRIDAY
3
air and international shipments
delivered within the U.S. will be
extended by 90 minutes
5
SATURDAY
4
USPS: last day advised to
ship via 1st Class & Priority
Mail to APO / FPO ZIP 093
addresses for delivery by
Christmas
**FedEx commitment times for
6
7
8
9
10
11
ship via 1st Class & Priority
Mail to APO / FPO
addresses for delivery by
Christmas
(excluding ZIP 093)
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
*
ship via Express Mail to
APO / FPO addresses for
delivery by Christmas
(excluding ZIP 093)
19
20
* **
21
* **
First Day of Winter
22
* **
23
* **
24
**
FedEx: regular delivery;
Express pickup only
UPS: regular delivery;
prescheduled air and
international pickup only
26
27
28
29
30
31
*
FedEx: no Ground service
UPS: air and international
delivery only; prescheduled
air and international pickup
only; no Ground service
25
FedEx: no service
UPS: no service
USPS: no service
1 (January 2011)
FedEx: no service
UPS: no service
USPS: no service
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SC10130120
Introducing the NEW
FotoZoomer Design Center ®
… Get started in the $1.9 billion custom photo/gift business for $99 a month
by Eric Steadham, President & Co-Founder, FotoZoomer LLC
The Photo Marketing Association’s
(PMA) 2010 Market Study shows
the 2009 Custom Photo/Gift
Business to have been $1.9 billion.
This segment has been consistently growing since 2004, despite
the economic downturn, growing
nearly five-fold in that time period.
FotoZoomer has been presenting
solutions enabling mail and parcel
center owners to enter this market
for over three years since participating at our first AMPC National
Convention in March 2007. We
have been honored by AMPC with
several awards including Best In
Show for two years and Supplier
of the Year for 2008. We have
placed approximately two hundred
FotoZoomer kiosks with mail and
parcel center owners in that time
period.
Current FotoZoomer owners have
provided suggestions and guidance on how to improve our products and make them a better fit
for this industry. We appreciate
the feedback and guidance from
current owners and also from the
many AMPC members that have
seen our products at the national
conventions, regional miniconventions and those that have
participated in our FotoZoomer
webinars and demonstrations.
Some of the concerns that continue to be expressed are:
Space – Many AMPC owners
have retail stores that are compact
and cannot easily accommodate
large format printers and full size
photo kiosks. Some owners do
not have adequate space for print
production and finishing. Those
that could rearrange their space
do not want to lose current product revenue while they ramp up
FotoZoomer revenue – particularly
in this economy.
Knowledge & Experience – Most
AMPC owners do not have experience in this market segment. They
are not familiar with how to use
the equipment, how to market
the service and how to properly
produce and finish the types of
products FotoZoomer kiosks can
produce.
Entry Costs – AMPC owners see
the turnkey FotoZoomer Kiosk
System’s monthly lease payment
of ~$285-$345 as a major obstacle
to acquisition. The concern centers
on the time that may be required
to ramp-up revenue to offset the
lease payment and begin to get a
payback on the investment in the
system.
able to walk away with a personalized, custom poster, banner, sign,
or enlarged print or banner in a few
minutes; 2) using photo industry
proven professional grade components to print high quality images,
reliably; and 3) having access to
retail outlets that were seeking new
profit centers and where owner/
entrepreneurs with the drive and
ambition to market new services
to increase foot traffic and capture
the resulting profits that could be
generated with our applications.
I believe we have found the right
combination of technology, access
to consumers and a set of quality
retail partners in the mail and parcel industry to capture our share
of this market opportunity but we,
as a company, need to adapt our
technology and business processes
and introduce a new product that
addresses AMPC owners’ concerns that have been expressed to
us. With that goal in mind, I am
pleased to introduce our newest
product the FotoZoomer Design
Center®.
Target Market – Tied to the
ramp-up period is a general
anxiety over whether current customes will use the new service and
whether the owner can attract new
customers through their marketing efforts.
Simply put, the FotoZoomer
Design Center® is a comprehensive
solution comprising technology,
product and market training, merchandizing tools, and print fulfillment with a business model that
will enable virtually any AMPC
owner that sees the income opportunity that this market represents
to fully participate.
I believed the three keys to success
in the photo/gift market segment
would be 1) offering an easy-to-use
system that enables the average
amateur photographer, like you and
me, to walk up to the kiosk with an
image from a digital camera and be
Technology – The FotoZoomer
Design Center® incorporates a
large 21.5" high-definition widescreen with 1080 (1920 x 1080)
resolution flat monitor, state-ofthe-art Intel® Core™ i3-540 DualCore Processor, 4GB RAM, 750GB
7200 RPM SATA 3Gb/s Hard Disk,
512 MB NVIDIA GeForce G210
Graphics Card, integrated premium stereo speakers, integrated
webcam and microphone, slimtray DVD-R, wireless-N LAN card,
media reader, keyboard, and optical mouse.
The FotoZoomer Design Center®
includes FotoZoomer Design
Center® software enabling your
customers to self-design their
poster, Wall Crawler™, banner or
canvas prints using their digital
photos.
FotoZoomer Design Center®
includes 3-years of on-site hardware service and a 3-year license
for Norton Internet Security AntiVirus Software.
Product and Market
Training/Merchandizing
Tools – Through a series of online
webinars, owners will be taught
how to use FotoZoomer Design
Center® and how to launch this
new profit center starting from
installation through the first six
months of operation.
Topics covered will include merchandizing display (including poster and sample display), products
the customer can produce using
the system, submitting jobs to
FotoZoomer for fulfillment, media
types and sizes, targeting vertical
markets, couponing, flyer distribution, direct mail campaigns, and
radio advertising.
Fully utilizing the internet and
the FotoZoomer Design Center®
webcam and microphone, all training can be completed from the
comfort of your own store. Times
offered will accommodate owners’
demanding work schedules and
various time zones.
Print Fulfillment – The customer will self-design their poster,
Wall Crawler™, banner, or canvas
print using their digital photos
and the FotoZoomer Design
Center® located in your store.
Once completed, the image and
job ticket will automatically be
transmitted to a FotoZoomer Print
Services® center via the internet.
FotoZoomer will print the job, finish the print and return the completed product to you for delivery
to your customer.
You will NOT need a wide format
printer. You will NOT need to
inventory any media or ink. You
will NOT need any space for production or finishing the print.
Knowledge &
Experience – You will be trained
on what the system can produce;
how to coach your customers on
how to design using the system;
how to display samples and media
types to generate customer interest; and how to properly merchandize to your target market to grow
sales.
You will NOT need to know how to
print the job; you will NOT need
to know how to finish the print;
you will NOT need to know how to
run the printers; and you will NOT
need to know how to change out
media rolls.
Design
Business Model – The
FotoZoomer Design Center® leases
for $99 per month. The customer
will self-design their poster, Wall
Crawler™, banner or canvas print
using their digital photos and
the FotoZoomer Design Center®
located in the retail shipper’s store.
Once completed, the image and
job ticket will automatically be
transmitted to a FotoZoomer Print
Services® Center via the internet. The image will be printed by
FotoZoomer and returned to the
retail shipper for delivery to their
customer. Best of all, the retail
shipper retains 60% of the revenue
generated.
Targeted monthly print revenue
is $1,500 per month. Your 60%
is $900, your cost: $99; net to
you is $800 less print shipping
costs from the FotoZoomer Print
Services® Center to your store. On
an annualized basis you just gave
yourself about a $10,000 raise.
Entry Costs – FotoZoomer
Design Center® leases for $99 per
month. This is a 48-month, fair
market value lease subject to credit
approval and includes everything
to get started – you will not incur
any additional expense for the
technology.
You will earn 60% and
FotoZoomer will earn 40% of the
print revenue. FotoZoomer covers
the cost of labor, media and ink to
produce the print from our 40%
share. You will pay for shipping
the print from our FotoZoomer
Print Services® Center to your
store for delivery to your customer
from your 60% share.
Target Market – You will start
with your current customers focusing on your customers’ special life
events: such as births, weddings,
graduations, and family reunions.
To summarize our response to the
issues:
Space – You will only need space
for a computer. You will NOT need
space for a wide format printer;
you will NOT need space for a
kiosk; you will NOT need space
for media and ink storage; and you
will NOT need space for print production.
Together we will begin with an
awareness campaign targeting
your current customers to generate
your initial print business.
fotozoomer Design Center®…
We will expand from your current
customer base to target three additional market segments:
SOHO (small office/home
office) Market:
This customer segment needs
marketing materials to present
and promote their businesses
to their prospect base. This segment will need not only need The
FotoZoomer Design Center® related products but also all the other
document and shipping services
you offer in your store.
Small Independent Retailers:
SOHO encompasses a range of
entrepreneurial activities and business structures, from individuals
working solo to companies with 20
or fewer employees. This includes
a myriad of worker categories and
terms: home-based businesses,
free agents, independent contractors, telecommuters, e-lancers, and
other independent professionals.
The majority of the SOHO market
is made up of soloists, however. If
you think of the SOHO market as a
large target, the outer circle would
be companies with 12-20 employees. Working from the outside,
the next inner circles would be
firms with 6-11 employees and 2-5
employees. The solid center area of
the target is where you’ll find the
core of SOHO: individuals who are
working solo.
The figures for SOHO vary considerably – from between 19.5 and
40 million people – depending on
how you define the market. For
example, some organizations are
interested in workers with a home
office, whether they’re employed
by a company or on their own.
Others organizations focus on selfemployed individuals who are the
financial decision-makers.
sional design and printing services.
Do-it-yourself (DIY) services not
only enables the small business
person to stretch their limited
marketing dollars but gives them
a sense of better control over the
message and its visual presentation to their customers.
And, who better to relate to this
segment than yourself – also a
small independent retailer. You
know what the retailers are facing in this challenging economy.
Making them aware of your new
FotoZoomer Design Center® services (and using it yourself to promote your own operation’s services
and products) can build long-term
profitable relationships within your
own small business community.
Local Church, School,
Charity, and Youth Sporting
Organizations:
Small business is BIG business in
America. Nearly 70% of all business done in North American
is through small businesses.
However, there is a catch 22 about
being a small, independent retailer.
You have to compete against the
big players, who, after all, were
once small players, who grew into
big national or regional retail
chains.
