New Feature - Wild Apricot Today Mar... · New Feature: A Little Something Extra By Marty Johnson Store Experience By Fahim Mojawalla Store Tour: Send it Packin’ ... By Nancy Friedman

mbc todayambc.org #AMBC4ME

New Feature:A Little Something ExtraBy Marty Johnson

Store ExperienceBy Fahim Mojawalla

Store Tour: Send it Packin’ in Youngstown, OHBy Seema Mojawalla

charmaine m. Fennie memorial ScholarshipApplication deadline: May 1

common Sense Tips for Great customer ServiceBy Nancy Friedman

Ask Uncle marty™

By Marty Johnson

The voice of the mail and business center industry since 1982 Volume 19 Issue 2 | March/April 2017

“People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” – Simon Sinek

Questions?Association of Mail & Business Centers has trained staff

available to answer questions regarding your membership.

Please contact Member Services at:

815-316-8255

MondAy – FridAy8:00 am – 5:00 pm CT

[email protected]

2058 n Mills Ave #626, Claremont, CA 91711www.ambc.org

www.findashippingstore.com

2 – MBC Today | March/April 2017 | www.ambc.org

Copyright 2017 by Association of Mail & Business CentersAll Rights Reserved. Trademarks AMBC and MBC Today used

under license from Association of Mail & Business Centers

Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ambctodayFollow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ambctoday

4 News&Information ....................................................................................................

5 CharmaineM.FennieMemorialScholarship Application deadline May 1, 2017 ....................................................................................................

6 2017EventSchedule ....................................................................................................

8 ALittleSomethingExtra by Marty Johnson ....................................................................................................

14 StoreExperience by Fahim Mojawalla ....................................................................................................

16 StoreVisit:SenditPackin’inYoungstown,OH by Seema Mojawalla ....................................................................................................

18 MBCFunnies ....................................................................................................

20 AskUncleMarty™ by Marty Johnson ....................................................................................................

22 WePackedThisModel Sailboat submitted by Jim Munson, Mt. Plaza Mail Pac & Ship, Hemet, CA ....................................................................................................

23 CommenSenseTipsforGreatCustomerService by Nancy Friedman ....................................................................................................

24 ClearCustomsEasily by FedEx®

....................................................................................................

26 AMBCNOT4ProfitForum(formerlyHotTalk) ....................................................................................................

30 AMBCVendorDirectory&OptInPrograms ....................................................................................................

A Publication of

AssociationofMail&BusinessCentersFOUNDER, JIMBAER

BOARD OF DiRECTORs: ExECUTivE DiRECTOR, SARAHROHDE

TREAsURER & DiRECTOR OF FREighT, JEFFBALLANTYNEsECRETARy & DiRECTOR OF MARkETiNg, MARTYJOHNSON

DiRECTOR OF sOCiAl MEDiA, FAHIMMOJAWALLADiRECTOR OF iNNOvATiON, SEEMAMOJAWALLA

2058 N Mills Ave #626 | Claremont, CA 91711

phone: 815.316.8255

fax: 866.314.2672

AMBCWEBSITE: www.ambc.org

PREsiDENT/ExECUTivE DiRECTOR, SARAHROHDE

EDiTOR: Ellen Peters, [email protected]

CONTRiBUTiNg WRiTERs:NancyFriedman|MartyJohnson

FahimMojawalla|SeemaMojawalla

MBC Today is distributed bi-monthly to members of theAssociation of Mail & Business Centers by electronic delivery and a print

copy is mailed to AMBC members at Classic level or above.

DISPLAYADVERTISINGand/orAMBCSUPPLIERMEMBERINFORMATION:Contact [email protected]

815-316-8255

PERMISSIONS:Materials in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for

reprint permission should be directed to [email protected].

AMBC iNC. sTAFF & sERviCEs DiRECTORyExECUTivE DiRECTOR, SARAHROHDE,[email protected] OF OPERATiONs, KIMCONBOY,[email protected]

TREAsURER/AMBC FREighT DiRECTOR, JEFFBALLANTYNE,[email protected]/ DiRECTOR OF MARkETiNg, MARTYJOHNSON,[email protected]

DiRECTOR OF sOCiAl MEDiA, FAHIMMOJAWALLA,[email protected] OF iNNOvATiON, SEEMAMOJAWALLA,[email protected]

TECh MiNiON, MIKEDILLON,[email protected] ADvisOR, MADDIEROHDE,[email protected]

mbc

The voice of the mail & business industry since 1982

www.ambc.orgtoday

today

MBC Today | March/April 2017 | www.ambc.org – 3

News from Headquarters

Sarah Rohde Executive Director

Voice Lessons“The word ‘vocation’ is rooted in the Latin for ‘voice.’ Vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear. Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”

–Parker Palmer, Let your Life Speak.

A dear friend recently shared this quote with me and it reminded me of how intri-cately our passion for things outside our businesses can and should be woven into our vocations. Many of the most successful mail and business center owners know exactly who they are and how they can fit their own personal style and pas-sions into their businesses AND their communities.

Unfortunately, when our business takes up more and more of our energy, resourc-es, and time, we often forget WHY we went into this business in the first place. It is also easy to get stuck in a rut of “sameness” without looking around to see if there is something new that could infuse new life and vigor to our “voice.” Many owners focus so much on increasing their bottom lines, they stop looking for ways to engage and give back to their communities.

At a town hall meeting during a recent training event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I was excited to witness a wonderful free flowing exchange of ideas among a crowd of store owners – most of whom were 40+ years of age! Lively discussions about the use of social media, marketing, millennials, and drop offs led to multiple “aha” moments.

I encourage each of you to take advantage of these live training events throughout the US this year. Both PC Synergy® and ShipRite™ are offering multiple opportuni-ties for business owners and staff to receive the most up-to-date software train-ing. AMBC will be hosting a webinar on “Form I-9 signing” in March as well as a live hands-on social media and marketing workshop in October. Don’t miss these opportunities to re-ignite your passion, update your business plan, and fine tune your voice.

What are your personal passions and skills? How are you infusing your business with these gifts? I look forward to seeing and hearing from you on the road! l


As a member-owned non-profit association, our focus is to inspire our members to achieve their full potential.

We share extensive, coordinated resources for success through advocacy, certification, and training.

NEWS&INFORMATION

from AMBC Headquarters

March AMBC SNAFU Cards Special!Now through March, SNAFU Greeting Cards will be giving away FREE displays to AMBC members!

