Friday, October 29, 2010

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy holloween, as this is coming up this Sunday, so please
be careful and watch out for all of those kids in costume and have fun.

Just not to much fun.

Small Move - freight

Matt finishing up a freight shipment here in Redondo last week. The customer saved several hundred dollars using our palatized small move. We ship anything anywhere.http://www.boxbros.com/small-moves





http://www.boxbros.com/redondo-beach-california
Box Brothers Redondo Beach OPEN 7 DAYS parking in rear. Visit us at boxbros.com

the ups and downs.......

I often take my role as President of Box Brothers, a bit to seriously--some people might say.
I cannot dispute that, really, as if I am guilty of anything, it is caring to much and not being
as selfish as I could be and as more other people are. I do not know why I am not like so many others, who are more selfish and self centered, but depending on how you look at it, I am either at a disadvantage or in a higher position.

Today, it did not really matter. I tried to take on a difficult customer, who we could have walked
away from, but chose not to. In hindsight, maybe I should have let that one get away, as they say, as I will be dealing with the aftermath for some time.

I think it is important to set the right example and to not back away cause it is easy or convenient, but to meet the challenge, head on. Sounds good, but the truth is somewhere out there and I am in it for the duration now.....

The shipment was delivered short, and there was some damage, and the wild thing about this is
that we have not had many, if any claims of this type all year. Normally, this would not be earth shattering news, but this customer is not only tough, but wants you to pay her to ship her goods, if you get my drift.

Fate has a way of showing up when you need it the least.....but I am proud to say that we will get this one done, and we will learn from it. I have the infrastructure to get it done and to get it done right, but when you have a customer who does not want to pay and you have any service failure, you have the right ingredients for a calamity, or a conflagration, depending upon your perspective.

Is it to much to ask for a little reasonableness? We shipped a metal item with UPS, and they returned it without the box and bent in half. We never got an explanation and then they blamed
us for the damage as they said it had non sufficient packaging.....this type of thing we can deal with, as the damage speaks for itself and we did package it or they would not have picked it up.

That is bureaucracy, or an example of how the service is passed off as routine, when in fact it is,
otherwise. In our case, how you communicate and try to be reasonable with someone who is not
able to be reasonable, is another matter. While my immediate situation is different, it is nothing
that a good firm can deal with, and I do hope that we can learn from this experience , so we can
avoid it in the future, but things do happen, and no one got hurt or sick and tv's can be easily replaced, but stress, that is another story.

Life goes on.

HD Double Wall Picture Boxes NEW SIZES

Heavy Duty Mirror / Picture Boxes

We have added 4 new sizes of Heavy duty Mirror / Picture boxes. These sturdy boxes are of double wall 200 lb test construction and are very strong. These are inside dimensions. These boxes can be telescoped easily for larger items.

24X6X18 - 30X6X24 36X6X30 44X6X33

When shipping artwork and other fragile items it is imperative to pack the items in a manner that they will survive the shipping process this includes but is not limited too stacking, being dropped, rough handling, movement by conveyor belt as well as other handling. Markings or labels on the outside of the box are not considered by the carriers. One needs to anticipate the possibility of the box being handled roughly in transit.

Our HD Mirror boxes exceed the requirements for ups and FedEx box burst strength. Items that are insurable need to be shipped in a box with at least a 200 lb test burst strength. These extra strong double wall containers make the chance of damage dramatically less. We sell a full line of packaging supplies.

Box Brothers Redondo Beach PARK IN REAR open 7 days. Visit us at Box brothers.com

Packed and shipped from SM1



You can see packing and shipping any kind of item is ez as 1 2 3 when you come to Box Brothers in Santa Monica ....Oh yeah we have quick delivery's also call us at 310-453-1532 or visit us at 2113 Wilshire Blvd.

More, Brian Taupin's to Canada!!!

More artwork being pack and shipped at box brothers of Santa Monica . International shipping we have over 25 years experience,Time tested packaging ... Call the Santa Monica store at 310-453-1532 or goto http://www.boxbros.com/












Thursday, October 28, 2010

Unsung Heroes.....

