WebstaurantStore Company Update
A statement from Dave Groff, WebstaurantStore President:
In the wake of the horrific murder of George Floyd, we understand that many people are seeking more information about how the companies they support are responding. To be clear, WebstaurantStore stands with all of those demanding an end to racism and hate. We believe that Black lives matter and that we all have a role to play in moving America forward from a history of inequality.
One of the core elements of our culture is a commitment to “do the right thing.” Many of us, myself included, cannot begin to understand what it feels like to be in the shoes of someone who has been treated unfairly due to the color of their skin. We believe that the right thing to do is to open a dialogue, listen, and find ways that we can be better, as individuals and as an organization. While this is an urgent issue, it’s also important for us to take the time to listen to our team. That’s what we’ve been doing over the last week.
On June 1st, I sent an email to all of our employees clarifying our position on racism and how we address it within our company. Over the last 10 days, our team has courageously brought up issues and made suggestions on how we can improve. Based on that feedback, here are some of the initial steps that we are taking:
- We will form diversity teams to help us gain perspective and provide feedback and direction as we work to get better in this area.
- We will support equality causes that are championed by our employees in each of our local communities.
- We will establish scholarships for minority students that are seeking careers in the culinary & hospitality fields.
- We will review our internal policies and procedures to make sure we are doing everything we can to ensure an inclusive and diverse workforce.
We recognize that these are just initial steps. We will continue this conversation so that we can be part of the solution.
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All About WebstaurantStore Common Carrier Shipping
Whether you're shipping heavy equipment or a bulk order of restaurant supplies, WebstaurantStore common carrier shipping ensures that your items arrive safely and on time. Common carrier deliveries are shrink-wrapped and shipped on wooden pallets on large 18-wheeler trucks, which also allows them to handle larger orders that are too big for standard parcel carriers. We'll cover the process of placing an order for a common carrier shipment, what's expected of you (the customer) to successfully receive a common carrier shipment, and some frequently asked questions about the shipping process. Use these links to learn more about our common carrier shipping: Flow of a Common Carrier Shipment Customer Responsibilities Liftgate Service Call Before Delivery Common Carrier FAQ The Flow of a Common Carrier Shipment Here is how a common carrier shipment generally goes, from the order being placed on the site to it being delivered to your establishment: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ptM9pGsQPu8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> 1. Place Your Order with WebstaurantStore While you're shopping, you'll see a shipping calculator on the cart page that will inform you if your orders will be delivered via common carrier shipment. During the checkout process, you will have the option to add liftgate service and request a call before delivery to your order. Additionally, you'll find a comment box on the checkout page where you can add any comments about your order or any shipping requirements you may have. Once the order has been placed, you will get a confirmation email from us with all of the relevant information about your order and shipping. 2. Bill of Lading Is Created A bill of lading is a legal document that is created in the warehouse and then provided to the carrier. The BOL specifies the terms of delivery that you set during the checkout process, such as any special instructions or liftgate services. The bill of lading also contains information about the freight and pallet stacking. Here is additional information the carrier can find on a bill of lading: The number of pallets in the order The total weight A description of the contents Your order number Any special instructions for drop off, such as call before delivery or liftgate service 3. Carrier Picks up Order After the order is picked and shrink-wrapped, the carrier will come to one of our warehouses to pick up your order and load it onto their truck. At that time, they will sign the bill of lading to signify that they received the shipment. 4. A Proof of Delivery Is Created The proof of delivery (POD) is a delivery receipt that you must sign upon delivery of the shipment. The carrier will provide you with this POD upon delivery of the shipment for you to sign. 5. Your Shipment Is Delivered The carrier will arrive with your order. At that time, you can use a forklift or loading dock to unload your order. The driver of the truck is not expected to help unload unless a liftgate service was selected during the checkout process of your order. If you did purchase the liftgate service, the driver will get the order down off the truck but is not required to help move the shipment inside. Once you have taken your order off the truck, thoroughly inspect the package for any potential signs of damage or missing pieces. You will be allotted 15 minutes to do so. After confirming that all of the items are accounted for and everything is in the correct condition, sign the proof of delivery and return it to the driver. Customer Responsibilities for Receiving a Common Carrier Shipment While much of the process of common carrier shipping happens in the warehouse and with the carrier, the following points are what you will be responsible for as a customer to successfully receive a common carrier shipment: 1. Be Present at the Allotted Time to Accept Your Shipment The carrier will arrive during standard business hours, which is between 8 am and 5 pm. If you choose a call before delivery, the driver will contact you approximately 1 business day prior to arrange a 4-hour time window for the delivery. It's important to note that selecting a call before delivery will typically add an additional business day to the shipping time for the carrier company to contact you for confirmation. Customers who aren't present during delivery may be subject to a redelivery fee owed to the carrier. Additional fees may also apply if you need a specific time window shorter than 4 hours. 