Just order our 36-pocket floor display (or one of our larger displays), fill each pocket with a half-dozen cards and get the display for free! Depending on the size display, that’s $100 savings or more for you!

On top of that, we’d also like to give you NET 60 terms on your order!

Give Scott a call at 651-698-8581 to take advantage of this great deal. Or order at www.SnafuDesigns.com or mail in an order form. Make note on your order: “AMBC Special”. Your order and savings will be confirmed with a phone call to you.

Scott Austin | SNAFU Greeting Cardswww.SnafuDesigns.com2500 University Avenue West, Suite E4St. Paul, MN 55114651-698-8581

***Press Release

Walgreens and FedEx Team Up to Offer FedEx Dropoff and Pickup at Thousands of Walgreens Locations NationwideWalgreens and FedEx customers to benefit from addi-tional convenient and secure delivery locations

MEMPHIS, Tenn., and DEERFIELD, Ill., Jan 11, 2017—FedEx Corp. and Walgreen Co., one of the nation’s larg-est drugstore chains, announced a long-term alliance agreement that will offer convenient access to FedEx dropoff and pickup services at thousands of Walgreens locations across the United States beginning within the next several months.

By bringing together Walgreens convenient network of retail locations across the country and FedEx as one of

the leading enablers of the rapidly growing e-commerce economy, this new alliance will significantly expand the options available to consumers to drop off and pick up their FedEx shipments and handle multiple tasks during a single store visit. As part of the FedEx Onsite™ pro-gram, customers will be able to drop off pre-packaged and pre-labeled shipments at Walgreens stores and pick up packages that they direct to their neighborhood Walgreens.

After an initial, small-scale rollout this spring, Walgreens and FedEx expect to have the program available at thou-sands of Walgreens locations later this calendar year and chainwide at nearly 8,000 Walgreens stores by the fall of 2018.

Read the full press release at: http://tinyurl.com/hf84t59

***

Sign Up for Cayan cc processing and Get $100 Toward AMBC RenewalCayan, formerly Merchant Warehouse, offers our mem-bers tremendous rates on processing. AMBC will put $100 toward AMBC membership renewal. $100 incentive just for trying Cayan! The Genius terminal scans the cred-it card and determines the best interchange rate for your store for each individual credit card. Store owners with the Cayan and Genius terminals are already reporting tre-mendous savings on their credit card processing rates.

The best part is that it is a risk free offer. They are so sure you will love it, there is no minimum contract time, you can cancel at any time. They have live tech support to help walk you through the transition. The new Apple Pay interface on the Genius terminal is a real winner for smart phone users, and these terminals are in compli-ance with the new technology required in October when the smart chips become a full time reality. Are you prepared? Call us today and we’ll help you start saving money right away!

If you are using ShipRite Software as your current POS system, go to http://tinyurl.com/ox4q7tk to learn about the rates and benefits of switching to Cayan.If you are using PostalMate or ReSource for your current POS system, go to http://tinyurl.com/pghbk6f to learn about the new Genius System, rates and benefits of switching to Cayan.

(continued on next page)


The Charmaine M. Fennie Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2003 in memory of the owner and president of Associated Mail and Parcel Centers, Inc., (now, Association of Mail & Business Centers).

Mrs. Fennie was an accomplished business leader, musician and writer. Her leadership of the national trade associa-tion for the Mail and Parcel Industry spanned a decade and provided a legacy of industry improvements and innova-tions. Her ability to effectively communicate and interject humor in all aspects of the human condition have forever endeared her in the hearts of thousands of independent retail shipping center operators across the country.

Her memory and our appreciate for her contributions are aptly served through the Scholarship program and its invest-ment in future generations.

The scholarship award program is open to any employee or family member of a Mail and Business Center, who has applied for or has been accepted in an institution of higher education (college, trade school, etc.), or is currently a registered student in good standing at an institution of higher education. Proof of acceptance by an institution of high education must be provided prior to delivery of any awards.

Application deadline: May 1, 2017

The application can be downloaded at https://ambc1.wildapricot.org/Scholarship l

Charmaine M. Fennie Memorial Scholarship

AMBC Freight Program website updatedRepeat users will see some major changes in the layout for both the quote page and the ship page.

I have added location types that will help eliminate pric-ing errors when you are quoting or shipping to or from different locations.

Limited access is becoming more and more prevalent, and the carriers are charging for it. So please have a quick look at your location type, we have everything from commercial location WITH a loading dock or forklift to carnivals and fair grounds. Please make sure you select the proper locations.

Carriers are being picky about weights that the drivers handle, in most cases any single item over 70 lbs the driver can refuse to handle without a loading dock or forklift available. When delivering to a location (business or residence) the carriers tariffs state that absent of load-ing dock or mechanical means to load/unload. “The ship-per loads, and consignee unloads.”

The system will now remove questions and choices based on prior answers. If you select that you have a dock or forklift then the system won’t offer you liftgate pickup. I am trying to simplify the system and protect the users all at the same time.

The more users we have the better our rates will be.

Jeff BallantyneAMBC FreightPackFreight [email protected] l


PostalMate Regional TrainingMarch 4–5, 2017Metro New York

AMBC I-9 form webinarMarch 14, 201711:00 am - 12:00 pm ETDave Basham (Sr. Outreach-USCIS) will be conducting this webinar for AMBC members regarding the new I-9 form coming out.To join the meeting: http://uscisconnect.connectsolutions.com/ambc-i9/Conference Number(s): 866.928.2008Participation Code: 998957

PostalMate Regional TrainingMay 6–7, 2017 | Charlotte, NC

ShipRite Regional Training June 10–11, 2017 | Las Vegas, NV$99, lunches provided

PostalMate Regional TrainingJuly 8–9, 2017 | Chicago, IL

ShipRite Regional Training July 15–16, 2017 | Dallas/Ft Worth, TX$99, lunches provided

PostalMate Regional TrainingJuly 22–23, 2017 | Northern California

ShipRite Regional Training August 12–13, 2017 | Orlando, FL$99, lunches provided

ShipRite Regional Training September 15–17, 2017 | Utica, NYAt ShipRite headquarters.$99, lunches and dinners provided. Golf and a brewery tour.

PostalMate Regional TrainingOctober 14–15, 2017 | Biloxi, MS

AMBC Fall Regional TrainingOctober 28–29, 2017 | Grand Island, NY

PostalMate Regional TrainingNovember 4–5, 2017 | San Diego, CA

2017EVENTSCHEDULEas of press time…

More details as events near. City and dates are subject to change.