Just a few tidbits of info for a midweek blog, some good news, some bad news.....

A while ago, in a previous blog, I spoke about one of our managers, Chris Greene. I gave a lot
of credit to his training, to Ray of SM1, and after I posted that blog, I got reminded that Ray was not the only box brother who deserved some credit for making Chris the manager he is today
(please see the blog entry right before this to get a sample of his customer service...). Jorgen
Gilcrease, our longest term employee, who has worked for us since he was out of high school,
did a lot of work with Chris and he is also responsible for Chris' success today.

I owe Jorgen an apology, as he has always been there for us, and all I can say is that there is not
one other person in the world like Jorgen. We love you, and we also realize, you will never change. Keep up the great work.

The other news I have is not very good. Marianna Carlson got bad news that her grandmother,
at 91, passed away today. Marianna will be leaving shortly to attend the funeral, back in Delaware, and I know that she and her staff can count on all of us in the Box Brothers family to help and support the Inglewood staff, and Marianna, during this difficult time.

Families get good and bad news, but the point is that we are there to help and provide support
to our own.

See you on the blog tomorrow.
Mark

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Yahoo Review Box Brothers Woodland Hills

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
by Kathy 10/27/2010
Moving sucks, BOX BROTHERS DOESN'T. I'm moving back East and wanted a low cost, efficient company to help me ship my books, clothes, computer, and small items. Box Brothers has been a GOD SEND! Chris Greene came to my home, gave me a detailed estimate, explained what would happen and has bent over backwards--gone above and beyond to give me GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, and just plain made this move easy, smooth and stress free. Don't use anyone else. They're top notch all the way around. And their shipping products are A+++. Before I consulted with Chris, I purchased some boxes and shipping materials from Home Depot: big mistake. They're products are flimsy and inferior to what Box Brothers offers. Do yourself a favor: JUST USE BOX BROTHERS.

Fall in Las Vegas.....
















Happy Halloween to everybody.... The 874 emails wondering when my next Blog was coming, is all that it took to get me motivated for this Fall edition.... As the colors of the trees start changing and the leaves start falling..... I start typing and taking photos..... Mark and Goody came out to Vegas last week and as always was a pleasure to see them in the stores...... Cowboy is making Ponchos for the cold weather days ahead..... In the photo he is demonstrating how fashionable the Poncho is to wear during the morning working hours.... I think he should have left his hat on..... Hat head Poncho wearing cowboy......... Only in Vegas.... We picked up from the World Market Center, MGM Grand Hotel, Versace @ City Center, Howard Hughes Plaza, did deliveries to Wynn Hotel, Encore Hotel, Planet Hollywood and Caesars Hotel and Casino..... All of this was done on Monday..... Jacob and Cowboy went above and beyond to knock it all out by 5pm..... Now we are processing all of these shipment to get it all packed and shipped to it's final destination..... If there's anything you purchase in Las Vegas, doesn't necessarily need to stay in Vegas........ Call Box Brothers and we will pack it and ship it........ Be safe while tricking or treating..... http://www.boxbros.com

Box Brothers Woodland Hills

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
by Kathy
10/27/2010
Moving sucks, BOX BROTHERS DOESN'T. I'm moving back East and wanted a low cost, efficient company to help me ship my books, clothes, computer, and small items. Box Brothers has been a GOD SEND! Chris Greene came to my home, gave me a detailed estimate, explained what would happen and has bent over backwards--gone above and beyond to give me GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE, and just plain made this move easy, smooth and stress free. Don't use anyone else. They're top notch all the way around. And their shipping products are A+++. Before I consulted with Chris, I purchased some boxes and shipping materials from Home Depot: big mistake. They're products are flimsy and inferior to what Box Brothers offers. Do yourself a favor: JUST USE BOX BROTHERS.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The best labels in the country for moving !!!!


"Tag-A-Room™ Labeling System" starts by setting a plan prior to your move.

Color Coded Moving Labels.

By organizing the loading and unloading of your goods, you decrease damages and injury, plus conserve your personal energy and time. This labeling system is also great for keeping your stored items identified and organized for a later date.