2. Unload the Truck to Receive Your Order Once the carrier arrives at your business, it's your responsibility to unload the truck with a forklift or a loading dock. If you added liftgate service to your order, the driver will help you get the order down, but it's your responsibility to bring your order inside. If your order consists of small parcels and can be broken down quickly and efficiently, you may be permitted to get into the truck to remove it. 3. Inspect Your Order and Sign the Proof of Delivery Typically, most carriers will give you a 15-minute window to unload your order, inspect it for any damage, and ensure that all of the pieces are accounted for. It's important to note that if you take longer than 15 minutes to perform this task, you could potentially be billed a detention fee from the carrier. During your inspection, if you notice anything that is missing, make sure to note it on the proof of delivery. If you're missing items but do not list them on the POD, we cannot guarantee compensation. If you notice that the packaging has been damaged, you can open it to inspect the contents and check if they have been damaged as well. If your items have been damaged, be sure to note it on the proof of delivery and take pictures of the damaged items and the packaging. Please contact our Customer Solutions team within 24 hours of receiving the order if your order is damaged or missing items. What Is a Liftgate? A liftgate is a motorized platform on the back of the truck that will lower your freight from the truck down onto the ground. This is an optional service that we offer that makes it easier to receive your common carrier shipments. This service is ideal for customers who don't have a forklift or loading dock they can use to unload the truck, as well as for orders going to residential addresses. Here are some important things you need to know about liftgate service: Adding liftgate service to your delivery costs $55.00 if you add it during checkout. Liftgate is automatically added to all common carrier deliveries to residential addresses. The driver may help you get your freight down using the liftgate, but they will not assist in getting the order inside. Call Before Delivery Call before delivery is an additional service that you can add to your common carrier shipment to make delivery more convenient. This requires that the carrier calls you one business day before delivery to arrange a delivery time frame, which is typically a 4-hour window. The convenience of a call before delivery allows you to set up a time that works for you and lets you know when to expect your shipment. Here are some other things you should know about call before delivery: It is free to add a call before delivery to your order. This service is optional for commercial customers, but it is required for common carrier shipments going to residential addresses. Call before delivery may add an additional business day to your shipping time. If the carrier misses the appointment, a new appointment will be made with no additional charge. If you miss the appointment, there is a $65.00 re-delivery fee. WebstaurantStore Common Carrier FAQs If you have additional questions about receiving a common carrier shipment, check out the answers to common questions below: Why Is My Order Common Carrier Instead of Parcel Shipping? There are several reasons that your order ships via common carrier rather than parcel shipping. Here are a few common reasons: Your order exceeds weight capacity or size requirements. The order includes potentially hazardous materials, such as some types of cleaning chemicals or chafer fuel. The warehouse shipping supervisor deems common carrier the safest method for delivery. How Much Is the Re-Delivery Fee? If you miss the shipping appointment, you will be charged $65.00. What Is a Detention Fee? If you take longer than 15 minutes to inspect your common carrier shipment, you could be charged a detention fee from the carrier. When Will I Get the Call before Delivery? The carrier will call you approximately one business day before your delivery. How Do I Receive a Shipment at a Residential Address? If you're having a common carrier shipment delivered to a home business, liftgate and call before delivery services are required. My Order Shows Delivered, but I Haven’t Received It Yet In this case, your order may have been delivered to an interline carrier. Interline carriers are often used in large cities or rural areas to complete deliveries. To check if your order is with an interline carrier, please contact our Customer Solutions team to check the proof of delivery. WebstaurantStore's common carrier shipping is a convenient and reliable option for businesses in need of shipping large and heavy items. Now that you are familiar with the process, you are ready to outfit your restaurant with all of your kitchen equipment needs.
