Customer Donations: Curry Senior Center

Providing customer donations is part of who we are.

From ribbons to name tags, Coller Industries is your go-to specialist for personal identification needs. While we do pride ourselves on our service and professionalism in producing these fantastic products, our main focus is to help you, our customers! And part of this is to donate what we can, whenever we can. These donations are truly something that helps us stand out from our competition.

This month we were able to help out a wonderful cause.

In the heart of San Francisco, Curry Senior Center, named after its namesake Dr. Francis J. Curry, has been a leader and a lifeline to seniors for nearly 40 years. Right in their own neighborhood, seniors can easily access a wide range of integrated services through Curry, from health care to housing and everything in between; it is comprehensive care in a single setting.

“Curry Senior Center’s Annual Gala (Helping Hands, Healing Hearts) is the single largest fund raising effort for the organization each year. This is due to taking a highly personalized, family-focused approach to our sponsors and donors. Part of that focus includes the use of name badge ribbons to highlight leadership roles and award winners at the gala. These lend an air of sophistication and importance not previously experienced until our use of Coller Industries’ highest quality of products.” says Tod Thorpe, Director of Development at Curry Senior Center.

“Our mission is to provide services to seniors that promote independent living while maintaining their dignity and self-esteem,” explains Thorpe.

Curry Senior Center is where more than 2,000 seniors, regardless of income or insurance, have access to top-notch health care as well as meals, housing, and social services in their own neighborhood. This helps meet seniors’ essential needs and lets them stay as active and socially connected as possible as they age.

Curry Senior Center received 62 of these badge ribbons. Badge ribbons can be printed with information to identify speakers, staff or an assortment of other functions during conferences and other meetings. The donated ribbons were all imprinted with different titles or awards to help the recipients stand out. Each of these ribbons can be fully personalized to meet any need.

“A ribbon may seem like a small thing but not when it makes our supporters feel special and cared for; that is priceless. Thanks to Coller Industries so much for your generosity!” expressed Thorpe.

Low Error Rate Produces Happy Customers

Customers are our top priority and we show this by keeping our error rate low.

Here at Coller Industries Incorporated, we pride ourselves in our customer service expertise. Not only do we have a great team of Customer Service Agents, but our team members from Production and Shipping are also here to provide quality and accuracy with all of our products. Part of what makes us so great is our ability to keep our error rate so low.

Here’s a quick review of our current year-to-date statistics:

Our overall error rate is 0.265%. This means that 1 in about every 400 orders may contain an error; great news for our customers!

Since January 1, 2016 we have had a total of 20 errors coming from 7551 orders total. And, to top that, 8 out of those 12 weeks have had 1 or fewer errors; more great news for our customers!

If we have 3 or fewer errors as a company during a one week period the company provides a “Free Lunch Friday.” If we have less than 8 errors in any 4 week period Coller Industries treats the entire company to lunch out at a local restaurant.

Not only are these benefits for the employees here at Coller Industries, but with these incentives to keep us going, our customers get to enjoy the satisfaction of doing business with an outstanding company. Having a low error rate increases sales and increased sales translate into happy customers. And with happy customers, Coller Industries remains in business to continue to serve everyone and their personal identification needs!

“Throughout each step of any and every project there is a double checking process that takes place. Everything hinges on getting the order checked completely and thoroughly before it gets out of customer service and into production,” says Aimee, our Customer Service Manager.

She goes on to explain the process that our customer service agents take with each order.

COLLER INDUSTRIES’ ORDER REVIEW PROCESS:

Orders are received by a Customer Service Agent and our Design Team makes a proof of the product.

The order is sent to Quality Control for confirmation (meaning that the proof matches the invoice).

The order is received into Production and is confirmed using an internal check sheet form.

The order is then sent from Production to Assembly and is again compared using the same check list.

The order is sent to Shipping and once more checked for accuracy before being sealed and shipped.

Once an order is received and goes into our internal system, it is checked on a consistent basis so that it remains correct and matches the original order placed. This means checking the invoice against the production page and finally against the actual, finished product. This process is followed for all orders received here at Coller Industries.

