As usual our team rose to the challenge and managed to source a huge array of items (these are very big trunks and need a lot of items to fill them) whilst meeting the client requirements and budget.

A different sort of packaging for a gift

Hampering Around takes great pride in its ability to meet any unusual and different gift requests from our clients.  For us gifts are not all just about hampers, gifting is so much broader than that.   Keep an eye on our website as we are launching our Christmas Range over the next few days and this will include some alternative/different gift ideas also.

This year we were specifically look for products to compliment our Baby Hampers, Australian Gifts, Pet Gifts and Organic Gifts.  Whilst we have been doing Baby Gifts for a long time, the other categories are new areas we have moved into.  We are finding more and more that as a company we need to offer a broader range of gift to meet our clients requirements.  For this reason we no longer are simply a “Hamper” company, our range is much broader and we are more and more providing our clients with customised gifts to meet a specific requirement or occasion.   Sometimes this can mean a gift with no food or alcohol.

1. Can a business simply add a range of gifts to it’s product set?
2. What is involved in doing this and can it be done successfully?

At  Hampering Around we would argue the answer to both is no.  Simply adding gifts to a business and calling yourself  a gift business is not easy, particularly when you consider what is required behind the scenes (which goes to point number 2).  The truly successful gift companies are those are built on passion, expertise and dedication to gifting, not where the gift range is an afterthought.

Many of our clients call us to discuss their requirements, both large and small.  When working with our clients we suggest they start with the following;

1. What is the reason for giving a gift?
2. Who is the gift for?
3. What is the desired price/budget for the gift?
4. What does the recipient like/dislike? Or do you have a preferred style?
5. Should the gift include alcohol? For instance we do many non alcoholic gifts.
6. Is the gift for one person or a group of people?
7. Do you wish to include a keepsake item in the gift?
8. Where does the gift need to be sent? This can dictate packaging/presentation and style.
9. Do you have a message for the gift?

If you have any other suggestions on things you consider as part of choosing a gift please post a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.

There is several criteria that we are working to, everything from packaging appeal through to usability ie. could someone actually use what is in our gift to make something special.

We would welcome any feedback or comments on this idea as it would help us better formulate our range and offering.

Often we find the biggest challenge in our business is explaining to the client what we can do is really only limited by their ability to articulate what they are looking for.  Based on the range of suppliers and partners we have, we can do almost anything.  Often it is easier to start by discussing what we don’t do.  The gifts mentioned in the article above are a great example of a more upmarket and expensive gift.

Forms that our customer service team use to document client requirements and details. This ensures we understand what the client wants, clarifies any details and helps ensure our preparation team know what is required of them.

Gathering all the correct client details ie. delivery address, gift card message etc..  This helps us ensure, no mistakes and if any are made, they can be rectified quickly.

Helping the client select the correct gift for their occasion and the recipient. Most of our clients purchase from us because they want something different and/or convenient.  We take great pride in helping clients determine the right gift for their occasion with the correct sentiment.

Our internal production process. We have a rigorous quality control process, this includes monitoring food use by dates, packaging styles and preparation standards that our staff are measured to.

Delivery of the gift, we carefully select all our courier companies and work closely with them to ensure the gift is delivered in the same condition that it left our warehouse.

Whilst the above might not be a normal summary of customer service, we really do see customer service as a continual behaviour right across our business, in everything we do.

As a gift company we watch this media commentary with great interest as it illustrates;

1. People are looking for convenience gifts as time becomes more precious.
2. How much money gift giving is costing consumers, with no tangible benefit delivered either the giver or receiver.

This presents a huge opportunity for companies such as ours to deliver real gifts, real value and real enjoyment.  All with the convenience.