How to Customize Products at WebstaurantStore
Boost your brand recognition and customer base by adding customizable supplies throughout your establishment! Whether you’re outfitting your staff in personalized aprons or adding your logo to a custom coffee sleeve, customized products can provide an eye-catching and professional source of marketing for your business. We offer an easy-to-use customization tool so you can design a full inventory of personalized supplies! Read on to find out how you can customize products right here at WebstaurantStore. Product Customization Video Tutorial <iframe scrolling="no" width="392" height="226" src="/v/?num=6948&width=600&height=500&embed=1" frameborder="0"></iframe> How to Use the WebstaurantStore Customization Tool Easily design a wide variety of custom printed restaurant supplies by following these simple steps to navigate through our customization tool! Shop All Customizable Supplies 1. Accessing Customizable Supplies From the Homepage - Scroll down on the homepage and you will find a purple button on the right hand side that reads “Make It Personal With Customizable Supplies”. This will take you to all of the eligible customizable products. See Step 2 for your next step. From a Product Page - If a product is customizable, you will see a large red or purple button below the price that says “Customize & Add to Cart”. This will take you to the customization tool for that specific product. You can jump to Step 3 from here. 2. Select a Product to Customize If you navigated to the customizable products from the homepage, you will then need to take the following steps: Select the type of items you would like to customize from the eligible categories. Select the specific item by using the dropdowns on the following page from the variations available. 3. Check the Design Considerations The Design Considerations will have important instructions that pertain to the customization of the product you are interested in. Find essential details, such as the following: Maximum Printing Area Color Fees and Restrictions Plate Charges Required File Resolution 4. Explore the Customization Types Once you’re familiar with the Design Considerations of your product, you are ready to move forward to selecting a customization type. The customization tool will show you what you can add to the product! Your options may include the following depending on the product: Image/Logo Text Both 5. Identifying the Available Product Regions The available regions for customization will be listed below the Image/Logo section. For example, your logo may be able to wrap around a customizable foam cups, or you may be given the option to customize the left chest, right chest, and right shoulder of a chef coat. 6. Upload Your Images Once you know how many images you can use and where you can place them, it's time to begin uploading your image files. Here are some important tips to keep in mind for selecting your images. Only one file can be uploaded per region. Select the file type that is listed in the Design Considerations for that product. Although the tool can accept file types such as .png, .jpg, .gif, .eps, .pdf, and .ai, the manufacturer may need a specific file type to proceed with your customization. Adjust the placement and size of your image to ensure you get the proper amount of coverage that you desire. 7. Inspect the 3D Rendering The 3D rendering on the right side of the page will update as you upload images to the regions in the tool. This can help provide you with an idea of what the final product may look like. This is how you can toggle your 3D rendering to see it from all angles: Spin the image by left clicking Move the image by right clicking Zoom in to the image by scrolling 8. Check Different Product Options You can easily try out your logo on different products within the same category by using the Product Options dropdown above the 3D rendering. The 3D rendering will automatically update as you toggle through the available options. These options will typically feature product variations and availability for the following: Sizes Colors Materials Before you can move onto the next step, be sure that all other dropdowns in the tool are filled out with your preferences. 