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What’s your trade show mission?

Sometimes I wonder why businesses exhibit at tradeshows.

Let’s be brutally honest, if you have a tired and apathetic sales rep sitting on a seat and playing Angry Birds, you may as well shut up shop and head home. They are doing more damage to your brand then it’s worth. I’m sure there are some businesses out there that think a customer will wait for them to finish, apologise for disturbing them, and then hand over an order.

Then there are stands that are designed more like castles or prisons. Carefully placed furniture ensures that there is only the minimum of contact between the staff and attendees.

Or there is the bouncer technique – where staff stand on the border with the arms crossed, sizing up customers to make sure they were suitably attired.

Which is all a bit of a negative rant, and not why I wanted to write this post (but it’s good to get off my chest).

What I really wanted to talk about was Mission.

What is great about the Fine Food trade show is that it is filled with food and samples. There is no show like it in Australia (IMHO). What is even better is that I think there is a bit of an ego competition going on as to who has the best coffee.

Though the one person who really blew me away with her attitude was someone from the Mission stand. She was handing out samples to all the visitors, but every time an exhibitor (well, at least from my team) asked for one she would give us double. During a quieter moment I asked her why.

Her answer was “I know how hard it is to work all day at a show and how valuable breaks are. It’s just about making life easier for everyone.”

Now I have absolutely no idea what Mission’s mission statement is, or what Mission’s mission at the show was, but here’s someone that they should be putting in charge of their marketing.

This is someone who knows what is the most important thing in the world for any business – making life easier for another person.

This is someone who knows that a smile for a potential customer may be important, and realises that what is even better is actually being authentically nice.

And here I am, a year later (sorry, just going through my old photos), writing a post praising Mission.

So here is my question – what’s your trade show mission?

What is covered with our shipping insurance?

Our normal terms and conditions (like most businesses) is that you take possession the moment an order ships. If the order is lost or damaged in transit then, in theory, it’s your problem. In reality we will have a conversation and try to work out a good way to resolve the issue where we are both happy (or not too upset).

Shipping insurance is there to remove the drama. If an order is lost or damaged in transit, we will simply send out a replacement, and we will then deal with the courier directly to resolve the original problem.

Our shipping insurance also means that if an order is delayed beyond what is normal and reasonable then we will send you another shipment (stock levels permitting). Then you should receive one of them sooner, and when the second one arrives you simply Return To Sender.

How much is shipping insurance?

Shipping insurance is 5% of the cost of the goods.

Is it worth it? Practically we have had far less than 5% of shipments have problems. It is, however, what Australia Post and other couriers charge. Ultimately insurance is about peace of mind and less hassle when something does go wrong.

Shipping insurance as an option

Shipping insurance is offered as an option on all our web sites. You can select it at the checkout.

For large orders our staff may also ask if you would like shipping insurance.

If you would like shipping insurance on an order you are placing with us, just ask.

Mandatory shipping insurance

Unfortunately we have had a couple of large orders not make it and then the customer refused to pay. A friend suggested that the easy way to avoid the dispute is to insure any shipments where we have a significant risk.

If you would like an immediate line of credit (30 days to pay) and have the goods ship immediately (no credit check delays) and are purchasing over $500 then we will add shipping insurance to your order.

The shipping insurance can be waived if the order is between $500 and $2,000 and you provide us with a formal confirmation that you accept responsibility of the goods once they ship.

Alternatively you can prepay by direct deposit or credit card.

What is not covered?

If there is a clear proof of delivery to the shipping address provided then we class that as delivered. Unfortunately there are cases where it is lost somewhere between the loading dock or receptionist and ending up in your hands. But we also know that a photo of the bag against a generic grey background is not proof of delivery, it is just proof of existence! It needs to be a reasonable proof of delivery.

It also doesn’t cover the expectation of overnight delivery. For example, if we were to ship to Melbourne (we are in Sydney) then we would expect it to be delivered within about 3 days. Most of the time it is overnight, but there are enough floods and other issues that regularly cause minor delays. Sending a second order the next day tends to not fix the problem. If it is super urgent, talk to us about how we can minimise the risk.

For damage claims we ask that you contact us immediately and we will probably ask for photos or some proof. The shipping insurance doesn’t cover claims weeks later. We do have warranty covering our items, but it excludes physical damage (e.g. being dropped). If the goods are damaged in transit then please let us know ASAP so we can cover it under the shipping insurance.