Issue 3 - 2010 - Pack & Send

THE SILENCE WAS OVERWHELMING. SITTING EXPECTANTLY AT THE WELL ADORNED TABLES
OF MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND’S OLYMPIC ROOM WAS A MULTITUDE OF PACK &
SEND CONTENDERS, ALL FOCUSED ON THE MAN AT THE PODIUM, A BREATH AWAY FROM
ANNOUNCING 2009’S ‘AUSTRALIAN FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR’.
Shane and Sally Cole of Melbourne City 3 sat
amongst the crowd, just as expectant but,
surprisingly, unprepared to hear their names.
“We were wondering who was about to win the award,”
Shane said, not for a moment thinking it could be them.
Following the initial shock and surprise at the
announcement of their names, the Coles said
they were taken by a sense of pride for being
recognised in front of their peers.
“It’s always nice to get a pat on the back for
putting in an effort,” said Shane.
“I was, however, concerned
when Sally and John McGrath
became entangled following a
vigorous hug,” he said, laughing.
“I thought we may have had to
drag John up on stage with us!”
Along with winning the PACK
& SEND 2009 Franchisee of
the Year award, memorable
highlights during the Coles’ years
with the network include the
close work they’ve done with
other PACK & SEND franchisees
as well as many of the staff in head offi ce. But most of
all, says Shane, is his number one delight in learning that
he and Sally can work together!
“Sally and I have skills in particular areas which
complement each other. We’ve learned many things
and others have been reinforced during our time with
PACK & SEND. The major point is meeting customer
expectations,” he said.
“As we all know, most of our customers have a
requirement to have goods picked up, packed and
delivered within a tight deadline. Managing the needs
of all our customers and seeing it through to the end is,
at times, quite challenging, but at the same time is very
rewarding when a diffi cult job is completed successfully.
“We’ve also learned to use the strength of the group in
all areas; there are many franchisees with a wide range
of experience not only in the practicalities of packing, but
marketing and running the business in general.”
Shane says he particularly enjoys the challenge of
working through the process of packing those more
complicated jobs.
The fi rst that came to Shane’s mind was a large stuffed
peacock with its beautiful
tail feathers spread out in full
display needing to go to country
NSW. With urgency not being
one of the factors, Shane said
he lost count of the times he
walked past the bird, pondering
the best way to pack it.
Eventually the stuffed bird found
itself secured to a base, bubble
wrapped and surrounded by
fl o-pack, sitting in a custommade
box measuring around
two metres long, one and a half
metres high and 40cm wide.
The second job’s complexity was altogether
different, seeing Shane examine options with
his client on how to best pack and send over
half a million dollars in parts to Geneva for the
biggest scientifi c experiment in the world: The
Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The LHC is the world’s largest energy particle accelerator
designed to address the most fundamental questions of
physics. It lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres in circumference
as much as 175 metres beneath the Franco-Swiss
border near Geneva, Switzerland.
Shane packed the LHC parts into anti static bags, then
into two custom-built, foam lined cases and fi nally into
PACK & SEND boxes with a false fl oor and fl o-pack.
“It’s great how exposure through the business broadens
your interests,” said Shane, who has been following the
Hadron Collider’s progress ever since.
Ironically, he says, winning the award has made them refocus
on the business and the way they operate.
“We believe that there are always areas in which we can
improve,” says Shane. “And we must continually improve
and grow.”
Above: Shane and Sally Cole
are awarded the PACK &
SEND perpetual trophy for
Australian Franchisee of the
Year 2009 from Chairman,
Barry Smorgon, and CEO,
Michael Paul.; inset: hard at
work in their store.
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