If anything changes, or an error occurs, during this checking process, the whole order is re-evaluated. We are also in continual contact with each of our customers throughout the entire order process to make sure that we are meeting exactly what they ordered and what they are expecting.

“I’ve tried to instill the mantra that each order is wrong until you prove it right,” explains Pat, our Production and Shipping Manager. “We are constantly, consistently and objectively checking each order,” he states. No assumptions are made that the order is correct, and as each order has 10 to 15 variables to it, meticulous checking is a must. “The people working here are a big part of the reason why this system works so well,” Pat says proudly.

keeping our error rate low to ensure happy and satisfied customers

From our customer service agents and our design team to our production and shipping team, the review process of each order is extensive and takes extreme concentration. We, as company, put all available resources we have into each and every order. And we always keep our customers involved in all processes and steps of every order so as to maintain our low error rate.

In the event that something does go wrong (we admit that we’re human and not perfect), there is always something that can be done to fix the problem, and most of these are typically corrected by the next business day.

“No matter the error, we always work with each customer in getting out a replacement as quickly as possible,” explains Slim, our Quality Control Supervisor. “We will always accommodate each order in whatever way we can,” Slim says.

Our Reorder Program

A key point to maintaining such a low error rate is our reorder program.

Once an initial order is received from a customer, our customer management system (we call it MOM for short) holds onto the design information to reduce the risk of errors. All layout information is saved so that we can recreate an original order exactly. Once in the reorder program, a customer can actually see a visual proof of any original design from the orders they have previously placed with Coller Industries so that they know exactly what they are getting when they place their reorder. This program eliminates any guess work on the customer’s end, and on our end, as to what the customer really wants.

Rod, one of our programmers, explains, “The customer does not have to guess which layout they want as they can see a picture and know for sure which item they are selecting. We have made entering or uploading a list about as easy as it gets; the count of items for the order is taken from the list thus making the quote we provide fairly accurate. All of this adds up to a reorder that can be entered in a manner of minutes with little to no hassle.”

“Before the new system, there was a lot of back and forth with customers to be sure the correct layout was used. Now (with the new program) the customer sees a picture of the product they are ordering from the start,” states Traci, Quality Control and Customer Service Agent.

With the automation of this reorder system, errors are kept at an all time low. “This has greatly reduced the order and list issues we have seen in the past,” says Traci.

Gary Coller, President of Coller Industries, states, “Efforts have been made to prevent many, if not all, errors from occurring. We also take the time to figure out why an error has actually happened when they do occur.” Gary credits the low error rate to our 5 Stage Checking and to the employee incentive program.

“Most importantly, we always take responsibility for our mistakes and no matter
what happens, we will make it right,” says Gary.

All in all, Coller Industries strives in every way possible to get each order not only out the door quickly and efficiently, but correctly! And our low error rate only proves this, not only to us but to our current and potential customers.

Lace and Ribbons

While it may seem an especially effeminate topic, ribbons and lace go hand-in-hand quite often.

From ribbon pieces, leftover lace, scrapbook supplies, and other items that we think we’ll use eventually, most craft rooms aren’t complete without a collection of odds and ends. Instead of collecting piles and mounds of these leftovers, throw them into your next project! From hair ribbons to party invitations to jewelry, ribbons and lace are great for any project.

In an attempt to follow the trend of last week’s post, here are some ideas to use up that scrap lace and ribbon rolls.

ribbon rolls and lace for party or shower invitations

ribbons and lace for hair bows, head bands and jewelry items like necklaces and bracelets

ribbons and lace on wedding cakes also use for baby showers and other events

ribbons and lace pew decorations wedding and party decorations

Use them as clothing embellishments

Have an old t-shirt that you can’t seem to get rid of because, “I’ll wear this again someday.”? Try updating the look with ribbon, lace and whatever other embellishments you have on hand. Form a collar using lace pieces and weave a colorful ribbon through the ends. Or, take that ribbon roll and form a fun and flattering pattern over the front, or back, of the shirt. Don’t stop at shirts, update pants, skirts and any other clothing item you might want to experiment on.

