Delivery Status in the Client's Hands

I recently ordered an item online that had an expected delivery of 4-6 weeks (a personalized children's item). I did not receive a tracking number, and at the 5 week mark found it almost 'inconvenient' to have to look up the company information, email them and then wait 36 hours for someone to get back to me. By that point the shipment arrived, but had I received the tracking number with my original order- or at least a second email when it shipped, I would have been more satisfied.

Situations like this enable me to look at our site, re-evaluate our program and our customer service, and decide how we can improve to better serve our own clients. Luckily, our latest website version already addresses the issue of order tracking. When placing an order, a client account is automatically created. This account tool is useful in many ways – one of which is the tracking feature. By logging into their account, customers can view the status of their gift at any time – from the moment we receive it, to when it goes into production, to when it is ready for packaging/shipping and out the door in the hands of the courier / shipping carrier. From there the information is update to In Delivery and is subsequently changed to Delivered once it has reached it’s intended destination. The customer is kept informed through their account, which they can check at their convenience. Very soon the system will also have direct integration with our main carrier FedEx, and the status will be updated to show the shipment status at the various FedEx hubs. This will enable our clients to be completely informed at all times with regards to their package status.

Create an account today at our Gift Baskets Canada site!

Fun Fundraising! Earn for your cause!

Occasionally Gifted recently partnered with a local independent school to assist in their fundraising efforts. See our press release here : Fundraising Opportunities

We are working towards building partnerships with local and national organizations and committees to fundraise in a similar manner. Gift baskets are a natural means of building and maintaining client relationships, and are therefore an ideal fundraising tool. By partnering with our company, you have access to our full line of gifts and baskets and the ability to earn towards your fundraising targets. Since many companies send gifts and baskets to employees, clients and colleagues already, why not start earning on the orders they intend to place?

The setup takes about 30 seconds and we welcome inquiries. For further information please contact us today!

Facelift for Gift Basket Website

Occasionally Gifted’s main website www.occasionallygifted.com has recently undergone several changes. Many of our repeat clients will notice the cosmetic changes, and as they proceed to enter orders, they will notice some fantastic new functionality changes as well. We have transferred our website to a network basis which also offers a multitude of enhancements not offered by other gift basket retailers.

Some of the highlighted changes include:

*~ Automated account creation as clients enter their orders online,
*~ Detailed tracking information available for viewing at any time directly through client accounts,
*~ Network referral service that allows clients to order form our site for same or next day local delivery in cities across Canada & the US – all the while trackable from their own account,
*~ Automated account history to view past orders and the ability to re-print invoices for accounting purposes,
*~ Client maintained address book with automatic address book upload/spreadsheet/database upload for multiple addresses,
*~ Ability to order multiple gifts to multiple addresses all on the same order,
*~ Corporate account features to allow for consolidated business accounting for offices with multiple locations ordering under the same account,
*~ Fundraising opportunities and enhanced affiliate program for revenue potential,

And MANY MORE fantastic features that make our gift basket company the best choice for your gift & basket needs!

Winter Sunshine

Every year the holiday season hurtles towards us and then leaves in a gale force of crushed wrapping paper and chocolate headaches. And every year, in the week between Christmas and New Years, I get into a funk because after the mania of the preceeding weeks, I'm just let down by how it's all over. Nothing to show for it but empty boxes and drooping Christmas trees. Adding to my misery, I don't really enjoy New Year's Eve - I've always subscribed to the philosophy that each day is new, why wait for one night to make changes?

So, I never make a resolution. But today, sitting in my office looking out the window, I resolve to really, really try to enjoy life more fully.

Having young children forces you look at life moment by moment (sometimes, to maintain your sanity, that's all you can do!) They certainly live in the moment - they acquire knowledge and become changed in an instant; if you're not looking you miss it.

