July 2019 - A return to our DNA with Burundi Long Miles, Helpful advice on Shipping.
Date Posted:1 July 2019
“People don't want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole .” — Theodore Levitt
July 2019
This month we return to our roots with a sensational Single Origin feature coffee from Burundi's famous Long Miles Project. Great value Single Origin coffees are our DNA and this limited release is only available for a very short time - wild raspberry, mango, coconut, big complex body, with long, smooth cocoa finish. This one is going straight to the Trophy Room.
July's Secret Label has been a while in the planning - we don't often get to feature promotions from African origins as they can be difficult to source and command a market premium. This month's Secret Label is great value, you won't see anything like it at this price in our store.
Finally, customers are sometimes falling into a hole with freight and shipping, so this month we try again to help with guidelines assisting you achieve a better experience from online shopping, whether it's with us or someone else - please take a few moments to read how things actually work in Australian residential logistics, it might save some frustration.
July Secret Label
July's Secret Label is a bold coffee and without revealing too much, we will say July's Secret Label has African origins, it's fresh crop having just arrived.
We don't often get the opportunity to run offers using African coffees as they can be in short supply.
The intensity and complexity of African coffees produce a cup that's on another level - one of the reasons they command a premium in the market.
July's Secret Label is a melody of mandarin, orange, apricot, toasted hazelnut, dark cocoa, toasted almond, walnuts, brown spices, brown sugar, long cocoa finish, this is an 86 point coffee that sells for $50+ in the retail market.
We have been thoroughly enjoying this coffee for the last 3 weeks, mostly as milk-based espresso. As it's fresh crop, it has some lively acidity that works well in milk but with a bit more rest post-roast it will open up nicely and reveal it's layers.
Lovers of milk-based espresso beverages will adore it's bold complexity and dark cocoa finish. One of the features of this coffee is it just keeps on improving with age.
Each day we have noticed all sorts of new notes jumping out of the cup offering up delicious lingering fruits. It's at times both sweet and powerful with the nut and cocoa elements tempering nicely with the fruits.
***SOLD OUT ***
Burundi Long Miles Buckeye
We used to run feature coffees each month before the introduction of the Secret Label program - a hugely successful initiative during the last 12 months.
So, this month we thought it might be interesting to return to our roots with a focus on single origin excellence - after all, great value single origin coffees are our DNA.
For a limited time, we are offering a spectacular high grade coffee from Burundi's most respected program - Long Miles.
In the sacred levels of the upper premium coffee market, Long Miles' Buckeye washing station is considered one of the best - started by founders Ben and Kristy Carlson.
Here is a link to a short Youtube video - it's 5 years old, but still relevant today - Youtube - Long Miles Project.
Located in high altitude and ideal climate near the Kibira rain-forest, the conditions guarantee a unique and exquisite cup.
Buckeye employs more than 160 committed individuals, working tirelessly to produce the best coffee possible.
Using it's own borehole water source and granite-filtered well, clean and natural water is used to pulp, ferment and wash the coffee.
During the peak of harvest, more than 2,100 farmers will present cherry for processing, all individually carded with traceability right down to the hill on which the coffee was grown.
The level of quality control employed in Long Mile's Buckeye surpasses just about anything else in Burundi and quite frankly most of Africa.
For a short time only, we have a limited quantity of this wonderful coffee (it may only last a week or so).
These spectacular Long Miles Burundi coffees are sold for twice as much elsewhere. At this price it's a gift.
Juicy citrus acidity, notes of wild raspberry, cinnamon, spice, tropical fruits with mango and coconut, big complex body, smooth finish with predominant cocoa aftertaste.
Indulge your love of coffee - don't miss this exceptional opportunity.
**** SORRY, SOLD OUT - 11/7/19 ****
Helpful guidelines on how shipping works in Australia
We have written many articles and blogs about how to best manage the delivery of your parcel, yet it seems that every day we encounter frustrations from our customers about freight providers.
I'd prefer not to fill up our newsletter and waste readers valuable time with boring information about how freight works, unfortunately we have to keep on getting the message out so here is our essential guide on how to get the best from shipping, including the raw and uncomfortable truths.
Firstly, please check and ensure the shipping provider you select in the checkout is right for you.