To compete, small independent
retailers must invest in local
marketing, promotion, store
signage, and community involvement – building awareness in
their local community of their
unique products and services in
order to gain market share. The
FotoZoomer Design Center® can
produce the type of large format
point-of-purchase graphic displays, store and promotional signage they require; to capture this
opportunity you must let them
know what they can produce on
the FotoZoomer Design Center®.
Right now these retailers rely
on relatively expensive profes-
Every youth sports team is busy
fundraising for new uniforms or
team trips. Typically the fundraising is all about low return activities like car washes and overpriced
candy.
Talk to parents of children
involved on the teams. Typically
there will be a team manager that
takes care of the fundraising for
the team. Bring samples when you
meet, and talk about the ease of
use and the profitability.
If the team does not use your services for a fundraiser, they may
use your services to provide player
gifts at the end of the season.
Typically parents will contribute
money to provide awards or team
mementos for their players. A team
photo pack, poster or calendar
with their child or team photo is a
hit with parents and players.
Approach your local schools. Offer
to help them with a great fundraiser by providing banner advertising in their gyms or hallways
that announces their school theme
or mascot with your advertising on
the ends of the banner.
Work with a local freelance photographer that wants to take pictures at sports events or tournaments. Invite the parents to your
store to select images for prints
and posters. Increase your foot
traffic in your store and help the
local team with their fundraising.
Meet with your local sports associations (i.e., soccer club, swim
teams, special needs league, local
clubs, and bands). Offer them
a great fundraiser by providing
banner advertising on their fields.
They could sell space on the ends
of the banner that announces their
tournament or game, sponsored
by a local retailer. A single tournament typically may use three or
four banners or more at $160 each!
Grow Your Revenue Upgrade
Your System When You Are
Ready – You are steadily building
up your monthly revenue and you
feel you are ready to take the next
step. What can you do? Add a wide
format printer to your FotoZoomer
Design Center® and turn it into a
FotoZoomer Design Center Plus®.
44" wide depending on the printer
you select. We will still backstop
you with our printers (capable of
printing up to 64" wide) and any
special media you do not wish to
stock. This positions you to never
have to say “No” to your customer.
Alternatively or at a later date,
you can also add an Epson 4490
Photo Scanner for scanning hardcopy photos up to 8 x 10 into
FotoZoomer; an Epson 1400 Photo
Printer for printing standard size
photos, photo packs, T-shirt transfers, and magnet back prints; and
a FotoZoomer all-in-one stand
to create a FotoZoomer Design
Center Kiosk® configuration.
Conclusion — We at FotoZoomer
sincerely believe the new
FotoZoomer Design Center® offers
the mail and parcel center owner
a cost-effective path to get into the
dynamic, growing and lucrative
market for custom, large format
banners, posters, canvas prints,
signage, and much more.
At a cost to you of $99 per month
while you retain 60% of the print
revenue is a compelling reason
to take the next step and find out
more about this exciting new product and how it might fit within
your operation.
FotoZoomer will be conducting
several FotoZoomer Design Center®
Webinars to introduce mail and
parcel center owners to the capabilities of our new system, how to market print services and the returnon-investment the FotoZoomer
Design Center® represents.
The webinar session dates can be
found on FotoZoomer’s website
www.fotozoomer.com. l
Eric Steadham is the President and Co-Founder of
FotoZoomer LLC, a leading developer of profit center
solutions for the retail shipping industry. FotoZoomer
is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Mr.
Steadham has over fifteen years of experience in the
digital printing/wide format printing industries having
previous worked for IKON Office Solutions, Inc. and
other digital equipment manufacturers.
FotoZoomer products have been awarded:
Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA) :
“Innovative Digital Product” March 2003
Associated Mail and Parcel Centers:
“Best of Show 2007” March 2007
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If You Think Training’s Expensive…
by David Shappee
T
ry Ignorance! Or perhaps
we should say, if you think
training’s “inconvenient” or a
“hassle” or “impossible.” Recently
employee training has been one of
my most requested topics, which
is encouraging, because it shows
that folks are learning to manage
their business instead of man their
counter. Indeed, a consistent commitment to training is a characteristic of the most successful companies. IBM, for example, requires
six weeks of training annually
for every employee – that’s 10% of
their time.
Unfortunately, most of us seem
to practice what I call T-T-T-T-D
training: as in, “Throw Them To
The Dogs”. It goes something like
this: “Welcome aboard, Newbie.
This is Bertha, our most experienced associate. She knows everything about our operation. Just follow her around for the next couple
of days, and she’ll teach you everything you need to know.” Sound
familiar? I hope not, because that’s
why three weeks later you’re yelling, “Who taught you to do it that
way!? We’re ruined!” Compare that
to Disney World, where even the
maintenance and janitorial crew
get two weeks of training before
they’re allowed outside the classroom and onto the park grounds.
If you do your hiring right, your
employees want to do good work.
Although it frequently seems otherwise, they don’t wake up in the
morning and say to themselves,
“I wonder how I can screw up
today? Nothing’s more fun than
disappointing the boss!” If you
accept that principle – that most
of us want to be our best – then its
logical extension is that most performance problems are training
problems*.
