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July/August 2009
Welcome to the latest issue of Nutraceutical
News from IFS. We are delighted to introduce you to another great IFS
client – Kimball & Young, Inc., a successful provider of high
quality mirrors from Dublin, CA. The Marketing Column
stresses the importance of carefully targeting your marketing
strategies during tough economic times. In the Customer Service Corner,
we discuss the important role satisfied employees play in having
satisfied customers. And as the dog days of summer settle in, you will
learn more about the importance of having a warehouse facility that
guarantees temperature control in the Fulfillment Tip.
For more information about the content found
here or about any of our products and services, you can always visit
our website, www.ifssolutions.com.
To share your feedback about this newsletter, please click here.
To unsubscribe, please use the link at the end of this issue.
IN THIS ISSUE:
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Client Profile: Kimball-Young, Inc.
Kimball & Young, Inc., of Dublin, CA, has been selling high
quality mirrors in North America since the mid-1980s. The company’s
products include wall and vanity mirrors, make-up mirrors, and hand and
travel mirrors with a range of magnification and a variety of
long-lasting finishes. In addition to being available by catalog,
on-line and in such retail stores as Bed Bath and Beyond, Kimball
& Young products are in demand in high-end hotels like Hilton,
Starwood, Ritz-Carlton and Trump Hotels, as well as resort properties
in Dubai and Macau.
When dealing with such a varied distribution network, maintaining
excellent customer service had always been a hallmark for company
President Christy Winter. Until about a year ago, all aspects of the
San Francisco Bay area-business were handled in-house, “to make sure
that everything was done to our standards,” Christy explained.
In December 2007, Christy did some research about the fulfillment
business through a Google Search. She made inquires to about 20
companies to learn more about available services and to find a possible
resource to support her company’s sales efforts. In spite of it being
the busy holiday season, she soon received a reply from IFS President
Keith Milburn.
Within minutes of beginning their conversation, Christy knew that Keith
“got it,” she said. “He clearly understood what concerns I would have
and explained that IFS had the systems and processes in place to fill
all our business needs.”
Not wanting to leave anything to chance, Christy decided to give IFS a
try by sending them some of Kimball & Youngs’ most challenging
products as a trial. “I figured if they could handle orders for these
SKUs, they could handle our other products just fine,” she explained.
To her delight, IFS handled the orders, fulfillment and customer
service issues beautifully.
Since they started using IFS for all fulfillment services a year ago,
Christy says that the company has more than met expectations regarding
their level of customer service and accuracy in filling and shipping
orders. “The transition to IFS has been as seamless as I could have
wanted,” she said.
“Keith and his staff have maintained the same level of attention to
detail and service that my staff in California had established for our
customers,” she continued. “In fact, we have seen less variance in our
inventory and fewer shipping errors than when we were doing the
fulfillment ourselves. This has generated strong credibility for IFS
among my staff and has made the transition much easier for everyone.”
Keith enjoys working with Kimball & Young, Inc. “We are
delighted to have added Kimball & Young’s products to our
existing client mix. Their high quality mirrors are very complementary
with the other companies we serve and it is a pleasure to work with
their team."
For more information on Kimball & Young, Inc., visit www.kimballyoung.com.
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Marketing Tip
Make Sure You're Using the Right Marketing Strategies
As the economy continues to lag, companies are maintaining their
vigilance on cutting costs and boosting efficiencies to help stabilize
profitability during the summer doldrums. And while many economists are
pointing to small signs of recovery, concerns around unemployment rates
and sluggish retail sales make this a good time to revisit your
marketing strategies to make sure that you are spending your resources
wisely to get your products in the hands of interested consumers.
sodafish
Why do customers prefer your product?
Is it for quality, value, novelty or
excellent service? Find out why
your customers choose to purchase your product over the competition.
Then, make sure your marketing and advertising efforts focus on the
benefits of your product and why consumers prefer it over competing
alternatives.
If you have other products that might be of interest to a certain
audience, make it a point to introduce them. Send samples, offer an
incentive or free-trial for a certain period of time, or reward
customers who offer testimonials and refer business to you.
Where
did your customers hear about your product?
Asking your customers this simple question can possibly save you a
substantial amount of money on advertising. If you are buying print
advertisements in newspapers and magazines while your customers are
surfing the internet to find information on the products they are
seeking, not only are you missing your target audience, you’re wasting
dollars that you could be investing much more wisely to keep active
customers and reach new ones. Remember, more and more consumers are
relying on social networking sites to get information and referrals on
the hottest product trends. Find out how to use this to your advantage.