The sun is glorious right now. The sky is blue and if I stop typing, I can hear birds chirping at the feeder. The shadows on the grand old split maples that surround my house are rippling in an occasional breeze. My son is downstairs babbling to his two year old sister and all is right with the world. We're healthy, happy and together enjoying the winter sunshine. It doesn't get much better than that.

The Laundry Spa...

I just finished reading one of those pithy self help columns in my parenting magazine, you know the ones - that while bonding with your adorable infant, (that is always smiling, content and clean) you can treat yourself to some "me time" by easing work out routines into your schedule; de-stress and get your killer pre-pregnancy figure back while going about the business of your day! I just about gagged. These authors and the advice they give. They say Men are from Venus and Women are from Mars but I think the columnists in parenting magazines are also out of this world. Have any of them tried to "go about the routine of their day" with actual children? The pictures of the a trim smiling mom, in full makeup and designer lycra, joyfully doing crunches with her baby on her firm calves. Give me a break! If I'm getting on the floor of my home I'll be in the fetal position and crying because I'm so bloody tired of changing diapers, nursing and doing laundry! I don't need to work a squat into the movement of taking my laundry out of the washer and putting it into the dryer because I do so much laundry, the repetition alone would make a personal trainer weak. Forget about designer lycra. If I can find something that isn't stretched, stained or five years old I'm happy. No, if I want to pamper myself I'm going to use "Calming Chamomile", or "Milk Bath", or treat myself to the "Stressed Out" package that is available through Occasionally Gifted. These gift baskets allow me to lock the door of the bathroom, take some "me" time and simply relax and not do laundry!

Tis' The Season

As the holiday orders continue to filter in, it seems that the mad rush we will feel in about 3 weeks is months away.

Our loyal repeat clients will be receiving their friendly reminders from us over the next few days - we don't want any of them left out in the cold, no gifts in hand!

It seems that no matter how high we set our forecasts each year - (and believe me, we feel we take a chance by increasing our holiday as much as we do!) our stock sells our quickly and there are ALWAYS people who are left disappointed those last days before Christmas.

We'd like to encourage EVERYONE to resolve to have their holiday gifts ordered EARLY this year! Remember, we offer pre-selection of your delivery date with every order, and the sooner you place it, the greater the chance the it will be delivered exactly when you want!

As always, if you have questions regarding our holiday or every day gift basket selection, feel free to contact one of us!

Warm Regards,
Krysta

Occasionally Gifted Inc.

Thank Goodness Halloween Comes But Once A Year

Never underestimate the resourcefulness of a two year old.

Halloween was Monday night, but visions of a pint sized pumpkin will linger much longer than that. My daughter was a pumpkin with passable face painting completed by yours truly. She went around the block with her daddy and got a grocery bag full of loot for her efforts. The makeup was on for less than two hours.

Apparently, sickly orange and black triangles on the eyes and nose are a good look for her because yesterday morning, she tried to recreate the magic herself - with permanant marker no less! The fact that she drew on herself is of little concern, call me a bad mother but I lost my will to care after removal of the zinc oxide diaper cream, lipstick, vaseline, tempera paint and body butter - materials she has utilized in the past in her zest for creative expression.

She's been rooting through my makeup draw since she could toddle so she probably has better application skills than I do. No, the fact that she found this marker that only days before I'd been looking for, in the linen closet on a shelf about six feet up is what has me concerned.

What was she doing in the linen closet? Refolding my whites? How'd she scale the shelf? How'd she even see the stinking marker? The fumes from the noxious ink usually make me high, how'd she manage to do her cheek and hand without passing out?

I suppose I should console myself with the thought that she is a genius - the thought process going into this little mission is awesome, but as mentioned earlier, I've lost the will...Lest you think I was lax in my vigilance, I wasn't idle; I was out stuffing garbage into stickered bags and putting out the recycling, at 8:00 a.m., in the rain, for about four minutes. That should have been an omen of the day to come. Ah, thank goodness Halloween comes but once a year.