Because training our employees
is usually seen as an ongoing task,
“on the job,” we fall into the trap
of seldom training as a goal all its
own. Unfortunately, that’s how
the lack of training ends up frustrating us – and costing us. Buck
Rogers, the revered first president
of IBM, once called a manager in
to his office for disciplining that
had made an error that lost them
a big account. After an appropriate
tirade, the manager looked at him
sheepishly and said, “I suppose
I’m fired,” to which Rogers replied,
“Hell no, we just invested a million
dollars in training you!” I feel the
same way after some of my team’s
costly mistakes.
The first step in training is to
organize it. Outline, in detail and
in writing, the steps in accomplishing the various duties at your
store, and their desired outcome.
Industrial Engineers call this “task
analysis.” Ask your teammates to
do this as well, and then compare
processes. The detail is important. Without it, your training is
left to the whim, and memory, of
the trainer. This becomes your
Training Manual. “Sign off” new
hires on each section or topic as
you complete it.
A good example of the need for
this step-by-step analysis is
something as simple as cleaning. My partner Kathy, a.k.a. “The
Energizer Bunny,” is fanatic about
cleanliness. Unfortunately, many
of our employees aren’t. Especially
the guys. She’d open in the morning and stomp around in a grump
like the Wicked Stepmother, muttering to herself “what part of
clean don’t they understand!?”
Then, once again, she’d tell them
to clean the counters, vacuum the
carpet, sweep the linoleum, dust
* The corrolary is, if it’s not a training problem, it’s Attitude.
the fixtures, and polish the door
glass. Next morning, same outcome. She’d open, feel crunching
under her feet, sweep up a pile of
dirt from the floor the size of a
sand dune, and go off on a rant.
Great way to start your day, right?
This was developing into a quagmire of mutual frustration until
one night she stayed to help them
close. Her deficiencies as a trainer
became readily apparent – “What,”
she asked in amazement, “are you
doing?”
“Sweeping,” the young man with
a broom in his hand, and a surprised look on his face, replied.
She continued to watch this
so-called “sweeping.” He made
about twelve rapid passes with the
broom, some barely even touching
the floor, that created a tornadolike vortex of wind that carried the
big pieces into the middle of the
room, where he dutifully brushed
them into a dustpan.
“I see,” she observed. She began
to understand the problem as she
witnessed the rest of the “cleaning.”
The counters were swept with the
broom as well. The door glass was
at least sprayed with glass cleaner
and polished with a towel… on the
inside only.
We learned two things that
night. The first was a reminder
of the dangers of assumptions.
Experience and standards differ. Experience at cleaning, for
many people (especially the guys),
is lacking. Second was that standards of cleanliness vary, and the
outcome, our standard, had to
be demonstrated as well—“this is
clean: feel that, that’s how we want
it every day.” Obviously, Kathy’s
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training…
standard was different than theirs.
That’s o.k. What’s important is that
when they’re working for us, they
perform to The Shipping Depot ®
standard.
Next you schedule training. It must
be scheduled, because if it’s left to
convenience, as in “I’ll work with
Newbie today and do some train-
ing in between customers,” it’s
guaranteed not to get done (kind
of like opening your lunch when
it’s “slow” is a sure-fire way to start
a rush). If you have few employees
and can’t dedicate yourself during
open hours, schedule it for before
opening or after closing. Especially
for new hires. Nothing is more
precious than a new employee. At
no other time will you find someone so receptive to training, like
an empty vessel waiting to be
filled. Give them the attention they
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So you think you’re “Fast, Friendly, Courteous”?
Define these for your store, plus other retail skills
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deserve, and they’ll give you the
performance you want. When we
hire our seasonal crew for the holidays, we schedule training for half
the day Sunday, then the following
Monday and Tuesday nights. If
they can’t make training, then we
can’t hire them.
The actual training itself is easy.
Tell ‘em what to do, and explain
why we do it. With adult learners,
the “why” is the most important
step in learning, like opening a
bottle before you pour something
in. Without the why, you’ll be
fighting change instead of implementing it. The best way to do this
is with a “war story,” a true-life
incident from your past that illustrates the point. It brings the lesson home like nothing else can.
Then show ‘em. In fact, you must
“show ‘em” every day of your career.
It’s called “modeling behavior,”
and it’s why parents can’t get away
with telling their kids, “do as I say,
not as I do.” Then, have them do it
themselves. That’s the second key.
Most of us learn more by doing
than by listening. Watching it done
a hundred times won’t have the
effect of doing it themselves once.
And then again, and again.
If you have experienced staff, don’t
be afraid to delegate training to
one of them, as long as you’ve
helped them prepare with the task
analysis and “why” steps outlined
above. As anyone who’s ever taught
or tutored knows, there’s no better way to learn something than to
teach it. All your assumptions and
false understanding can get blown
to pieces by a few good, innocent,
ignorant questions. As Will Rogers
once lamented, “It’s not what we
don’t know that hurts us, but what
we know that ain’t so.”
The “tell ‘em, show ‘em, make ‘em
do” method of training is effective because it utilizes all three
adult learning styles: the Visual,
Auditory, and Kinetic. Some of us
learn best when we predominantly
see illustrations and examples
reinforced with words. Auditory
learners not only learn best by lis-
tening to training (any Audiobooks
listeners out there?), but also
discussing it, actually hearing themselves think about it.