How
does your product compare with the competition?
Take a look at your competition. How does your product compare as far
as packaging, price, quality and guarantees? Have you received concerns
from customers about any of these issues? Are there changes you can
make to update or improve your line? If you haven’t been paying
attention, you may be losing your share of the market. Take a good look
at your product. Find its best attributes and use your marketing
resources to position a compelling message directly to the audience
that will benefit most.
As the old adage stresses, it is easier to keep existing customers than
to attract new ones. If you use the correct strategies to stay in touch
with current customers and make sure they are satisfied with your
product, you will reap the benefits of not only keeping them for the
long-term but perhaps gaining additional business through referrals.
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Customer Service Corner
Satisfied Employees Lead to Satisfied Customers
digitalskillet Much is written today about how to keep
customers satisfied with every aspect of your business. Without
exception, one of the most effective ways your company can keep and
maintain happy customers is to retain employees who are happy with
their jobs and care about their working conditions.
If employees are happy with their environment and their relationship
with their co-workers and managers, they will incorporate these
feelings into everything they do while on-the-job – dealing with your
customers, vendors and business partners. And while you may assume that
their paycheck is what keeps them loyal to your company, you might be
surprised to learn that there are several other factors that keep them
satisfied and committed to helping your business thrive.
It’s not unusual for companies to survey their customers to find out
how well internal staff are handling all aspects of the business, but
by taking the time to get input from employees, you may find out about
problems you didn’t know you had that are causing your “stars” to look
for greener pastures in the near future.
Does
your facility inspire productivity?
By creating a work environment that motivates and energizes your
employees, you are investing in a long-term established work force that
knows your company’s business and its customers. Satisfied employees
are more productive and are interested in creating a successful
experience for your customers – to keep them coming back to do business
with you. On the flip side, every time you are forced to replace an
unhappy employee, it is taking productive time away from you as you
struggle to find just the right replacement.
So, what will it take to know if your
employees are satisfied? The
answer is simple – ask them. Employees who have the opportunity to
voice their opinion on key decisions that affect their work environment
feel respected and valued. And while money plays a key role in employee
satisfaction, it also means a great deal to people to know they are
being treated fairly and that their opinions are considered when
decisions that affect their working conditions are made.
Once you have obtained feedback from your
employees, use it! Even if
you aren’t able to complete all of the requests the responses uncover,
it is imperative to report the results to employees. You will have
gotten input on areas that your staff identifies as needing attention
and even if you don’t agree, you need to address their concerns. No
matter how well the idea of a survey is accepted by your staff, if you
don’t follow-up on the responses, the document is of little value to
your organization and could actually do more harm than good.
In an industry where customer satisfaction
is paramount to success, it
is vital to maintain a happy workforce that reflects the culture of
your company to your existing and potential customers.
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Fulfillment Tip
Does Your Warehouse Provide Adequate Temperature Controls for Your Products?
tomczykbartek
Even in parts of the country where summer conditions seem relatively
mild for the most part, an unexpected heat wave, high humidity or a
prolonged power outage can affect product quality; especially when
warehouse space is not climate controlled to maintain temperatures
between 60 and 77 degrees, the range agreed upon by manufacturers to be
safe for these products.
“At IFS, we understand the unique storage requirements for
Nutraceutical and Cosmeceutical products,” said President Keith
Milburn. “Our warehouse is climate controlled with an on-site monitor
that advises us of the temperature and humidity ranges.”
In addition, a back-up generator on the premises ensures constant
conditions should a power outage occur at anytime. “While warehouses in
moderate temperature locations assume that they will be able to
maintain safe conditions for sensitive products, we can guarantee that
our warehouse will maintain the ranges specified by the industry to
ensure products retain their quality while waiting to be shipped to
their final destinations,” Milburn concluded.
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IFS is a world class, full service fulfillment operation with a track record of success. A woman-owned business, we proudly serve some of the country's most respected corporations. With a special expertise in the fulfillment of nutraceuticals, we can help you run your nutraceuticals business more efficiently and more cost effectively.
Innovative Fulfillment Solutions
4346 Belgium Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64150
www.ifssolutions.com
Toll Free: 1-888-275-3000
Local: 816-587-5880
Fax: 816-587-5881
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