Use them as jewelry or hair accessories

Chalk it up to traditional or basic, but ribbons and lace look fabulous in your hair or worn around your neck. Braid a small ribbon into your hair, wrap either one around a head band for a quick and cute look for your evening out. Or, find some beads and create a one-of-a-kind statement jewelry piece to match that shirt you just updated!

Use them for gift wrap or cards and invitations

What a classy way to dress up any party invitation or wrapping paper. Whether for a bridal shower or just a friendly gift, tie it up with a piece of lace and some brightly colored ribbon. Need it to be extra special? Order custom ribbon rolls with names, dates or other wording to really hit home how personalized this gift really is. The receiver will be ecstatic about the gift or invitation!

Use them in decorating

Here’s an idea that is as traditional as they get. Ribbon rolls are great for decorating windows or using for wall hangings. They are perfect to wrap around candles or other items for centerpieces for weddings, parties or other fun festivities. Or, wrap that ribbon delicately around the base of each tier on a cake. And make it even more special by adding pieces of lace throughout all the decorations!

Whatever your idea, simple or complex, ribbons and lace is a classic look that is always welcome!

Buttons and Ribbons Projects

From buttons, ribbon pieces, leftover lace, scrapbook supplies and other items we think we’ll eventually use, most craft rooms aren’t complete without a collection of odds and ends. You probably purchased these items for other projects that ended up not using everything purchased or not using them.

So, what do you do with all those leftovers? You can’t return them and don’t feel right throwing them out. So, do you recycle them or give them away? Nope, keep them! You might eventually use them, right?

How many of us have extra buttons laying around the house or a craft room?

Instead of collecting piles and mounds of these leftovers, throw them into your next project! From hair ribbons to bookmarks to jewelry, buttons and ribbons are great for any project.

Does someone you know have a birthday or other celebration coming up? First, make them a homemade card with buttons and ribbons to acknowledge them on their special day. Then, follow up with a specialty ribbon medal made with those leftover pieces as a wonderful and personal gift.

Need to update your style? Take that old, worn out t-shirt out of the closet and add buttons and ribbon in complimentary colors to the hem, front or back. Use your imagination for this project to make your wardrobe truly unique.

Need a great piece to put with that fabulous new outfit? Match ribbons and buttons together to make fabulous one-of-a-kind jewelry, from earrings to bracelets and everything in between.

Don’t know what else to use these odds and ends for? Create your own projects, such as button and ribbon bookmarks or hair bows for your kids. Or simply wrap the next gift you give with colorful buttons and ribbons. Let your imagination dictate the direction you take, and remember, “the sky’s the limit!”

Logos On Ribbons

While ribbons are a great tool to use in the office or in commercial settings, the best use is adding personalized logos.

These logos can range from basic and simple, to somewhat complicated. By adding these logos to custom ribbons, whether they be ribbon rolls, badge ribbons or rosette ribbons, one can take full advantage of the advertising that comes from these wonderful tools.

A well designed logo is a mark of a well-run business. Adding a logo to to custom ribbons helps to associate employees and other that represent a company with a brand image that has been built for that company. Personalized Ribbons does require that these logos are provided in specific ways.

High quality artwork is required for all processes. All artwork will be reviewed by a designer and adjustments will be made to your order if necessary. These adjustments will be shown on a proof prior to production. Imprinted ribbons require black and white (one color) art files. Full color ribbons may be created using vector art or high quality bitmap files. Templates are also available to aid customers in the process of creating logos and placement for ribbons. All art received by Coller Industries Incorporated must be in compliance with all trademark, copyright, patent or related laws or acts and are the responsibility of the customer. And, as always, customer service is happy to assist where and when necessary.
VECTOR ART: Imprinted ribbons require vector art files.
BITMAP ART: Full color ribbons may use either vector or bitmap artwork (300 dpi or better).

With that being said, logos should be a fun way to express oneself. And what a great idea to help promote and brand a business or organization. Company branding helps to expands a business or really get the word out about the company’s purpose.
Corporate branding is the process of promoting the logo and/or brand name of a company or corporation for marketing and advertising purposes. Typically the range of a corporate brand is very broad and is often used as a way to express the company’s ideals and goals.
From corporate gifting to recruiting and retention of employees, this brand (or logo) will always come in handy. Use it to your advantage today by putting it on ribbons.