Others need literally a “hands
on” experience, whether that’s
touching the task itself, or
mentally “handling” a representation of the lesson, such as
flash cards.
And please, after you’ve
trained, don’t ask, “any questions?” or “do you understand?”
Of course they understand! What
do you think they are, dumb?
People never have questions – until
after they’ve screwed it up. So, if
there aren’t any questions, you ask
the questions for them. “Show me
how you do __.” “Explain to me
why do we do it that way.” “If you
had to train someone else in how
to do this, how would you do it?”
This leads us to the next step:
testing. After you train, you test.
Either in writing, or by demonstration. We like writing, because then
it becomes a part of the employee’s
record that they indeed know how
to do such and such. Take your
outline and put blanks where key
words are, or make up problems
that illustrate the topic. “Joe Dokes
has an auto part he wants to send
C.O.D. to Biloxi, MS, valued at
$99.95. The packaging and shipping come to $19.40. Complete the
paperwork for this transaction.”
For demonstration, have trainees
estimate and pack a high-value
vase, or prepare a business card
order.
Testing, reinforced by “why” experience sharing, helps transform
task analysis into results, the
positive outcome we want from
every customer interaction. Make
sure your training doesn’t become
bogged down in follow-these-steps
“policy and procedure”. Emphasize
the outcome you want, and your
employees will constantly help you
improve your store procedures, and
the training you do, to achieve it.
A bonus to testing is that it can
become a merit step, or opportunity for recognition. We grade tests
Dave’s Training Tips
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Analyze the Skill
Break it into Steps
Schedule Training
Tell ‘em Why
Show ‘em How
Emphasize the Outcome
Make ‘em Do It
Test what you trained
Look for the “teachable
moment”
©David Shappee MPC Coaches Network
after a staff meeting and immediately award prizes like movie
coupons or logo wear to high scorers. Additionally, it helps you as a
trainer gauge the efficacy of your
efforts. I’m always disappointed
when my college student son tells
me about a particular test where
“everyone did lousy.” That’s not an
indictment of the students, but of
the professor.
Training current employees – retraining or “improving” might be a
better way to put it – is best accomplished if you wait for the teachable moment. Usually the need for
training is noticed due to a disaster at the counter, or some other
mistake. The worst time to train is
right then, while the employee is
still embarrassed and recovering,
or oblivious to it, so immediately
defensive when you attempt to
“improve” their performance. Only
later, after they’ve recovered their
pride or are more open to suggestion, is the time to offer your
advice. This is best preceeded by
“asking their permission” to train
(“Would you like to see an easier
way to do ___) or by a variation
on my “feel-felt-found” empathy
builder such as “I can understand
how you could do it that way. I
used to do it that way too, until I
had to deal with a complaint about
it. Then I found that was a lot
easier, and more profitable too. Let
me show you.”
One of the things that consistently
distinguish the best businesses
from the rest is their commitment
to training. It’s a regular part of
operations, like cleaning the floor
and counting the money. If you’re
reluctant to invest in your people,
get new people. If you worry about
training them only to have them
leave, you’re missing the point.
What if you don’t train them, and
they stay? l
David Shappee and his
partner Kathryn founded
The Shipping Depot ®, a
Montana chain of retail
business service centers,
in 1986. David consults in
customer service & retail
management, and has
served as trainer to AMPC,
the American Bankers Association, Honda
Motor Corporation, the Medical Managers
Association, and many other businesses. From
1997 to 2000 Mr. Shappee ran The Numbers
News, the first and only financial reporting and
feedback program for MPCs, which included
over 200 mail & parcel centers nationwide
of all sizes. He is a partner in MPC Coaches
Network, a business consulting service devoted exclusively to the success of MPCs, and
can be contacted at daves@mpccoaches.
2010 FedEx Shipping Deadlines for Shipments to Arrive by Dec. 25
Ship By
Service
Ship By
Service
U.S. to U.S.
U.S. to Puerto Rico
Dec. 17
FedEx Ground ®
Dec. 21
FedEx International Economy ®
Dec. 17
FedEx Home Delivery ®
Dec. 23
FedEx International Priority ®
Dec. 21
FedEx Express Saver ®
Dec. 23
FedEx
Dec. 22
FedEx 2Day ®
U.S. to International
Dec. 23
FedEx Standard Overnight ®
Dec. 20
FedEx International Economy ® to EMEA3
Dec. 23
FedEx Priority Overnight ®
Dec. 17
FedEx International Economy ® to APAC4
Dec. 23
FedEx First Overnight ®
Dec. 20
FedEx International Economy ® to LAC5
Dec. 25
FedEx SameDay ®
Dec. 22
FedEx International Priority ® to EMEA3
U.S. to Canada
Dec. 21
FedEx International Priority ® to APAC4
Dec. 15
FedEx International Ground ®
Dec. 22
FedEx International Priority ® to LAC5
Dec. 22
Dec. 22
FedEx International First
Dec. 23
Dec. 23
FedEx
®
International Next Flight to EMEA3
Dec. 23
FedEx
Dec. 22
FedEx
®
International Next Flight to APAC4
Dec. 23
FedEx
®
International Next Flight to LAC5
®
International Next Flight
U.S. to Mexico
Dec. 21
Dec. 23
Dec. 23
FedEx
®
2010 Holiday FedEx Money-Back Guarantee Policy:
®
®
2
2
FedEx International First is only available to postal codes in Belgium, England,
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland.