9. Review the Pricing When you are satisfied with the 3D rendering, click the green button that reads “Get Pricing”. On this page, you’ll be able to do the following: Leave a note for Customer Solutions about your order if needed Check the pricing discounts you can receive based on the quantity of items you select Review the minimum quantities for the order Select a quantity for your purchase See your subtotal Add the purchase to your cart 10. Checkout Once you hit the “Add to Cart”, you'll be led to the Cart page to proceed through the checkout process as usual. What to Expect After You Place Your Custom Order With WebstaurantStore Once you hit the “Complete Checkout” button for your customization order, here is what you can expect: You’ll receive your order confirmation email. The Customizable Team will review your order and email you to either confirm the uploaded artwork or request new artwork. Additionally, they will provide the estimated lead times for the proof process and production. Once the artwork is confirmed, the Customizable Team will request a proof of your custom product from the manufacturer. The manufacturer will provide a proof of the item with your customizations and request your approval; occasionally a signature is required. Once your approval is received, the manufacturer will begin production of your order. Your order will ship to you! Customization FAQs We addressed some of the more frequently asked questions regarding the customization process to help make your experience go smoothly. Will I Be Able to See a Sample of My Customized Product? The manufacturer will send you a proof PDF via email of your customized product for your approval. Cambro is currently the only one of our manufacturers that will send a physical sample before production. When Will I See the Price And/Or Quantity Minimum? The pricing and quantity minimums will be visible through the “Get Price” button after you have uploaded your image into the customization tool. This is because the pricing can be impacted by the options you select while designing your custom product. I’m Having Trouble Uploading an Image. What Should I Do? If the customization tool isn’t taking the image file you are trying to use, you may upload any image that is in a JPG, PNG, or Tiff format. The Customizable Team will then contact you after the order is placed to request the file in the proper format and resolution. You may leave a comment for Customer Solutions during the checkout process notifying them of the file issue. I Want to Reorder, but I Can’t Add the Item to My Cart? If you are looking to reorder a previously placed customizable purchase, just email us at [email protected]. Let us know the quantity you are looking for and the Customizable Team will be able to send you a quote to add to your cart during checkout. How Long Will the Custom Order Take to Make? Lead times for custom orders can vary depending on the item and manufacturer. Contact Customer Solutions through our chat system for an estimate on proof lead times and production lead times before placing your order. Can I Expedite My Custom Order? Custom items cannot be expedited since they are made to order. What If I Get the Proof and I Change My Mind? Can I Cancel the Order? If you don’t love your proof, you may cancel the order at this point. However, some products will still have a sample fee or proof fee that is non-refundable. You will receive an email from the Customizable Team after the order is placed to approve any additional fees before moving forward to the proof process. How Can I Get My Image into the Accepted Format? The final image for the customization will need to be in Vector format. If you are working with a designer, they should be able to convert the file for you. Vector converters and instructions are available online and may vary depending on the image program you are using. How Many Colors Can I Use in My Custom Image? The number of colors you can use in a customization depends on the product you choose. The color limit will be clearly listed in the Design Considerations for that product. I Am a Plus Customer; Why Am I Being Charged Shipping? Each new customization order will have a shipping cost even for WebstaurantPlus accounts due to the time and effort they take to get set up with the manufacturer. However, each reorder you place for your custom purchase will have free shipping since it is already established in their system! Adding custom products to your establishment is a simple marketing strategy to build your restaurant branding and create recognition for your business! By familiarizing your customers with your logo or slogan through custom restaurant supplies, you can encourage impulse sales and enhance brand loyalty among customers.