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I was away the other day when a client came in and told my co-worker how much she appreciated doing business at our shop. She said that her dad owned a small business for many years and made a practice to always

“surprise the customer with a little something extra they aren’t expecting.” She felt that same ideology in the way we do business, and it really touched me to have that acknowledged. Because certainly, that’s exactly what we strive to do at Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office.

The compliment she paid us was a little something extra that we weren’t expecting. You see, the philosophy is reciprocal. And since then I’ve been making note of some of the little something extras we receive.

…

Guadalupe Ccalloccunto Olano disappeared in Peru on June 10, 1990, allegedly taken from her mother’s home by a group of armed men in the middle of the night. She left her four children and niece behind. To this day, her case remains active and her story has not been forgotten.

A very kindhearted gentleman who was close to Guadalupe is still doing what he can to help find her. He recently sent important documents and cassettes to a remote town in Peru where an investigation is taking place, and we were able to find a solution to get the case materials there securely. Grateful, and wanting to share Guadalupe’s story with us, he gave us a little something extra—a photograph of Guadalupe to serve as a reminder of how we were able to be a part of something very important.

This photo was a gift, and not one we were expecting. It touched me and reminded me that we don’t just ship people’s stuff. We solve problems. We facilitate progress. We share stories. We connect people. We spread joy. We surprise. We offer solutions in a world full of confusion. We give to our com-munities, and they give back tenfold.

…

Jo calls the shots in the Department of Architecture at a local university. When I first opened, she reached out and asked if we could handle shipping a very unusual large item to Singapore—a giant metal ceiling tile from the department’s building that they were sending to the building’s architect as a thank you gift. With ease and efficiency, I picked up the tile from her office and a few days later it was safely in Singapore … much to everyone’s delight.

Jo found us because she needed expert packing and shipping, and once she saw our brochure—which I naturally dropped off when I picked up the ceiling tile from her office—she realized that we do printing too. So she soon asked if we could help her department print books that they need for semi-annual committee meetings at the school’s local campus, at the campus in New York City, and at the campus in Rome.

After a few years of printing fabulous books for Jo, she announced her retire-ment. But before she left, she sent a message to the school’s administrative

ALittleSomethingExtraBy Marty Johnson

listserv with a glowing recommen-dation for my business. That one email—a little something extra—was worth more than any advertis-ing I could ever dream of doing in this community.

And Jo, though retired, is certainly not done advocating for us. When she subs for another campus administrator out on leave, she makes sure to familiarize her new officemates with our services. And I continue to print and ship for the Department of Architecture and many other departments … because I do it faster, better, and cheaper than on-campus resources. Reviews and recommendations keep flowing and Jo, dear Jo, was the catalyst.

…

Mohammad is one of my very favorite people. He’s a student from Saudi Arabia and a true pleasure to do business with. Every time he’s in the store he asks about my family and sends greetings to my mom, his special pal whom he’s never forgot-ten since the time she waited on him.

For the past couple of years, I’ve enjoyed helping Mohammad ship packages to his wife at her office in Riyadh while she waited for her American visa to be processed so she could join him here. Their wish recently came true and she was finally able to come over. Mohammad couldn’t wait for her to meet us, so they came in shortly after she arrived and the joy on their faces brought me joy too. And they didn’t come empty handed

(continued on page 10)

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either. They brought a little something extra—a package of delectable Saudi Arabian dried dates. My goodness, they were delicious!

A few days later, Djamal, who owns the tech repair store on my block, brought in some more dates. These dates were fresh, still connected to their branch, carried back specially in his luggage from his recent trip home to Algeria. They, and he, were very sweet. I guess you could say I’ve had pretty good luck getting dates lately. ;)

…

Stephanie and Kristi are BFFs and have been loyal clients and advocates of mine since I opened. Stephanie no longer lives in our neighborhood, but still makes a con-certed effort to visit here as often as she can. She recently downsized her home and selflessly donated four carloads of amazing items to Cancer Crushers, the charity that I co-captain, for our gigantic annual yard sale hosted at my home every summer.

Kristi manages a number of student apartments here in town. Often, when a student moves out, they leave quite a bit behind for the apartment managers to “just throw out.” But most of it is good stuff—newish small appliances, clothing, plastic drawer sets, kitchenware, etc.—so Kristi calls me and I pick up the left-behind goodies to add to the yard sale agglomeration.

As if Stephanie and Kristi’s gener-osity and community spirit weren’t grand enough, the dynamic duo stopped in on Valentine’s Day with a little something extra—a bag of homemade treats with a heart-

SOMEThING ExTRA…Continued from page 8

Stephanie, Marty, and Kristi.


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shaped handwritten note of gratitude attached. They bring these packages of love around every year to their favorite small businesses and neighbors to thank them for making our community stronger. This year’s note said,

“You’re appreciated!”

…

Guadalupe’s photo is by my desk now, sitting next to other tchotchkes I’ve accumulated over the years, includ-ing my all-time favorite—a stuffed squirrel given to me by a Thai client who, through broken English misinter-preted something I said, thought I loved squirrels, and wanted to bring me one. Mohammad and Djamal’s dates and Kristi and Stephanie’s treats are long gone, but the savor of their kind gestures remains.

When you give a little something extra with no expecta-tion of return, the returns are better than you could have expected. This is truth.

So keep giving; keep investing. You’ll be glad you did. l

Marty Johnson keeps shop at Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office in Ithaca, NY, where he’s also Co-Founder of the Collegetown Small Business Alliance. He serves as Director of Marketing and Secretary on the Board of Directors for AMBC and can be reached at [email protected]. For more infor-mation, please visit unclemartysoffice.com and follow his store on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more.

SOMEThING ExTRA…Continued from page 10

——AboutA Little Something Extra——We want you to share your stories!

What have you done today that you didn’t have to do? What little something extra did you give?

Was it some extra (even unnecessary) tape on Theo’s box, just because you could tell he was nervous and wanted to make sure it was sealed as tight as possible? Was it the umbrella you lent to Ed that you know he’ll bring back next time he’s in? Was it keeping an open sheet of Wonder Woman Forever stamps always ready because you know Carson loves them and buys one or two at a time for his correspondence? Was it sponsoring your neighborhood elementary school’s fifth grade class and showing up at their annual 5K to support their fund-raising efforts? Was it cutting down Blythe’s oversized carton so she saved considerable money on a smaller dimensional weight shipment, then sending her a hand-written thank you note later that day because you genu-inely appreciate her loyalty to your shop? Was it simply a smile that made Cleo feel like everything was going to be OK, or remembering Alyssa’s name and welcoming her before she even got to the counter?