3
EMEA = Europe, the Middle East and Africa
4
APAC = Asia Pacific
5
LAC = Latin America and the Caribbean
FedEx Express
Consistent with our FedEx Service Guide, the FedEx Money-Back Guarantee for on-time delivery for the following FedEx Express® services will be suspended
temporarily on Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010, and from Monday, Dec. 20, through Friday, Dec. 24, 2010, for shipments that reach th eir destinations within 90 minutes of the scheduled commitment time: FedEx First Overnight ® FedEx Priority Overnight®, FedEx Standard Overnight ®, FedEx 2Day®, FedEx Express Saver®,
FedEx 1Day® Freight, FedEx 2Day® Freight, FedEx 3Day® Freight, FedEx International First ®, FedEx International Priority®, FedEx International Economy®,
FedEx International Priority DirectDistribution®, FedEx International MailService®, FedEx International Priority® Freight, FedEx International Economy® Freight,
FedEx Ground
Packages tendered to FedEx Ground for delivery on the day after Thanksgiving will be scheduled for delivery on that day if th e recipient business is open, but in
any event, the delivery commitment will be extended to the next business day for application of the money-back guarantee. The money-back guarantee for
FedEx Ground® and FedEx Home Delivery® services will be suspended temporarily for packages tendered during the 14 calendar days before Saturday, Dec.
25, 2010 (Saturday, Dec. 11, through Friday, Dec. 24).
FedEx Freight
The FedEx Freight no-fee money-back guarantee will be suspended Monday, Dec. 20, through Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011. 1 During this time, FedEx Freight will
continue to provide regular pickup and delivery in most areas, except on Dec. 24, Dec. 25 and Dec. 31, when FedEx Freight is closed. If you have questions
about your shipments, or other guaranteed service provided by FedEx Freight and FedEx National LTL, please contact your accou nt executive or the customer
service team at 1.866.393.4585. You may also call FedEx Expedited Freight Services® at 1.866.274.6115 for help with expedited holiday shipping needs.
1
All services are subject to the terms and conditions of the FXF and FXNL 100 Series Rules Tariff.
5411 East State Street, Suite 207
Rockford, IL 61108
815.316.8255
815.316.8256 fax
www.ampc.org
www.ampc.org/blog
www.twitter.com/ampctoday
www.findashippingstore.com
2010 UPS Shipping Deadlines for Domestic Shipments to Arrive by Dec. 25
Ship By
Service
Dec. 23
UPS Next Day Air
®
2010 UPS Peak-Season Service Guarantees: Commitment times for air and international shipments delivered within the United States will be extended by 90
minutes on the following days: Nov. 26, Dec. 18-24, and Dec. 31. UPS air and international shipments picked up or delivered in the United States are guaranteed throughout the holiday season. The guarantee is suspended for UPS Ground and UPS Standard packages picked up or schedul ed for delivery between
Dec. 13 and Dec. 25 . For further details, consult the UPS Tarriff / Terms and Conditions.
2010 USPS Suggested Shipping Dates for Domestic Shipments to Arrive by Dec. 25
Ship By
Service
Dec. 15
Parcel Post
Dec. 20
First-Class Mail ®
®
Ship By
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Dec. 21
Priority Mail
Dec. 22
Express Mail ®
®
2010 USPS Suggested Shipping Dates for International and Military Shipments to Arrive by Dec. 25
To ensure delivery of holiday cards and packages by December 25 to military APO/FPO addresses overseas and to international addresses, the USPS suggests
that mail be entered by the recommended mailing dates listed below. Remember, all mail addressed to military post offices ov erseas is subject to certain
conditions or restrictions regarding content, preparation, and handling. APO/FPO addresses generally require Customs forms. To see a table of active APO and
FPO addresses and mailing restrictions by individual APO/FPO ZIP Codes, go to http://pe.usps.com
Military Mail Addressed to
Express Mail ® Military
Service (EMMS)1
First Class Mail ®
Letters/Cards
Priority Mail
Parcel Airlift Mail
(PAL)2
Space Available
Mail (SAM)3
Parcel Post
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092
Dec. 18
Dec. 10
APO/FPO AE ZIP 093
N/A
Dec. 4
Dec. 10
Dec. 3
Nov. 26
Nov. 12
Dec. 4
Dec. 1
Nov. 20
Nov. 12
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098
Dec. 18
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Dec. 3
Nov. 26
Nov. 12
APO/FPO AA ZIP 340
APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966
Dec. 18
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Dec. 3
Nov. 26
Nov. 12
Dec. 18
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Dec. 3
Nov. 26
Nov. 12
®
1
®
EMMS is available to selected military post offices. Check with your local Post Office to determine if this service is available to your APO/FPO address.
PAL is a service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches
in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.
3
SAM parcels are paid at Parcel Post postage rate of postage with maximum weight and size limits of 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined. SAM parcels
are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis.