Make sure your friends and movers know which room to place your furniture and boxes in. These labels take the guesswork out of your move.

Tag-A-Room Moving Labels are the moving industry's efficiency standard. Order them through our affiliate by clicking here.
http://www.boxbros.com/
All labels are color-coded and designed for specific rooms throughout the home/office. The labels are used to identify the room where each item is to be placed.

You can label boxes as well as furniture. This will save time during the unloading process by avoiding any confusion on the placement of your items and making the most of every trip into the new place.

Plan your new home/office layout early
Mark each doorway in your new home/office with the appropriate label for each room. Item labels are provided with the office kit. Place labels on the floor or walls, identifying where large furniture or equipment should be placed. Now, simply take items to their designated rooms.http://www.tagaroom.com

Microsoft Skills 2000 ...the internet is here to stay

Friday, October 22, 2010

All in a week......

This was to be a week, without a lot of problems, issues, or
personnel issues. Wow, was I wrong....you can never plan on what is
going to happen, in the box and transportation business.....

We had a problem with a shipper in the northwest, but I am happy to say--at this
point--it is on the way towards getting resolved.

I have been called to lax when these matters comes up, and I do operate on the premise
that when people are upset, that their concerns are legitimate and they are not working me
for a deal. a lot of people do this, they never let go as their goal is not to get the service,
and get it done right, but their goal is to not pay for the service or not pay the full price of
the service.

Ask me, I joke that most of these people are from New York, but that is a personal bias.......

The truth is that people like this come from all over, not just New York. Not sure how or why
they get off on beating others down, but I have had our share of customers who could care less
about empathy, fairness or even getting a good service, if they get their price, or their way.

I am not sure how or why this is, but it is not possible to please these people, or solve their issues
unless and until they get what they want. I do not really understand, and I truly live for the concept of the golden rule, but I just think that the focus has to be on the service provided.

I was able to solve this matter, at this point, but what I am amazed at is that most people have a hard time dealing with customers, when there is an issue. For me, I just think the place you need to be is where you can speak to the customer and they understand your position and work with it. There is and always will be middle ground, and eventually, you get there, but the emotions have to actually diminish before you can get a problem resolved.

The key is to understand that both parties have to come away with something and both have to give, or the matter is simply about them getting a deal, not fairness to both. As I have said in this blog before, large monopolistic firms do not get it, or if they do get it, they insulate themselves to not have to speak to their customers, and they hide behind their customer service
people, all the time. Ask me, the rarest thing to find is a corporate officer of a large firm who will speak to a customer, as I have tried and tried to speak to an officer of the firms I do business with and without fail, I have not ever been able to do so.

Maybe they cannot reach out to everyone, but that is not the customer's problem, and it is not fair for them to hide behind people in cubicles to carry out their stupid and unfriendly rules
and procedures, and this is largely what is wrong with business in America. They get to big to care about their customers. They act like you cannot when you have a customer in front of you.

As I said, I am just pleased that I try to work with each and every customer who has an issue and sincerely try to resolve these issues, each time they come up. I think we have a great company, since I do not have to do this often, considering how large our customer base is.

So this is a way to say thanks to all of the box brothers, for taking care of your customers and for
not giving me much work in this area.

Have a good weekend.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

More Fine Art packing at Box Brothers Woodland Hills


This is a photo of yet another piece of fine art (matter of opinion) brought into Box Brothers Woodland Hills to be packed. We can pack and ship anything here in Woodland Hills. Box Brothers Woodland Hills, 22512 Ventura Blvd. between Shoup and Fallbrook (818) 224-4661 and ask for Chris

Box Brothers Woodland Hills packs and ships Art!


A local art enthusiast here in Woodland Hills had her valuable pieces of art packed here at Woodland Hills this week. We will be shipping these items freight to Connecticut next week. Need something packed and shipped? Call Box Brothers Woodland Hills 22512 Ventura Blvd. between Shoup and Fallbrook (818) 224-4661 and ask for Chris.