And what little something extra did you receive in return today?

Was it a coffee from Joe, your former FedEx driver who although he’s on a different route now, still stops in to bring you a treat now and then because your bromance is strong? Was it a glowing five-star Yelp review from Jasmine simply because you treated her situation as if it was the most important thing you did all day? Was it a pop-in from Annabel and Philip who though they haven’t lived in town for quite a while now, make your shop a non-negotiable stop on their return visits, because they remember being some of your first customers and are thrilled to see how your business has grown? Or was it simply a smile and a sincere “thank you” from Mingdo because you took the time to make sure his visa applica-tion will get to his embassy and back safely and on time?

A Little Something Extra will now be a regular series in MBC Today starting in our May/June 2017 issue. Please write to us at [email protected] and share a brief paragraph or two about something extraordinary—or ordinary, with an extraordinary impact—that one of your clients has done for you. What prompted their generos-ity, and how has your business been brightened and strengthened by it in return?


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My younger son plays soccer for a premier soccer club in Western New York and has dedicated himself to indoor practices (even in the Buffalo winters) three times a week. Recently, after one of his prac-

tices, he and I stopped off at my favorite grocery store, Wegmans, to buy some urgently needed items from my wife’s grocery list, a task that should’ve only taken 15 minutes and cost $20. Well, 50 minutes and $85 later, I came out, even more joyous than I walked in.

Wegmans is an experience, one that is enjoyed by people of all ages, sort of like the Disney of grocery stores. Their approach, like mine at Island Ship Center (which is an attempt, albeit on a tiny scale, to mimic Wegmans), is to make the mundane extraordinary and provide an unforgettable experience, resulting in higher sales, consistent buyers, and huge word of mouth promo-tions from their existing clientele.

Furthermore, Wegmans ranks in Fortune Magazine’s top 10 every year for Best Places to Work (since 1998) http://fortune.com/best-companies/weg-mans-food-markets-4/, proving that a profitable business does not have to be selfish, unkind or unfair in order to achieve financial success.

As we walked down each aisle, my son Yusuf, who works with me at our store after school, noticed the merchandising aspects of each department, correctly pointing out how healthy products are showcased and promoted. There is ample lighting in the store, so much so that even the impulse items by the cash registers are specifically lighted to stand out!

Some years ago, a Walmart Supercenter opened in Niagara Falls, right across the street from a Wegmans. Many people thought that the Wegmans business would suffer, and would need to shut down. Fast forward to 2017 (six years later), and Wegmans has record traffic, sales and offerings. It’s quite difficult to find parking in Wegmans on any given weekend; yes, the

Walmart across the street is quite busy, but the clientele is completely different. Wegmans relies on rela-tionship building and experience-based retail, something that all of our stores should work to develop, whereas Walmart is only interested in transaction-based sales.

I’m mentioning this relevant Wegmans vs. Walmart example because of the recent commotion in our industry, forums, and fireside chats about the newest “romance” between FedEx and Walgreens. Many store owners are worried about their businesses suffering as a result of what they think will be lessened traffic. Many also don’t realize that Walgreens will NOT be shipping any packages; they will just be receiving drop offs and holding incoming packages at their locations for customer pickup.

Furthermore, I’m here to tell you that if you follow the footsteps of Wegmans (on a smaller scale, of course), and work on developing relationships with your clients as well as an experience in your stores, then you will enjoy more business in the long run, especially when someone at Walgreens is not able to wait on a shipping customer prop-erly because he or she is waiting on other clients that are there for cosmetics, medication, or gift cards. Please learn to develop a mental-ity to “delight your customer,” in the words of Warren Buffet, and you will be successful in your stores. Stop and think, “How would I like to be treated in this case,” and then act accordingly.

Currently, some of our stores are

Store Experience –WhenDoneRight,WeNeedNotWorryAbouttheWalgreensandFedExRelationshipBy Fahim Mojawalla, AMBC Director of Social Media



cluttered with very awesome products, but it’s TOO MUCH for the eyes, ears and feet, sort of like an over-load for the senses:

We need to simplify and balance out our merchandising; take a ride to a nearby, neighborhood business and see how its shelves are laid out; get ideas from other small and large businesses in your neighborhood. That really helps.

In conclusion, we as independent mail and business store owners need to follow the Wegmans model in terms of store design, slowly but surely, in order to grow

ExPERIENCE…Continued from page 14 and prosper in our industry, in order to effectively meet

the challenges of the 21st century business environment, and in order to stay ahead of our competitors.

I wish you much success in your store redesign efforts. l

Fahim Mojawalla is the social media director for AMBC and the effervescent co-owner of Island Ship Center, an expe-rience based retail shipping store, con-veniently located 10 minutes south of Niagara Falls USA & affectionately called the “Spa of Shipping” by its clients. Fahim has been studying social media for over 9 years from some of the top experts in

the industry, including Gary Vaynerchuk, Seth Godin and Mari Smith. Fahim is also referred to as the “hashtag guy” because he uses many hashtags to explain his ideas. His YouTube video, which launched last year, entitled, “Get SMart with Fahim,” covers many aspects of social media in an easy to understand format, a format which Fahim uses in his breakouts as well (Checkout the video by going to FahimFix.com). He is excited to share his social media tips with everyone, both at a begin-ner’s and at an advanced level, so you can grow your business effectively & organically in the 21st Century. Over the past year, Fahim has been actively involved with studying the Millennial vs Baby Boomer mindsets. Contact him at [email protected] or via text at 716-775-2585.


As we pulled up in the plaza, the peanuts could be seen all piled up in the window showing how seri-ous Tracy Schott, the owner of Send it Packin’, is

about packing.

Tracy bought the store in 2010, when it was a shipping store and a gift boutique. Last year Tracy changed the whole concept of her store to a full-service pack and ship store with a focus on freight shipping.

As we walked in, I was in awe as I saw her layout and decor of the store. The counter and walls are made so they look like freight boxes. On the left side, the whole wall is covered with different sizes of boxes.

On the right, she has display cases filled with a very large variety of small and medium sized boxes and alongside the right wall, more boxes

can be easily seen, but this time, they’re moving instead of shipping boxes.

Tracy recently purchased a machine that chops up Styrofoam and now makes her own peanuts.

