Gobbledegook to some, a goldmine to us

Update: DHL has just delivered. It’s 12:45

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Here’s a quick insight into how 21st century comms can help a business run smoothly:

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: DHL E-Mail Tracking response
Date: Wed, 16 Jun 2010 09:44:27 GMT
From: DHL E-Mail Tracking – Do not reply

AWB Current Status
With delivery courier: June 16, 2010 08:08
London-Heathrow – UK

Detailed Report

June 14, 2010 16:07
Location : Boston, MA – USA
Status : Shipment picked up

June 14, 2010 18:29
Location : Boston, MA – USA
Status : Transferred through Boston, MA – USA

June 14, 2010 20:57
Location : Boston, MA – USA
Status : Processed at Boston, MA – USA

June 14, 2010 23:40
Location : Boston, MA – USA
Status : Processed at Boston, MA – USA

June 14, 2010 23:50
Location : Boston, MA – USA
Status : Departed from DHL facility in Boston, MA – USA

June 15, 2010 01:45
Location : Cincinnati, OH – USA
Status : Arrived at DHL facility in Cincinnati, OH – USA

June 15, 2010 01:53
Location : Cincinnati, OH – USA
Status : Arrived at DHL facility in Cincinnati, OH – USA

June 15, 2010 02:11
Location : Cincinnati, OH – USA
Status : Processed at Cincinnati, OH – USA

June 15, 2010 03:23
Location : Cincinnati, OH – USA
Status : Processed at Cincinnati, OH – USA

June 15, 2010 06:24
Location : Cincinnati, OH – USA
Status : Departed from DHL facility in Cincinnati, OH – USA

June 15, 2010 20:37
Location : East Midlands – UK
Status : Arrived at DHL facility in East Midlands – UK

June 15, 2010 23:01
Location : East Midlands – UK
Status : Clearance processing complete at East Midlands – UK

June 16, 2010 01:51
Location : East Midlands – UK
Status : Processed at East Midlands – UK

June 16, 2010 04:11
Location : East Midlands – UK
Status : Departed from DHL facility in East Midlands – UK

June 16, 2010 06:30
Location : London-Heathrow – UK
Status : Arrived at DHL facility

June 16, 2010 08:08
Location : London-Heathrow – UK
Status : With delivery courier

= = = =

So now we know that our latest delivery of stuff will be in our hands by close of play today. That’s 48 hours since it left our suppliers, many thousands of miles and many different modes of transport away.

Hooray!

Website tweaks

We mentioned a few weeks ago that we would be adding some new features to the SoreStore website to make it even easier to find what you want. We’re pleased to say that those changes have now been implemented.

In Stock

Recently viewed products

You can now see at a glance if the product you are looking at is in stock. If it is, the “in stock” message (very original, we know) will be displayed just by the product price.

The website also automatically shows you a scrollable list of items you’ve recently viewed, so you can easily swap between them for comparison purposes.

Let us know what you think.

The SoreStore guide to Bank Holidays

While SoreStore staff work on Bank Holidays, a lot of Britain’s infrastructure doesn’t. This isn’t only trains and tubes (forget trying to go anywhere by public transport on a Bank Holiday), it also means couriers and Royal Mail.

So, if you order something from us on a Bank Holiday, even if you choose “Next Working Day” delivery, you’re not going to get it the next day. Just can’t happen.

At Easter it’s even worse: you have two Bank Holidays straddling the Easter weekend*. So, any orders received by us from about 2 o’clock on Maundy Thursday, can’t get into the Royal Mail system until the following Tuesday. With an earliest possible arrival day on your doormat of Wednesday.

Confused? We’re not, and we hope you’re not either.

*in England. Scotland is different again.

Checkout Number 2 Please

SoreStore is pleased to announce that you can now choose to pay for your SoreStore order using Paypal. You don’t need a Paypal account to do this. Just select the Paypal option on the last page of the checkout and you will be guided through the payment process.

Of course, you can still pay online by credit or debit card in the traditional manner if you wish, using our other secure card payment processor, E-Payments powered by HSBC.