Profiles in History..."Lost" auction items part 5

All aboard Box Brothers Woodland Hills airlines!!! j/k Here is a photo of the airline seats from the television show "Lost". These two rows of seats will be packed and shipped freight here at Box Brothers Woodland Hills by me (Chris). Need something packed and shipped? Call Box Brothers, Woodland Hills, 22512 Ventura Blvd, between Shoup and Fallbrook (818) 224-4661.

Getting into the Halloween Spirit at Box Brothers Inglewood!!!!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Bouchercon Mystery Writer's Convention

Rick and Bill worked the Bouchercon Mystery Book convention last weekend at the Hyatt Embarcadero in SF. Thousands of attendees, scores of novelists, hundreds of books to ship, and two Box Brothers. Over two days we ended up with a van chock full of book boxes, floor to ceiling, wall to wall.
Turned into a large pile of shipments that we are still processing in the SF Store!



Thanks to Kim Kraybill for hooking us up with this opportunity, and way to go Rick, who really put his back into this one!

Sunday, October 17, 2010

It's a perfect day in San Francisco

I wanted to thank Bill and all the people at Box brothers in SF, i received my shipment and everything is intact and perfect -the way I left it, thanks so much!!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Profiles in History..."Lost" auction items part 4



Here are some photographs of the 4th wave of auction items from the TV show "Lost". These items were picked up from Hollywood Storage in Newbury Park and the Profiles in History offices in Calabasas. They were packed and shipped freight from Box Brothers Woodland Hills.
Box Brothers Woodland Hills, 22512 Ventura Blvd., between Shoup and Fallbrook. (818) 224-4661 www.boxbros.com

Slow Trucks On Tour

Well, it's that time again. time for me to abandon the forts, ditch the good fight, go AWOL off the base and moonlight as a rock star again. I leave for a ten day tour on Wednesday the 20th.
If you'd like to see where we're going and how much fun we'll have, here's a couple of links to keep in touch.
Thanks again to Box Brothers for providing me with the opportunity to follow my passion and still keep a great job. It just proves, once again, that we're a family here. Here's our tour flyer and a photo of us in action!






Thursday, October 14, 2010

Indian Summer


Commuted from SF to Oakland during this amazing sunrise. We don't get clouds like this in the Bay Area very often. Trying to enjoy this heat wave, which is a lot easier now that we're not upstairs in the old sauna office.
While this sunrise is beautiful to look at, the underlying message is that Bill really DOES get up early!
Go NorCal!

She loves to shop @ Box Bros. Santa Monica Ca.


We pack & ship anything, anywhere. From small items to the entire household. We do not turn down any business. We packed and shipped 4 mannequins last week, but this particular one came back just to shop.

If you need to pack, ship and insure, give us a call @ 310) 453-1532. We're at 2113 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, Ca. 90403, between 21st & 22nd on the north side of the street.

Santa Barbara brothers boxes anything

Vegas in Fall......
















As Fall creeps into the Vegas Valley there is still plenty of work to be done..... Zach (Cowboy) hooked up a nice account for us...... This customer orders 30 bags of 14 cu' peanuts every two months..... He doesn't like the standard peanuts and recommends the environmentally safe biodegradable peanuts..... It's a good thing to know that clients are willing to spend a little extra to help the environment...... As Box Brothers moves forward, we are looking into recycled materials to help out as well..... Now that it's Fall, we have other things to do here in Vegas like go to the sports book and watch all the football games we want..... My son has been playing football for the first time and seems to really enjoy his team and the game itself...... Here are a few photos of Vegas in Fall.......

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

West Hollywood gets shade packed

Hi David,

We received the shades today, you did a wonderful packing job!

Thank you very much,


Mary Valentine

mailto:dferguson@boxbros.com
box brothers west hollywood
310-854-0542

leaving las vegas

My two sisters and I had a great experience at Box Bros. while visiting Las Vegas. Our aunt recommended sending back some things she gave us using your store on Torrey Pines - your manager, Brian Turpin, actually made the experience fun! Thank you! Janelle F.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Shipping With Box Bros Pays

Packing Saint Michael











Renaissance man Cesar crated this lovely piece one of our regular clients bought from Bonhams and Butterfields. http://boxbros.com or call us for a free quote at (800) 474-SHIP
( 7447 )