She makes the peanuts and stores them in large clear bags, which are eye-catching and very appealing, prompting browsers to turn into buyers.

Fingerprinting services are also offered through Field Print and she has a steady stream of clients walk-ing into her store for this service.

Bill pay is a very big profit center for Tracy, to the point that it pays for her rent. She has a dedicated counter for bill paying customers, who come in to pay utility bills. A lot of these clients are not interested in anything else except paying bills, however;

Tracy has tried offering impulse items, like popcorn and other snacks, right near the bill pay counter, and is beginning to see a positive result. Keep in mind, that

StoreVisittoSenditPackin’inYoungstown,Ohio

any small, additional, consistent sale from your existing clients will add more money to your bottom line. As our industry evolves, we have to grow to meet the demands of our new clients and diversity our store offerings. Tracy is learning effectively to do just that.

Tracy also has been doing a lot of freight shipping recently, constantly learning from AMBC freight expert Jeff Ballantyne and others, improving her packing with each subsequent shipment. She acknowledges that her freight business is a huge asset to the overall business and that it is a necessary component of any indepen-dent shipping store. Tracy acknowledges the ample

By Seema Mojawalla, AMBC Director of Innovation



resources available to ship freight and how it is so much easier to do so now, compared to even a few years ago.

She has mailboxes in the front of the store, right before her main entrance area; she wants to expand this area a little bit since it is currently accessible 24 hours a day.

Tracy credits her growth and success in this business to AMBC (specifically thanking Sarah Rohde for being her inspiration and mentor), Steve Merrick (formerly of MPC Coaches and now of SJM Spirit Group) and the 2015 Retail Shipping Expo, which allowed her to meet so many new people and get many new ideas for her business.

In her own words, Tracy said, “Please mention that Sarah Rohde [was] the one I called when I was in seri-ous trouble and wanted to know more about the AMBC Mentoring Program. She asked me what I needed help with, (I said “everything”). She immediately recommend-ed Steve Merrick. I had called MPC Coaches about a year before I called Sarah, and at that time I thought I couldn’t afford it. A year later, I couldn’t afford NOT to. Steve came in a gave me some immediate fixes, as well as long-term goals. That, and the [Retail Shippers Expo] conference, were turning points for me. I just want everyone to know what a fantastic team we have with all these people willing to share their knowledge with us! I’m not in this alone anymore!”

She also donates proceeds from her drop off customers to local charities by charging for tape and accessories and collecting the extra funds in a dedicated donation box labeled with the charity of choice.

STORE VISIT…Continued from page 16

Seema Mojawalla is co-owner of Island Ship Center, an experienced based retail shipping spa located 10 minutes south of Niagara Falls, USA in Grand Island, NY, where she also sells her exclusive line of natural, handmade beauty care products known as Island Bliss. She serves as Director of Innovation on the board of directors for AMBC and can be reached at [email protected]. For more information, please visit IslandShipCenter.com and follow her store on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Twitter, and more.

She has a clean, crisp logo, which she uses on all her signage and labels, thereby reinforcing her brand to her clientele. She proudly displays her awards and trophies on a dedicated wall for everyone to see and admire. Overall, Tracy Schott is hardworking, talented and very helpful. We enjoyed our visit to her store and look for-ward to seeing her very soon. l


Customers say the darndest things. We all hear it, so let’s share!

Send in yours to [email protected] Funnies “Straight from the Customer’s Mouth”

Customer: “What’s cheaper, second day or overnight?”__________________________________________

A guy came in on Monday and bought a couple greeting card sized envelopes--just the envelopes--which he was very specifically seeking. He came back on Tuesday and said, “I realize yesterday that I just bought enve-lopes and no cards to go in them. Do you sell cards too?”__________________________________________

On December 16, nine days before Christmas and fully in the midst of our holiday rush with carols blar-ing and jolliness all around, someone walked in and started laughing. He exclaimed in shocked amusement,

“Christmas music?! Already?!”__________________________________________

Customer: “Yes, I bought a box from you yesterday and I know I can secure the top with tape. But how do I secure the bottom?”

“You tape it.”

“Oh, you can tape the bottom too!?”

...

(same customer as above)

“How do I know which is the top and which is the bottom of the box?”

“If the logo on the side of the box is upside down, then the box is upside down.”

“Oh, I see.”__________________________________________

Young man comes in and heads right to the envelope wall. After looking at the selection for a while and even picking up and touching a few quite large envelopes he says, “Do you know where I could buy a large enve-lope?”

Confused, I point to the wall where he’s staring and say, “Yes, our large envelopes are all right here.”

Satisfied that he indeed was looking at large envelopes, he bought one.__________________________________________

Customer, Pamela Camillo (name changed for publica-tion to protect anonymity), wanted to ship a package but

was uncomfortable with her full name on the return label. She said, “Can we just use my initials instead?”

So we updated the return address file for the label to “P.C.” and she said, “What’s P.C.?”

So we said, “Your initials.”

And then she replied, “Oh, OK. Good.”__________________________________________

Here’s my Monday in a nutshell:

Customer walks in.

Customer: Do you do USPS?

Me: Yes.

Customer: Can you track a package?

Me: Did you ship it here?

Customer: No.

Me: Do you have the tracking number?

Customer: No.

Me: Well, sorry. We would need some kind of tracking number to track it.

Customer: Is there anyway you can tell if it’s on the truck?

Me: No. Not really.

Customer: So we wouldn’t be able to pick it up at the post office instead?

Me: I don’t think so.__________________________________________

Recent exchange at the local Post Office:

Me: Can I send a box of fortune cookies by Media Mail?

Clerk: I don’t think it so, because it contains food.

Me: Oh, I’m sending them to a friend who is on a strict diet, so she’s not going to eat them, only READ them.

Clerk: Hmmm, well, in that case I guess it’s fine.

Truth is funnier than fiction. l



Dear Uncle Marty,Am I allowed to send anonymous packages when people don’t want their name to show on the return address?Under an assumed name,Incongnito Ignacio

Dear Ignacio,I’ve asked a few store owners and my fellow AMBC board members about this since receiving your question. The general consensus is that it’s OK to block out some-one’s name or ship under a pseudonym for someone as long as you keep record of the actual shipper’s real name and contact information.Some stores make it a policy that they will ship anony-mously, but if the recipient calls them asking who sent the package they will tell the recipient who the sender was.My policy at my store has been that the transaction must be under someone’s real name for security, safety, and accurate records. Then the shipment may be generated under a pseudonym as long as records connect it to an invoice reflecting the real shipper’s genuine information.But now that I’ve thought about this more, thanks to your question, I’m going to change my policy. From now on, my official policy is that I don’t ship anonymously. But here’s the catch: I’ll unofficially make an exception for known, trusted customers who I know are only remov-ing their name because they’re nervous about the eBay buyer, want to surprise someone with a secret Santa gift, or are playing a harmless practical joke on their sister.Remember, you as the account holder are ultimately responsible for every package sent from your store. So don’t ship anonymously willy-nilly. And always, always, always make sure your records can trace every ship-ment back to a real person.

