I was first introduced to UPS by W L Gore & Associates (UK) Limited when Denise Tracey was doing her first ever triathlon for 500 miles (raising an amazing £1,700). Denise works for Gore in Livingston and through one of her colleagues, Cathye Elvin, UPS sent a large shipment of nearly new shoes to Zambia for me in April this year at no cost to 500 miles.
I knew that Charlie May and George McConnell at UPS were great guys then but they have really come to my rescue for Miles for Smiles!
As you’ll see in my earlier blog today, I’m having 740 goody bags and 72 table runners made in Malawi for the Miles for Smiles ball. By the time I was in a position to press the button on the manufacture of the goods, I was – and still am - very short of time to get them back to Scotland in time to be packed by 3rd October. A few weeks ago we asked for a quote from DHL in Malawi to carry everything to Scotland. The quote was over £4000! It would almost have been cheaper to send two people to Malawi to collect them and pay the excess baggage! I went to UPS and got a quote in 12 hours for what will be around £550. UPS are helping me with all of the importing formalities at this end and have told me what I need to do to be exempt from tax – but they are also helping the Malawian textile company with the exporting requirements, such as a certificate of origin for the goods.
And then when I suddenly got the green light to send my saltire to Sir Sean for signing in the Bahamas (see my blog of 2nd September), of course I went straight to UPS. They have arranged for a courier for me at “cost” and with minimum hassle. The plan is that the same courier will drop off the flag and then pick it up and repackage it for the return journey.
I have never even met George or Charlie but they’ve given me so much support in such a professional way. It’s easy to take an invisible service like carrying for granted but, although I am still holding breath for the safe delivery on time of the goody bags and signed flag, I couldn’t have done without UPS in the last few weeks!
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