Dear Uncle Marty,
I just ordered some new posters from FedEx to display in my store. One of them lists items that are “dangerous goods” and prohibited. I knew about some of them, but some are news to me! How am I supposed to know what a customer is shipping when they packed the box before coming to my store? Am I responsible if they ship one of these prohibited items, even if I didn’t know about it?
Sincerely,
Concerned in California
Dear Concerned,
First of all, I’m so glad you’re taking advantage of the FASC marketing material. I also have a series of FedEx posters along one wall of my store. They make an impressive statement!
Your question is a very good one; a situation that every store faces. In fact, I just answered a very similar question a month or so ago for someone who emailed the AMBC help desk, so I hope you don’t mind if I use some of that wording in my answer to you.
We are ultimately responsible for anything shipped on our accounts. We need to know what’s inside every box. The carriers rely on us to screen for prohibited or potentially problematic items.
You and your staff must ask every customer what’s inside each shipment, packed and unpacked, because bad stuff can easily be concealed in something that looks innocuous.
Become familiar with the acronym “HIPDR,” which stands for “hazardous, illegal, prohibited, dangerous, or restricted.” Think “hip doctor” as an easy way for you and your staff to remember these five key words.
As one of the main points of your store’s posted terms and conditions, clearly state that you don’t knowingly ship anything HIPDR and that you retain the right to refuse any shipment and open and inspect anything shipped on your account(s). Have each customer sign a declaration that they’re not shipping anything HIPDR and that they’ve read, understand, and are abiding by your posted terms and conditions. My declaration is incorporated into my POS receipt for all shipments.
Postal regulations (publication 52, section 251) state, “At retail units, mailers must be asked the question: “Does this parcel contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, or potentially hazardous, including lithium batteries and perfume?””
If you’re a USPS Approved Postal Provider—and I hope you are—you should have had a communication from the USPS in late 2014 regarding this. They take this regulation very seriously and send secret shoppers in to make sure you’re using the proper wording. I had a visit from one and he was very happy when I got it right. (Excuse me while I pat my own back.)
As a bonus, asking the customers about the contents will also signal if something is fragile and present an opportunity to upsell additional packaging if needed.
Be very careful of liquids and anything that feels like it’s sloshing. Liquids must be packaged very carefully with multiple layers of leak protection so that the package doesn’t get wet in transit and precipitate spillage and cleanup fees.
People shipping alcohol who know they’re not supposed to usually say it’s “grape juice” or “olive oil” or something like that, which should be a red flag to you. I have a policy that I must inspect any and all liquids shipped at my store to make sure they’re packaged properly, and from that I find lots of prohibited alcohol!
The carriers don’t want us to inspect packages after the customer leaves the store. A good practice would be to tell the customer at the counter that, in order to ship and/or insure the item, you’ll need to inspect it. Do this with a box cutter in hand and offer to tape it back up right away. If they have something to hide, they will usually grab the box and run.
If someone is obviously sending something very shady (drugs, major wads of cash, etc.) and you’re not comfortable confronting them, please don’t put yourself at risk. Different states, counties, and municipalities have different procedures regarding illegal substances, so contact your local law enforcement ahead of time to find out what they advise. Put a plan in place before an incident occurs, practice it, and make sure your staff can handle these scenarios calmly.
For your own protection, keep detailed notes of any such situation including dates, times, and to whom you spoke. This is a great occasion to use those security cameras that we talked about in the November 2014 issue of MBC Today!
So, my friend, keep vigilant and keep informed about what you can and can’t ship. Each carrier has their own wording, tariffs, and regulations. Know them. Absorb them. Live them. Share them with your staff, and then test your staff with your own secret shoppers.
Keep taking advantage of all carriers’ official marketing materials. Keep them current, fresh (not faded, torn, or saggy), and neatly arranged in a clutter-free area. They’ll then be impactful, informative (for both you and your customers, as you well know), and will assure the public that you’re legit.
This business is anything but boring!
Ship safely,
Marty
#AskUncleMarty
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A version of this Ask Uncle Marty segment was originally published in MBC Today Volume 17, Issue 1 (January / February 2015).
If you would like to submit a question to Ask Uncle Marty™, please email him at [email protected]. Anonymity is guaranteed.
For more information on Marty, please visit unclemartysoffice.com.
Source: AMBC Blog