Since when have Winter Storms been Named?

I’ve been hearing reports of the winter storm Juno over the last couple of days, and am pleased that it has caused less disruption than was expected, although anyone expecting a delivery on the East Coast of America should be aware that there are likely to be delays.

I like the name Juno, not only as it reminds me of the 2007 film, but I think it’s rather hippy vibe to it, but since when have winter storms been named?  I know that hurricanes are given names as in certain parts of the world, the Atlantic Basin for example; it is common for multiple storms to reach tropical strength in one area at one time.  The naming would go to help identify each weather system, which helps avoid confusion between each hurricane, but his is the first time I’ve been aware of a winter storm being named.

So I thought I would have a look into why the storm was named.

After a little research it seems that this is a convention started by in the US, more specifically by The Weather Channel, a cable TV station.  The Weather Channel have been giving identifying names to these winter storms since 2011.

It would seem that The Weather Channel have caused a fair bit of controversy over the years by naming such storms and the names are not recognised by the wider weather service bodies and organisations.

Personally, I don’t see the harm in giving a weather system a “pet” name, it’s rather endearing, and makes listening to weather reports a little more engaging.

Advantages of Access Points

Like many people these days I have many roles to play during a typical day.  I have a young family, a fantastic job working from home and plenty of items that have either been out grown or that we have fallen out of love with, so I have a small eBay store where these things can find a new home.

I spend quite a lot a time online, and make the occasional (and sometimes not so occasional) purchases, you know what it’s like, some things are just too tempting to leave.  So I find deliveries going in one direction or the other are often in my thoughts.

My Consumer Experience

As a consumer, I find nothing quite as frustrating as waiting in for a delivery.  I have often dedicated the best part of a day to this curtain twitching activity.

But there are times in the day that you just can’t be confined to quarters, the school run, for example.  I try to play this one as tactically as possible – leaving at the last possible minute, then “persuading” my little darlings to hurry home at top speed with a promise of a small treat to eat when we arrive back.

I don’t know if you do the same, but if I have had to leave the house when I’m expecting a delivery, I find that as I get closer to the house I start a military like scan of each road and side roads in search of anything resembling a delivery van.   Then, having a warming sense of optimism when there’s no sign of van, only to reach the house, open the door and have that heart dropping feeling of disappointment when you see that small card lying on the door mat.  “Sorry we missed you…” Great!

And now for the hassle of rearranging the delivery, with the prospect of waiting in another day, or having to traipse all the way to the depot, which for me is the other side of town.  It’s far from ideal!

My Business Experience

The other side of the coin, sending parcels doesn’t come without it’s share of hanging around either.  I have an online account with my courier where I enter all the parcel details, print a label and book a collection.  The small bonus between sending and receiving  parcels is that when I book the collection I can ask whether the pick-up can be made after the school run and often it can - which is great, but then after that time the waiting game begins AGAIN! 

Using Access Points

Well, all this is set to change for me, I’m taking back control of MY time!  I have recently found out about parcel access points.  These are ordinary shops, often convenience stores, where you can drop parcels you are sending off, and have parcels for you sent to allowing you the freedom to choose when you pick up or drop of a parcel. 

You can go to these shops at any time during opening hours and drop off or collect a parcel.

From what I gather you need to double check what time you are dropping off a parcel, as there are cut off times for sending items, but once you know the timings you can plan your time accordingly.  When collecting items you will need to show two forms of ID, so you have peace of mind from a security point of view.  These access points are growing in number rapidly, so there is bound to be convenient locations for most of us.

I’m certainly going to use these access points in the future, and will spread the word to my ebay customers too.

So as far as I’m concerned, waiting in for deliveries is a thing of the past. I feel liberated!

Change is as Good as a Rest, Well it Seems to have Worked Well for us

We have all just welcomed in a new year but are you content with the way your business developed through 2014?

What could make your 2015 brighter?  Sometime the key is change; it seems to have worked well for us.

We have taken a short time to reflect on our business activities through 2014, and on analysis we have undertaken large business changing projects that, we believe, have contributed to a successful year.

We began with the launch of our new branding, which injected a new sense of vibrancy into the way we project ourselves.  This fresh brighter look has translated well on the livery of our new vans.  We are particularly pleased with the eye catching orange and blue design with its suggestion of movement.  It feels like a perfect representation for our company and reflects where we are now.

This was followed by a seamless office move for our Oxford branch, causing no break in service for our customers.

Our most ambitious change was the launch of our new website.  This was by far the biggest project and the one which offered the most to our customers.  We ensured that the wording of the site was carefully chosen; while meticulous planning was given to the functionality and ease of navigation for customers.  Our customers were consistently at the forefront of our minds during the development process.

Lastly 2014 saw CSM introducing a new delivery service, aimed at e-Commerce traders.  Our e-Com+ service gives a 3-4 day delivery service at a very competitive rate.  We feel this addition to our delivery service options complements our existing service and allows us to offer a complete range of delivery options.

We strongly believe that these changes have helped path our way to a successful year!  As they say a change is as good as a rest, and we are feeling energised and ready for our next set of challenges for 2015.