If you want to know more about your payment options on the SoreStore website, have a read of the How to Pay and Security pages. Alternatively, call us on 020 8861 3149 and we’ll talk you through how to order quickly and safely online.

New Year’s Resolution

Did you make one? Are you sticking to it? Ours is to get fitter and lose weight (check Twitter for the #fridayweighin tag to see how we’re doing).

We also resolved to build SoreStore’s range throughout 2010, so you can find pretty much any physio support for any part of the body. Yep, we’re now covered from head (almost) to toe.

Have a look at the new shoulder support, the new ankle support cast, the back brace and the hinged knee brace for starters. As ever, shipping is free for orders up to £50 and we have a 100% record on despatching orders within 24 hours.

Neo G Shoulder Support

Neo G Ankle Cast

Neo G Back Brace

Neo Hinged Knee Brace

Snow? What snow?

It's a whiteout out there

Perhaps if you’d been ensconced in a cosy shuttered room, blindfolded and with some of Snorestore‘s excellent earplugs stuffed in your ears, you’d have missed the fact that the weather outside has been pretty rubbish for the last couple of weeks.

OK. That’s pretty unlikely.

But clearly some people have indeed missed the “snow event” as the broadcasters would call it. Because this week we have had a steady stream of emails from people asking, mostly politely (some actually very rudely) where their orders are.

Royal Mail, gawd luv ‘em, have done an amazing job in the most trying of conditions to get mail out to people. But some delays have been inevitable. If your postie can’t get to work, then your mail’s not going to get sorted. Or delivered to your door.

So we’ve been alerting people to the possiblity of delays on our website, with a link to our own Shipping info page and from there, to Royal Mail’s.

SoreStore’s team diligently complete dozens of posting certificates a day, which are then hand-stamped by the guy who collects our mail, or by Mrs. Patel at the Post Office if our collection has been cancelled by the weather. So if your order hasn’t yet arrived, and you’re a bit anxious, just let us know (politely if poss.) and we’ll be able to show you where and when your order entered the Royal Mail system.

Oweee

The SoreStore team went ski-ing at New Year. Yes, OK, how the other half lives and all that.

We took with us a variety of SoreStore kit, in case it were needed.

Just as well. We had two hospital visits:

#1 disclocated thumb (thumb brace required)

#2 torn cruciate ligament (stablised knee brace required)

All is fine now (thanks for asking) and plans are afoot for a further SoreStore trip in 2011. If you’re into winter sports, have a look at www.champery.co.uk for further information.

Snow goodbyes at SoreStore

Spare a thought for the postman

Hardly had we said goodbye to the snow just before Christmas, when we were pretty much overwhelmed by a whole new load in January.

Despite Royal Mail being unable to collect from S0reStore’s offices, we did what any resourceful company would do under the circs, and took our orders to the Post Office ourselves.

We didn’t take any risks, mind. We have winter tyres on the SoreStore van and these allow us get to places other cars can’t reach.

However, Royal Mail still has to get your order to your doorstep. We know that some areas have had no post deliveries for a week (Isle of Wight, parts of the Dales, rural Oxfordshire for example), so if you’re still waiting on your items, please be patient.

SoreStore’s present to you

We only launched SoreStore a couple of months ago, and have been amazed at how quickly we’ve been recognised as one of the UK’s foremost suppliers of physio and sports supports. Clearly, the quality customer service and quick turnaround of orders which we’ve become known for on our sister site, Snorestore, are chiming with our customers.
So as it’s our Christmas, we thought we’d say thank you to you, albeit in a very small way. Until the end of the year, if you spend £20 on any products on the SoreStore website, you can add a tube of our fantastic FisioCrem* for half price. That’s a tube of FisioCrem for a little over £3 – a veritable bargain.

*while stocks last

Christmas crackers

Ski safely this winter

Going ski-ing over Christmas and New Year? Protect yourself by packing a Neo-G physio knee support in amongst your kit, just in case you’re not as fit as you thought you were …

And while we’re on the subject, make sure you check the SoreStore Shipping page which has details of the last posting dates for Christmas.