Hey guys -
Sorry it took so long for me to post something about the shipping (or non-shipping as it seems). I've taken on a new project in addition to CBid so I haven't been able to keep as close track of you mooks as in the past.
First off, I apologize for the inconvenience. We had some major issues in the warehouse that began about the time of CigarFest. We've just never gotten caught up. We also had some major turnover in the warehouse staff. Hiring new people and getting them up-to-speed has taken its toll as well. Add to that a higher-than-expected increase in volume due to the cigar-smoking season and you have the perfect storm for creating lousy shipping.
I assure you that everyone in management knows about the issue - lots and lots discussion on ways to fix the situation permanently. Some of the measures decided included mandatory overtime and the addition of a second shift. That didn't seem to be enough so they are going to put into place a third shift, making the warehouse open 24/7, 6 days a week. We've maxed out our conveyor system used in packing and scanning orders so we've gone 'old school' and returned to using tables and tape guns to get additional packages out the door.
Will all of this work? Only time will tell. But with 12 years of this under my belt, I'm confident that we're on the right track. I've been told that we should see a return to normal shipping by the end of May (which is next week).
As for profit being built into shipping - BULL ****! Last year alone, we lost more money on shipping costs than most of you will see in several lifetimes so you can keep telling yourself that but its 100% untrue. Remember that shipping costs are not just the fees charged by the shipper. They include the cost of the shipping materials as well. And while you may be able to ship via USPS with that cutsey little box, we're not so lucky. Most of our orders don't fit in that size anyway.
I'm sorry guys. We're trying.
TrishS@CigarBid wrote:
