Planning for holiday shipping - Believe it or not!

Yes, it's only September, and still summer, but we're making plans for holiday shipping - and you should too! If you'll be sending holiday packages to friends or relatives across the country or around the world - or to soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan or other foreign countries- plan ahead, ship early and save yourself headaches, hassle and most of all, money!
Shipping early assures you that your package will arrive in a timely manner, and keeps your packages out of the hectic holiday rush, when shipments are more likely to go astray, be delayed or even get lost. (It doesn't happen often, but a lost package is still devastating when it's yours - and believe me, when we've shipped a package that's lost by the carrier, we feel the pain as much as you do.)
We'll be posting suggestions and tips as well as recommended deadlines for all the carriers for holiday shipping, so keep an eye on this space - and start shopping (or home crafting) now so your special gift can beat the rush!

We ship college students and summer vacationers!

Just packed up 4 huge duffel bags and suitcases for a student heading off to Duke University in August. We'll store the bags until time to ship them . . . and the parents are ECSTATIC! They're off to Saudi Arabia and didn't want to have to worry about getting their college student son packed up. It's all taken care of - no worries for them, and at a very reasonable price. Our flat luggage shipping rates take the hassle out of vacation or college travel - only $65 east of the Rockies, $45 west, for up to 60 pounds. Check us out before you lug your bags to the airport. When you arrive at your destination, your bags are waiting for you. What could be easier?
(And we can even give you a label for shipping them home again!)

Helping the Humane Society

Pak Mail is supporting the Whatcom Humane Society for the next few weeks. . . by asking customers to add a donation of $1 or more to their total receipt. A $5 donation gets a free stuffed animal - but any amount gets you the knowledge you're helping a good cause. The Whatcom Humane Society advocates for animals, educates the community to promote humane treatment and respect for animals; and provides for abandoned, injured, abused or neglected animals. No animal is turned away, but as a nonprofit organization, it depends on public generosity to maintain the good work its veterinarians and staff do every day. (In the photo is Pak Mail's greeter, Dandy, along with some of the stuffed toys donors of $5 or more will receive.)

We have the best customers of all!

We have awesome customers. They bring us goodies, lattes, and most of all, lots of smiles and thanks for what we do. And all we do is try to give them the best service, the most economical prices, and the best choices for whatever they need, whether it's shipping, mailboxes, faxing, copying, or just knowing whether their envelope needs one stamp or two. We don't say it often enough - but we REALLY appreciate our customers - every single one of you!

The Holiday Season is Upon Us!

The holidays are coming, and with it the frenzy of shopping -- and shipping. At Pak Mail, we've already packed and shipped a number of Christmas packages for customers who plan much further in advance than I do! But if you will be sending gifts and goodies to friends or family across the state or across the country, it's wise to plan ahead - and ship ahead. Giving your packages plenty of time to get to their destination provides 2 important benefits:

1. It's less costly. You can send them via ground carrier rather than air, and know they'll still arrive in plenty of time.

2. You avoid having your packages get lost amid the confusion of the HUGE number of packages that get shipped during the last week or two before Christmas. That's when lost, damaged and delayed shipments are most likely to occur.

If you have any questions about holiday shipping deadlines, the best way to pack an item, or what it'll cost to get that box of goodies to your daughter in Dallas, give us a call at Pak Mail. We're here to make your holidays pleasant!

A Customer Service Experience

My husband and I went to dinner last night at a local restaurant, and had a very interesting customer service experience (not!). I ordered steak medium rare, and when I cut into it, it was medium to medium-well. The waitress volunteered to take it back. Two minutes later the chef appeared at our table with my plate in hand. "This steak is medium rare," he said. "If you wanted it cooked less, you should have ordered it rare." He then set the plate in front of me. Stunned, I looked at my husband and commented, "Obviously, I don't know how I like my steak cooked. "

Minutes later, the waitress was at our table, apologizing profusely. Assuring her we didn't hold her responsible, I said, "Too bad the owner doesn't know how his chef is treating customers." "He is the owner!" the waitress responded.

As the owner of Pak Mail, I can assure you that premium service is a critical aspect of the experience you have when you become our customer. This begins with the friendly greeting you'll get when you walk in the door; it continues with safely packaging your item and giving you the best rate for whatever you are shipping, and it doesn't end until your item has been delivered safely and on time. If there is a problem at any point with the shipment, we'll be your advocate with the carrier, and we'll take care of any problems or claims that may occur. Customer service is as important to us as it is to you, and if ever you are disappointed with the service you receive at Pak Mail, please let us know.

Recycle, Re-use, & Keep It Out of the Landfill

We take in a lot of used styrofoam peanuts at Pak Mail. We believe strongly in recycling, and if packing peanuts are clean and odor-free, we're happy to take 'em off your hands. In fact, we belong to the Plastic Loose Fill Council - a fancy name for packing peanuts. Better us than the landfill, which is too often the dumping ground of stuff that's not even worn out. Of course, that's changing -- with the tough economy, people are hanging on to things they once would have discarded without a second thought. Resale shops, Goodwill and other places that depend on "gently used" discards are reporting increased sales but decreased donations.

So yes, bring your peanuts to us - and while you're at it, check in your closets and garage for useful but no-longer-used items to donate to the charitable resale shop near you. They can use your stuff!