2
International Mail
Addressed to
Global Express
Guaranteed ® (GXG)*
Express Mail ®
International (EMS)5*
Priority Mail ®
International (PMI)6*
First-Class Mail ®
International
Africa
Dec. 17
Dec. 11
Dec. 3
Dec. 3
Asia/Pacific Rim
Dec. 17
Dec. 16
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Australia/New Zealand
Dec. 17
Dec. 16
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Canada
Dec. 21
Dec. 17
Dec. 13
Dec. 10
Caribbean
Dec. 20
Dec. 16
Dec. 13
Dec. 10
Central & South America
Dec. 20
Dec. 11
Dec. 3
Dec. 3
Mexico
Dec. 21
Dec. 16
Dec. 10
Dec. 10
Europe
Dec. 20
Dec. 16
Dec. 13
Dec. 10
Middle East
Dec. 17
Dec. 16
Dec. 13
Dec. 10
*GXG: Cutoff date does not take into account time needed for customs clearance. Extra transit time should be allocated.
5411 East State Street, Suite 207
Rockford, IL 61108
815.316.8255
815.316.8256 fax
www.ampc.org
www.ampc.org/blog
www.twitter.com/ampctoday
www.findashippingstore.com
The following story about AMPC Member Mark Herman
was published in the Daily Herald of Illinois in September:
What we can learn from a 23-year old business
by Jim Kendall
Ask Mark Herman how things are going at Mail ‘n Stuff, and he’ll tell you.
“Things are a bit down with the economy,” Herman says. “We’re down from
last year, and last year was down from the previous year. My business customers, especially, are not doing as much stuff.
“It’s not awful, but I’ve had to look at expenses and cut some. Relative to
other pack-and-ship businesses, we’re doing pretty well.”
Today, however, doing “pretty well” is doing better than many - whatever
the industry.
There seem to be two fundamental reasons why Mail ‘n Stuff continues to
be successful, even after 23 years: Herman understands his business and
he uses his resources.
Herman and his late father, Leonard,
opened Mail ‘n Stuff Inc. in 1987.
Located on the western edge of downtown Glen Ellyn, Mail ‘n Stuff still is
where area businesses and residents go
to have Herman and his staff pack and
ship items as bulky as car bumpers and
as fragile as vases; send overnight documents; pick up and send faxes; and make
copies.
“There’s still a demand for hard copies,”
Herman notes. “Copying is a nice companion to our shipping business.”
The best decision Herman
may have made was to join the
Associated Mail & Parcel Centers, a
Rockford-based trade association.
Joining wasn’t the key; participating has been.
AMPC “is a great resource,”
Herman says. “Being independent,
we’re out there on our own. The
association helps me stay current.
If UPS changes its pricing policy,
for example, I can go to an online
discussion group and ask ‘How are
we going to handle this?’
“I can post a question anytime and
get answers.”
Mail ‘n Stuff advertising isn’t splashy, but
it connects the business with its customers. “I’ve been in the AAUW publication”
for nearly 20 years, Herman says an as
example. “People mention they saw the
ad.
“A lot of my customers are part of groups.
Schools. Churches. Bridge Communities.
Not for profits. If they have a program or
event, a silent auction, I always try to do
that.”
Coupon mailings are part of the Mail ‘n
Stuff mix. So is some newspaper advertising, although Herman is well aware
that traditional hometown “newspapers
are changing. Coupons aren’t so effective.
And do people still use Yellow Pages?”
It shouldn’t be a surprise that Herman
says he tries “to listen to my customers
and figure out how to give them what
they want. And I’m lucky to have longterm employees who complement my
skills.”
Successful entrepreneurs always say
those things. l
Copyright 2010 121 Marketing Resources, Inc.
Reprinted with permission.
© 2007 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark, and the color brown are registered trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
Avery, Marks-A-Lot, the Crown Cap Design, and all other Avery brands are trademarks of, and used here under license from, Avery Dennison Corporation.
posted to HotTalk
Posted to HotTalk
Subject: Local Goods and things we have done
How many other stores take locally crafted items on consignment and sell them in your store?
We have a few we do:
1. Soaps – A local lady makes scented soap in the shape of a flip-flop - sold a few but not a real big seller.
2. Home Décor Items – Another local lady sells floral arrangements, bird houses and bells. She brings them
in every Christmas and they sell like hotcakes. We have customers come in every year looking for her things.
3. Local Sporting Stuff – My mom (who lives outside of Pittsburgh in the Beaver County area) makes Steelers
(NFL) and Penquins (NHL) stuff (scarves, scrub shirts, headbands, bags, purses, etc… We have her stuff in the
store even though we are in Ravens and Redskins country here, they sell VERY well and although some of the
locals give us a hard time and one keeps telling me to get her some Raven’s fabric to make Ravens stuff, they are
not too upset that we are selling them.
4. Light Bulb Decorations –
We had one lady who made holiday
decorations out of light bulbs. They
sold very well. We do not know
what happened to her; she just
stopped bringing them in.
5. Dog & Horse Treats – These
go like crazy and have folks come
into the store just to buy them. We
cannot seem to keep them on the
shelf.
We do this on a 40/60 basis (us
keeping the 40%); not bad for no
upfront costs. They are not HUGE
as far as profit margin, but folks
seem to like that we support local
folks and it gets them in the door.
On another note, our copy/print
part of the business is growing and
growing and growing…
www.kinek.com/AMPC
We had a garage sale once and
instead of sitting at a table outside
our house, we just put the table in
the store and left it up until there
was virtually nothing left. This
was a cash-only table and people
liked the idea.
We cleaned out our videos (VHS)
and had them on a table for a $1;
again they went like crazy and
then we had folks come in with
their tapes and “donated” them
to our table. So we sold some that
weren’t even ours to begin with.
Again, none of these on their own
will sustain your store, but people
do like them and they have worked
for us.
Diversify, Diversify, Diversify – if
you don’t you are gone…
Cathrine Majetic
Centreville Shipping & Services
Centreville MD
Subject:
Chance to impress college parents
You may soon meet some new customers sending
occasional items to their sons and daughters away at
college. You can earn brownie points by pointing out
the obvious – and not so obvious – tips about successful shipping.
meaty morsels of
information
• If it’s going to a dorm, it’s going to the mail room first,
and junior may not be diligent about checking snail
mail regularly in this age of e-communications, and
the mail room may be closed when junior finally takes
five minutes to take the ‘you’ve got a package’ slip by
to pick up the item. Bottom line: It could be several
days before junior gets his/her hands on the package,
and if that package has food in it that could be bad
news. Moral: Alert junior that something’s coming.
Put a customer’s name on your changeable letter sign
saying thanks. Especially when they are a consistent
customer that you are sure will see it. –Bobby Larson,
Mailboxes of Iowa City
• Point out to mom/dad the obvious. Try to ship early
in the week, to avoid having a package sitting around
somehwere over a weekend.
Give the local schools reduced rates or free small mailbox in exchange for them running an ad for free in
their programs. –Beth Shelton, Pecan Grove Postal
• If junior is in an apartment, it can be real dicey getting something to him/her. If it’s too big for the mail
box, the mail carrier will often leave a notice that
something is being held at the local post office.
Drop offs: when a customer wants a tracking # for
their package, I say for $1 I can send you an e-mail
with all the information on it. First day I did 10 without an issue. I have a draft saved with all the info on
it, type in customer email, scan tracking # and press
send. 30 seconds for $1. –Eliot Deters, The Mail Box
Store
Junior may not have the means – and/or the initiative – to travel to the local PO, creating all sorts of
problems. On the other hand, UPS/FedEx may leave
the item at the door – in the public breezeway or on
the front porch – and that’s probably not the safest
place to be, even for a short period of time. Often, the
apartment complexes will accept packages for residents at the apartment manager’s office, which can
make things simpler all the way around. Have mom or
dad check it out with the apartment manager’s office
first before sending the item.
• Be sure to point out to mom/dad that in those
instances that they send something NDA, the carrier
considers the package delivered as soon as it’s signed
for – and if it’s signed for at the loading dock, junior
will not see it for another day or so. Moral: Alert
junior something is coming NDA, and sic him/her on
the mail room to be sure the item can be picked up
immediately.
Other tips? Chime in so the rest of us can learn. We
are participating in a local church program dubbed
‘secret saints.’ Volunteers in the congregation ‘adopt’ a
student and send ‘CARE’ packages randomly throughout the year. We’re offering free packing on these shipments.
Bill Yoder
Shipithere, Inc.
Charlotte, NC
Shrimps…
For Christmas, put the names of all 50 states in a
box, the customer pulls a state from the box; if they
pull the state they are shipping to, they get $$ off that
shipment. –Frank Fagot, Allied Express
Pick a day of the week (same day every week) and
give away B&W letter size copies with a limit (we do
50 max) and/or ½ price faxing. We call it “Thrifty
Thursday”. We put up a banner every Thursday. –Max
Schwarz, Lomita Mail Car
I found free thermal printer cleaning pads on the UPS
supplies web page, item # 02115602. The item description says you ought to use one each time you install a
new roll of labels. – Bill Yoder, Shipithere, Inc.
If you have a wide format printer you may want to
look into custom maps. A friend put me on to www.
marketmaps.com; on this site you can create a custom
map by inputting an address and a radius. You can
then download the high resolution file ($49 for pdf or
$73.50 for Illustrator files). The maps include a grid
and street index for all the streets on the map. We
laminate the maps and sell 36x48 for $175. Our cost
for the first one including the file is about $75-$80. If
we do multiples from the same file our cost go down.
So far we have only sold them to Pizza delivery restaurants but anyone with a local delivery may be interested. If you’re any good with Photoshop you can customize them even further, be sure to charge for your
time. We use Photoshop to remove their logo from the
top and insert our own. If you don’t have a wide format printer they will print the map for you… but then
so would we. –John Koplos, Postal Dispatch Business
Center
MPC Today | November/December 2010 | www.ampc.org– 31
PRESORT
Standard
U.S. POSTAGE PD
ASSOCIATED MAIL & PARCEL CENTERS
5411 E State St., Suite 207 | Rockford, IL | 61108
San Dimas, CA
Permit #410
A DDRESS SER V I C E REQUESTED
When they’re on a deadline, you’re their lifeline.
Your customers depend on you to handle their toughest shipping challenges. So count on
FedEx Express for fast, reliable delivery of their time-critical shipments. They’ll appreciate
your help and the quick, dependable service they expect from FedEx Express.
fascnet.com
© 2009 FedEx

The AMPC staff wishes you all the best for the Holiday Season…

Transcription

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