This is my real name,Marty

Dear Uncle Marty,I know you’re involved in some community groups. How do you suggest I get involved, and what are the best groups to join?Hoping to meet new people,Friendly Florence “Flo” Fenstermacher

Dear Flo,Indeed, I highly recommend joining some community networking groups.Right now, I’m very involved with a group that I co-founded: the Collegetown Small Business Alliance.

“Collegetown” is the name of my neighborhood of Ithaca, New York, aptly named because it borders the university here. It’s a very unique couple of blocks, and so we’ve banded together to share ideas, co-market, and solve neighborhood quandaries.I’m also on a bunch of committees with my local univer-sity and with my city. I’m constantly at City Hall for one meeting or another, and on campus for design char-rettes for building makeovers and committee meetings to plan community walks and information fairs in my neigh-borhood. I’ve found that being part of a committee is an amazing place to network, as you’re there as a volunteer and not as a salesperson.Years ago, when I was working with the AMPC Flagship Store in Rockford, Illinois, I was part of RASA, the Rockford Area Services Association. This group was amazing, meeting once a month at a different host res-taurant to network and share ideas. We were each given a couple of minutes for a brief introduction of ourselves and our businesses at the start of each meeting, and then we spent the rest of the time talking about how we could work together. It was invaluable!Many stores join their local Chambers of Commerce. I highly recommend this. And don’t just join, run for office!

If you would like to submit an industry related question to Ask Uncle Marty™, please email him at [email protected]. Anonymity is guaranteed. ™



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Take a page from Fahim’s playbook and become the Chamber Vice President. You’ll work your tail off, but the connections you make will be well worth it.Other people like the BNI (Business Networking International) networking group, and this might be a good place to start if your town has a local chapter. Personally, I find their 7am breakfast meetings uncalled for, but that’s just because I am the antithesis of a morn-ing person and it’s everything I can muster to get to my store to open on time at 9am.I’m not sure what’s available in your neck of the woods, but certainly there are some organizations just waiting for you to join. And if nothing tickles your fancy, take a page from my playbook and start your own! Your neigh-borhood certainly needs a small business alliance to facilitate its own business-to-business networking.When you’re at these meetings, events, and posting on these groups’ listservs, keep in mind to not use the platform as blatant advertising. Don’t list your services like some bot, but offer your support and friendship as a fellow community member. Share news, sponsor good causes, donate your time and goods, and offer your services only if they add value and provide solutions. Otherwise, let your outreach draw others to you. Be a magnet, not a bulldozer.

Not all groups meet at 7am (#JustSayin),Marty l

If you would like to submit an industry related question to Ask Uncle Marty, please email him at [email protected]. Anonymity is guaranteed, and names are always changed.

Item: Model SailboatSubmitted by:Jim Munson Mt. Plaza Mail Pac & ShipHemet, CA

have a pack job that you’d like to share? Email a before and after photo to: [email protected]

We Packed This

Packed with: Foam & bubblepack, foam boards around ship and lots of peanuts.

Do you have yourhealthsavings

WellCardfrom AMBC? Using WellCard, families of three

can save $1,000 or more per year on health care services!send a request to [email protected] and we will send you one. This program is open to Classic Members and above.

UNCLE MARTy…Continued from page 20


My entire career has been focused on developing ways to help companies communicate better with

their customers.

Great customer service is sought by most everyone. Businesses go out of their way to give good customer service. Some make it; some don’t.

Customers go out of their way looking for companies that give great customer service. Some find it; some don’t.

We have tried so very hard to explain to both sides – the customer and the business, it’s not rocket science; it’s not brain surgery. It’s plain old common sense. But you and I know common sense is not out there.

People love to vent. One of our books, Customer Service Nightmares, is proof of that. They love to report on how badly they’ve been handled.

I cannot count the number of articles out there on cus-tomer service. Some are good, some not; some have new ideas; some speak the old tried and true. And that’s where Telephone Doctor customer service training comes into play; plain old customer service.

We call it ‘Back to Basics.’ You can imagine we have hundreds, if not thousands of ideas, tips, skills and tech-niques to share. Following are fifteen customer service tips that are good old common sense thoughts. Short, sweet and to the point. Enjoy.

In no important order. They all should be #1.

“Please” and “thank you” always have been, and always will be, powerful words. Seldom overused.

“You’re welcome” is the best replacement for “no problem.”

“Sorry ‘bout that” is not an apology. It’s a cliché. “My apologies” is much better.

A frown is a smile upside down. Stand on your head if you must; but SMILE, darn it!

You cannot do two things well at once. Pay attention to the call or the customer.

One word answers on email or in person are consid-ered cold and rude. Three words make a sentence.

Learn what phrases frustrate your customers. They’re probably the same ones that bother you.

When was the last time you sent flowers to some-one just because?

Drop a personal handwritten note to a client and just say “thanks for being a good client.”

“Hey, how ‘ya doing?” is not a great way to start up a conversation. It’s not any way to start up a conver-sation. Period.

Out with friends or family? Put the cell phone away. Talk for 30 minutes. (If you remember how.)

Email manners? The same as phone and in person.

The old “don’t tell ‘em what you can’t do; tell ‘em what you can do” applies to most, if not all, custom-er interactions.

Get excited! Make sure you say something fun, nice and appropriate.

Oh, and smile. That needed to be said twice. A phone smile is better than a real frown.

If you start with these tips, skills, ideas and techniques, you’ll notice a big difference in how your customers respond. l

Good Old Common Sense Tips for Great Customer Service

by Nancy Friedman, the Telephone Doctor

Nancy Friedman, president of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a fea-tured keynote speaker and subject matter expert on customer service, communications skills and capturing & navigating the call, at franchise, association and corporate meetings. She was the keynote speaker at an AMBC (formerly AMPC) national convention in 2009.