We offer our customers a choice of shipping options in the checkout, always sorted from cheapest to most expensive with the lowest price as default. Customers can select their preferred shipping service before placing the order.
The decision as to whether it's Sendle or AusPost to carry your parcel is always yours, not ours. I'm still gobsmacked every day to hear customers beat us up about who is hell is Sendle and why are they carrying their parcel. We even get abused for offering the choice of Sendle !
Here are our essential guidelines to help you achieve better outcomes for your online shopping experience, whether you buy from us or someone else, it all still applies:-.
- Sendle provides a competitive and viable alternative to the monopoly of Australia Post - without Sendle, AusPost would never need to improve. Sendle is not disappearing any time soon - in many instances, particularly for customers residing longer distances from Melbourne, Sendle can be both faster and cheaper - we are not suggesting it's a better service than AusPost, just different.
- Sendle is not always perfect (sometimes fast, other times slow) and we do not have any preferences as to what providers our customers select - we support both companies equally - you choose and we comply with your choice.
- All shipping providers sit in the middle between us and you - once we hand the parcel to a freight provider, it's up to them to manage the delivery via their agents to you, the recipient. We don't have any special powers to alter the course of a parcel's performance, even if it's been delayed or mis-routed - freight companies are a law unto themselves and they have their own processes for dealing with incidents, no amount of pressure from us is going to change matters.
- If you encounter an issue with Sendle, it's best for you to directly contact Sendle via their web page for assistance ASAP rather than try to hit us up with a complaint many days later. As with any incident, time is always of the essence and the faster you can get onto Sendle (or AusPost), the sooner it might be resolved, especially if the parcel is in the last leg of it's journey to avoid it being returned.
- Sendle does not have phone support, so please stop bashing us with this point as it's not something we can change or resolve - all Sendle support is via their web page, their web support is prompt and efficient and we do not have any other channels to contact Sendle - everyone, which includes us, must use the exact same web form to obtain support.
- If you decide to use Sendle, please be aware that Sendle's agents are basic couriers only and not part of the Australia Post network (they are in fact competitors) - we still have too many customers expecting Sendle can just leave it at the Post Office - Sendle's agents are not permitted to leave parcels at AusPost facilities - LPO's, PO Boxes or Parcel Lockers. As such, you should consider whether it's safe to provide Authority To leave when placing your order as chasing up signatures for parcels is the #1 cause of a futile delivery attempt, parcel delays and customer frustration.
- If you can't sign for the parcel and it's not safe to leave at your premises, our advice is to avoid Sendle and use AusPost - Sendle are couriers and they rely upon a basic point to point delivery whereby the parcel is handed over in the first attempt, they are not equipped to hold parcels as their depots are located in remote areas, unlike the convenience of AusPost facilities.
- In some cases, Sendle's agents might have arrangements or agreement that allow them to leave a parcel for collection at a nearby service outlet such as Newsagency or Petrol Station - this acts in a similar way to a Post Office by enabling you to collect the parcel without having to attend a depot. Please be aware that merchants and retailers have absolutely no control or visibility of these collection facilities, so in the event of an incident, please engage directly with Sendle as we are not permitted to contact Sendle's partner networks.
- Blaming us for delivery issues is not fair or reasonable - we are happy to help where we can, but we can't wave a magic wand and solve a problem instantly. We are exactly the same as every other company in Australia that must rely upon a limited range of 3rd party freight providers.
- Customers can see we push hard each day racing to get fresh roasted coffee out the door ASAP. We never sit on orders and we rush like crazy in the afternoons getting parcels ready as every single order is custom prepared - we do amazing work at high speed to get your parcels on the road fast.
- No online seller has a "special channel" or "high-speed deal" with freight providers for superior grade of service delivery. All retailers and merchants use the same services - it's a black hole once a parcel is handed over to a shipping provider - parcels are processed in the same networks, just like placing a letter in the mail.
Poor freight performance will only improve when the strength of numbers from customer voices are heard by the shipping providers. We have said it before many times, freight companies ignore complaints from merchants and retailers because they know merchants have no other alternatives. It's not a competitive market with choices - so please remember this important point as it renders retailers effectively powerless to force change - consumers are encouraged to take complaints directly to the freight companies.