Why You Should Sign Up for WebstaurantPlus
Foodservice establishments operate with razor-thin margins, and shipping costs can quickly start cutting into profits. Fortunately, we created the WebstaurantPlus program, which is a subscription service that offers free shipping on hundreds of products. Keep reading to learn how a WebstaurantPlus subscription can benefit your business, what types of products are eligible with the Plus program, and what real WebstaurantPlus members have to say about the service. What Is WebstaurantPlus? WebstaurantPlus is a subscription service that gives subscribers access to priority order processing and free standard ground and common carrier shipping on over 180,000 products. We offer this service for a fee of $99 a month. Additionally, for an order to qualify for free shipping, the subtotal must include over $29 worth of eligible products. Who Is Eligible for a WebstaurantPlus Subscription? Any WebstaurantStore customer located in the United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) is eligible to sign up for the service. WebstaurantPlus Refund Program Starting on August 31, 2022, WebstaurantPlus customers whose total account subscription costs exceeded their total account subscription savings in the preceding 12-month period will be eligible for a refund of the difference. Subscription savings refer to shipping costs, subscription savings on select items, and other associated subscription savings. A store credit will be issued to eligible customers for the difference, and it can be used on merchandise or services offered online at www.webstauranstore.com. For more information, please visit our policies page. To learn more about the benefits of WebstaurantPlus and to answer any questions you may have, be sure to check out our WebstaurantPlus FAQ by using the button below. WebstaurantPlus FAQ Popular Products Eligible for WebstaurantPlus There are over 180,000 products that are eligible for the Plus program. This selection encompasses many different types of products, ranging from large equipment to smallwares and disposables, so you can be sure to find the items you need. Any product that has the blue Plus box next to the item price is eligible for priority order processing and free shipping! Most Popular Items on WebstaurantPlus Here are some of the great products that are popular with our WebstaurantPlus customers: Disposable Gloves Paper Cups Paper Napkins Glassware Receipt Paper Take-Out Containers Who Would Benefit from a WebstaurantPlus Subscription? A WebstaurantPlus subscription is beneficial for most foodservice establishments, especially restaurants that order their equipment and disposables online. This service is also ideal for the following types of establishments: Businesses that use the auto reorder tool. If you're ordering regularly from WebstaurantStore, a Plus membership is essential, so you can maximize your savings. Use the WebstaurantStore app to make reordering your favorite Plus-eligible items even quicker. Restaurants that are constantly running out of disposables. Rather than sending one of your employees off to the grocery store to pick up more napkins, straws, or paper plates and paying a premium, you can order wholesale options on WebstaurantStore with Plus. Then you can sit back and relax knowing that your order will get priority processing and free shipping. New restaurants that have to order lots of equipment and supplies to stock their kitchen. Purchasing lots of equipment for your new business can lead to a lot of upfront costs, but a WebstaurantPlus membership can help cut costs. Establishments that need their order to arrive quickly. If one of your appliances breaks during the week and you need a replacement, a WebstaurantPlus subscription ensures priority processing so your business can continue flourishing as quickly as possible. Praise for WebstaurantPlus from Customers But, don't just take our word for it! Read what several WebstaurantPlus members have to say about the service. MJ Stone is the co-owner of Agora Downtown Coffee Shop in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and has benefitted from her WebstaurantPlus subscription. She said, "In addition to not being able to find another place that beats the prices that Webstaurant has, it's wonderful not having to worry about shipping on top of that." John Serock, the owner of John Serock Catering expressed a similar statement: "So many of the items that we purchase are part of the Plus program that we've moved over products from other suppliers because of the savings in the shipping." He also added that, "At $99 a month, it paid for itself literally in the first week that we had it." In addition to the cost savings, WebstaurantPlus members benefit from our expedited shipping, so you get your orders faster. The Director of Kitchen Operations for Barley Creek Brewing Company, Bobby Fluegel, said, "Favorite thing from WebstaurantStore is probably the fact that once I purchase something, I know it's going to be here in a few days." Check out the video below to see what else our customers have to say about WebstaurantPlus! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5dTR6u5iNe0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Subscribe to WebstaurantPlus for Free Shipping A WebstaurantPlus subscription can help your business save on shipping costs and get your shipments faster, so you have to spend less time waiting and can spend more time serving your customers. If your restaurant is ready to sign up and start saving money on shipping, you can use the button below: Enroll in WebstaurantPlus