She has appeared on OPRAH, Today Show, CNN, FOX News, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and hundreds of other radio and TV shows. Nancy is the author of eight books on sales and customer service and is the spokesperson in the popular Telephone Doctor customer service training programs.

Visit www.nancyfriedman.com. (email [email protected])

ClearCustomsEasilyWhen your customers are shipping to other countries, the last thing you want as a ship center owner is for those items to get held up in customs. How do you keep your customers’ shipments moving — and your customers happy?

Stephen Smith, who is a marketing manager at FedEx and is proficient in dealing with customs, says most shipment delays can be prevented. It just takes an understanding of the international regulatory system and precise documentation.

Here are some tips and tools Smith suggests to make your cus-toms clearance run smoothly.

Tips:• Understand requirements.

Make sure you have a solid understanding of the import requirements for your destina-tion country — what is and isn’t allowed, and what paperwork is needed. For instance, Smith says, most shipments require a Commercial Invoice, some-thing many shippers overlook.

“That’s one of the most common mistakes people make. Either they don’t fully complete the Commercial Invoice or they don’t realize that they have to submit one.” Depending on the commod-ity and its value, other clearance information and documentation (in addition to the Commercial Invoice) may be required for a shipment, such as a tax ID or import license. Customers’ ship-ments may be held up in customs until they receive all the required documentation from the importing recipient.

Reprinted from FedEx ShipSource® > Lead Story

• Avoid surprises. Ancillary clear-ance service fees may apply to shipments with special clearance needs. Double-check the ancil-lary landing page to learn what may be incurred for certain ship-ments.

• Be thorough. Identify whether the customers’ shipments are personal or for business, and be specific when giving a shipment description. For instance, if you’re shipping laptop bags, don’t just write “bags.” Include precise infor-mation about the bags — what they are, how they are used, their size, what they are made of and so on. “The more detail you can give, the more it will help the pro-cess move smoothly,” Smith says.

• Be upfront. State the accurate value of a good — a miscalcula-tion can hold up its approval in customs. “Even if it’s not intended for resale, you should not put [the amount as] ‘zero dollars,’” Smith says. Everything has a value, he says.

• Automate. Through our online systems, FedEx provides you with the ability to create airway bills, Commercial Invoices and any other paperwork neces-sary to successfully complete your international shipment. Automated steps mean fewer issues arising at customs.

Tools:• FedEx® Electronic Trade

Documents saves you time, money and paper by allowing you to complete your customs forms online. Upload your own custom-

ized documents or use ones gen-erated by the FedEx automation system. Either way, it’s a stream-lined, eco-friendly solution.

• FedEx® Global Trade Manager is a comprehensive online soft-ware solution that guides you through the proper documenta-tion for international shipping with FedEx Express or FedEx Ground. Find the harmonized code for your shipment, get the regulatory news you need, and estimate duties and taxes ahead of time. Automated tools take you through every step of your forms, and in the Document Preparation Center you can create, store, edit and reuse customs documents online.

• FedEx® International Regulatory Consulting offers free guidance. If you still have questions or export challenges, call 1.800.851.3336 or send an email to [email protected].

A little bit of work on the front end can drastically improve the import-clearance process, so that your customers’ shipments can get where they need to be — and you can breathe easy.

For more information on interna-tional shipping, read “7 Resources You Need to Ship Internationally.”

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AMBCNOT4Profit… our online newsgroup

STORE SET UP QUESTIONI am thinking about doing some rearranging on my retail showroom floor. I was curious how many of you have boxes on your showroom floor as a “grab and go” item for your customers? I currently do and they take up a large footprint of space I might want to re-purpose for other items. It is more convenient for both customer and my employees, but can I make that floor space more profitable with different items?

***I display about half my box sizes above my stationery shelving (about 6' from floor, all the way to the ceil-ing). We don’t have any “grab and go,” but have a box rack with most of the popular sizes ready for us to get them. The large and heavy boxes are mostly stored downstairs.BM***I used to have a large display of all our box sizes but replaced it about a year ago with Supply Side’s white box display that has three size boxes that says we sell boxes. On rare occasions I feel like it would be helpful to still have the display of all our boxes but most of the time I’m glad it’s gone.KB***We have the Supply Side display as well, and it’s amazing how often people will come in and ask for the “middle” size box from the display. Having a bunch of box sizes on display (and out of the way, too) gives the customers a better “touchy-feely” experience. On each displayed box, we have a sign with the box #, the inside (stated) dims, and the price for one as well as the discounted price for buying 5 or more (I give 20% off when they buy 5 or more, to complete a bit with Staples’ mini-bundle pricing).BM***CELL PhONE ACCESSORIESAnybody knows a good supplier of cell phone accessories? I would like to go into that.

***

Contact RT at SmashDiscount – a division of PennText. His email is [email protected]

Great stuff, good prices, good profits – and they have a countertop display that takes up one cubic foot. I’ve re-ordered several times, and I’m averaging about $150 per month in retail sales. I’m not gonna build a store based on that, but it’s a great little extra.BM***We also use SmashDiscount and have had excellent results.SE***BLUEPRINTSI have an Epson 9900 and have recently been printing a lot of blueprints. Typically they are about 24" x 36" on plain 20# paper. For those who have the same type of printer, what do you charge for blueprints?

***We have an older 7600 that we keep operational and use only for exactly that function. On 20# bond paper we get $7 per sheet regardless of size up to 24" x 36". That pricing makes up comparable, although a little higher, than the local FedEx Office locations we compete with. And we are able to market it on getting it done right as opposed to FedEx blind printing what the customer hands them, right or wrong.RS***We do the same and charge $6.00. Maybe we are due for an increase. I do know that we beat the heck out of Staples in quality and delivery. RA***VIRTUAL MAILBOx QUESTIONI have two ladies through iPostal that rented a mailbox. I received 1583 forms for each of them. One emailed last night and asked that we change the notification email and remove the other from the box. Can I? And also should I?

Are you taking advantage of instant access to decades worth of longtime mail & business center owners’ experience? If you aren’t on our online forum, contact the office at AMBC and we’ll get you on board today!



AMBC Freight – a members only ben-efit – offers you online and assisted quote options that help you quickly and easily find the best and lowest rate available. Once you have selected your price you can purchase insurance coverage, then proceed to ship it, all on the same site.

• Not only can you get carrier discounts of 70% and more, you get greatly reduced, sometimes free, lift gate service and greatly-reduced residential service!

• Pass the savings on to your customers – and make sure they know you can beat your competition on both price and service. Or add the extra margin to your bottom line.

