Great Falls Connection

Great Falls — Be sure to visit the folks at The UPS Store in Great Falls Center, 9893 Georgetown Pike, for any additional holiday packing and shipping information. You may also visit them at www.theupsstorelocal.com/6725. And, don’t forget - AAA members receive 5 percent off shipping. Beginning Monday, Dec. 12 The UPS Store in Great Falls Center will offer extended

Holiday Hours - Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and Sunday 12 – 4 p.m.

With Christmas just around the corner, now is the time to start thinking about how to get those holiday gifts to their destinations securely and on-time. It does no good to shop till you drop and then pack out of whack. And whether it’s a child’s first train set or a 17-foot kayak, trained professionals at The UPS Store in Great Falls Center are prepared to help consumers with all their packing and shipping needs.

The experts at The UPS Store™ in Great Falls Center never tire of helping customers understand that proper packing is the best way to ensure the safe and secure delivery of packages. A recent study commissioned by The UPS Store revealed that more than half (51 percent) of Americans make the mistake of packing fragile gifts in crumpled newspaper or wrapping paper that doesn’t adequately protect items for shipping.

Packages need to be protected against three primary factors: compression, shock and vibration, say Marat Metoff and Marlon Barrera, Owners of The UPS Store in Great Falls Center. The more fragile the item, the more care and expertise is required to ensure it arrives at its destination intact.

“The best recommendation we can give consumers this holiday season is to heed the advice of trained professionals,” Metoff said. “If customers are uncertain about their packing skills, they might wait to seal their boxes until they arrive at our store. Then we can ensure everything’s appropriately packed. The last thing we want to see is a gift arriving damaged due to improper packaging.”

With that in mind, Barrera offers the following six simple guidelines to ensure safe delivery of packages this holiday season:

1. For the best value, ship as early as possible. Those who plan ahead can save money and avoid the stress of shipping holiday gifts at the last minute by using UPS Ground and shipping by Dec. 10. Procrastinators can ship UPS as late as Dec. 22 for Christmas Eve delivery.
2. Don’t dumpster dive for old boxes. Contrary to popular belief corrugated boxes do not have 9 lives. Used boxes can break apart in shipping, and leftover shipping labels can create confusion about a package’s destination. Always use a new corrugated box to ship gifts and never wrap the outer box in kraft paper or string, which can potentially get caught in the package sorting equipment and rip off the shipping label.
3. Pack like a pro. For die hard do-it-yourselfers, we have all the proper packaging materials for your convenience. Use appropriate packaging techniques and materials, such as bubble cushioning, polystyrene “peanuts,” corrugated dividers or plastic foam, to provide proper cushioning and internal protection. Be sure to provide at least two inches of packing materials on all sides of each item, use proper tape to seal the package and give it the “shaker proof” test, no noises when vigorously shaking the box. Better yet...
4. Leave it to the experts. The UPS Store associates receive specialized training so they can handle any packing challenge. We know every technique to pack your precious gifts, saving you time and effort.
5. Shipping to home or office or their nearest The UPS Store? We live in a world where there are fewer and fewer folks who stay at home during the day. If you know someone who works during the day, you may want to consider sending your gift to them at work, rather than to a home address -- 99 percent of deliveries made to offices are successful on the first delivery attempt. Also consider taking advantage of our mailbox services at The UPS Store, where we accept mail and packages from any carrier. We even offer 24-hour mailbox access and you can call in to find out if a package has arrived.
6. Track your package. Choose a shipping option, like UPS, that provides a package tracking number. Tracking also lets you notify recipients when to expect a delivery and affords you peace of mind that your package will arrive on time. You can always track your shipments online at www.theupsstore.com, by calling 1-800-PICK-UPS or via wireless access at UPS.com/wireless.

The best protection for your package is proper packing, but UPS provides automatic protection against loss or damage up to $100. However, it is important to note this protection does not extend to improper or insufficient packing.

For additional information, please visit www.theupsstore.com