• With AMBC Freight, you can be sure you’re not overpaying for freight services.

With AMBC, you’re Not AloneEvery business owner has questions about day-to-day operations, technical approach-es, profit strategies and service enhance-ments. Get answers fast on AMBC’s member-only “Freight Chat” Online Chat Room – the 24/7 networking resource for mail and parcel centers.help is only an email away. In most cases you receive an answer within minutes, not hours.

Questions?Call Jeff Ballantyne at AMBC Freight, 603-431-0718 (weekdays 8:30 am – 6:00 pm EST), or email [email protected]

We’re at your service!

With AMBC Freight, you don’t just get 70% dis-counts and greatly reduced accessorial fees, you also get assistance from a professional in the industry. Jeff Ballantyne of PackFreight will walk you through your freight shipments, guiding you safely to a profitable shipment. Jeff has learned the freight systems the hard way, and has prom-ised to share his information with any AMBC member that asks.

Learning to do freight properly and profitably is as simple as sending an email asking for help. AMBC has an online freight quote system that allows users to access rates instantly. There is also an assisted quote form set up for the beginner in freight. Submit your information to Jeff, and he will research the items, find the best class and send back rates and information.

All you need to do is to package the item and Jeff can either finish the shipment for you or lead you through doing it yourself.

AMBC’s goal is to allow its members access to the best rates and services available in the industry. The more stores that use the services, the better we stand with carriers in obtaining better rates.

Please log into AMBC.org then click on the freight tab at the top of the page to log onto the AMBC Freight site.


AMBCNOT4Profit… Continued from page 26

***When you have separate 1583s each person controls only their mail. You need to hear from the person who the other wants to drop before you can change anything. In most cases if two people are involved it is correct to get a separate 1583 from each which has correctly happened in this case.

So you probably should have gotten paid for two sep-arate mail receiving services.BK***Does that mean you would have charged each of them a separate mailbox or receiving fee even though it is the same box number?KB***I probably would want double fee and probably a sec-ond PMB or # sign number. There is an exception if one person claims to be a business owner and they list the second person as an employee on block 12 of the 1583 then you only need one form. What you charge them would be your store policy controlled by you.

Just wondering did you get a separate store contract for each person? In the eyes of the postal service because you submitted two 1583 forms those two people should be dealt with as separate mail receiv-ing customers and one can not stop the others right to get mail at your store.

That is also why I recommend married couples should each sign a separate 1583 and store contract just in case the relationship sours and one spouse tries to hinder the others mail service.BK***They are customers through iPostal digital mailbox. I do not have them sign my store contract. I guess I have assumed they sign one through iPostal. Now that you mention it I need to confirm that and get a copy of what customers sign with them.KB***GOOD BOx SIzERI have purchased two box sizer’s in the last six months and they are both awful. As you roll the sizer along the the box it tightens the screw that holds the perfing wheel and it locks up. have to loosen the screw to get a couple more rolls.Loved that it had measurements on the side but they do no good if it doesn’t work.

***Try U-Line. Good quality.PT***You can buy just the replacement blade from Uline also.

Carton Sizer H-101Replacement Blade H-101B

These are the sturdiest ones I’ve found.DC***COPyRIGhT VIOLATIONGot an email today regarding a picture I had on my website saying I used it without proper authorization. I got it from a Google search at Thanksgiving time. They are asking for a retroac-tive licensing agreement.Anyone else ever had this problem? Is it worth my putting up a fight or do I chalk it up as stupidity and lesson learned?

***Did the letter come from the image owner or a lawyer representing them? Are they asking for a specific mone-tary amount? Was there any REASONABLE way you could have known that there was licensing restrictions for that image when you found it? Do or did you PROFIT from using that image? All questions you need to answer to know how to proceed. Unless you are really tied to that image, I would suggest just taking it down, reply-ing to the letter that you were unaware there was any licensing restrictions and you removed it at their request. Should go away.SD***Letter came from “Pixsy” on behalf of the image owner. Yes, they are asking for a specific amount. The picture does not have any watermarks or copyrights on it but according to the letter Google does give a copyright disclaimer. I did not profit from the picture (it was decora-tive) and it has been taken off my website before I even got the letter.KV***Yes, it happened to me, too, and it was an expensive les-son. It is why I only use my own photos on my website unless I am absolutely positive of their origin and the terms of use.



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AMBCNOT4Profit… Continued from page 28

In my case, I had what I thought was permission to use a photo from the owner; turns out they did not own the rights to the photo, Getty Images owned it. $600 fine to me, pay it and move on. Chalk it up to live and learn.

In a similar scenario, received a $1,200 fine from Disney as someone hacked into my wifi network at 1:30 am and downloaded a pirated copy of Little Mermaid… nice!

If we knew all this going in, it wouldn’t be any fun at all now would it! JS***Unfortunately you have done as many have done in the past and will continue to do. I teach a class deal-ing with this issue directly to FotoZoomer owners. Most people in business are unaware of the damage this can cause. Jan Sangl got off easy — the fine can be as much as $10,000 per image used or sold. Almost all images found on Google are copyright pro-tected. If you didn’t take the picture, create the image, or purchased the rights then it is not yours to use. Additionally most stores owners go out and buy inex-pensive software to create business cards, calendars and other things like banners and use the images pro-vided by that software such as Art Explosion, print art-ist and others. NONE of those images are licensed for commercial use or resell, but owners don’t care, they think no one is going to check. Well, a lot of images are embedded with meta data tracking that track the download PC information as well as sends a code when printed or uploaded to a website or other for-mats. The image owner can track that information and then use it whenever they deem ready to maximize the fines they can impose. It is not “legal extortion”, it is the legal right of the image owner to pursue protec-tion for his or her work. Most people are unaware of the legal wrangling and get unexpectedly caught not knowing they did anything wrong.

Now with that said you do have some options.

You can offer to post an online apology to the legal owner and also post giving them credit for the image and its use.

You can pay the fine requested either on your own or through your insurance.

Or you can claim “Plausable Deniability” as you had no prior knowledge of legal ownership of the image, you made no financial gain from its use, also no copy-right was noted on site of the files owner stating its intended use.

Hope this helps and that others read this so they can avoid the same pitfalls and traps.Eric SteadhamPresident, FotoZoomerHenderson, NV***On another note… the same thing applies to music if you use background music in any videos.Theresa Whitley-StarrDirector of CommunicationsShipRite Software, Inc.West Coast Office l

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