“So, Kelly, you know, my name is Pugash Sankarab. You know, I’m the principal with Loadproof. Thank you very much for taking the time to, you know, join this call. You know, we can we can get started. So if you could please, you know, introduce yourself, right, your role and your day to day response to these activities you do, we can we can get started there.

Okay. My name is Kelly Kirchak, and I am the ecommerce lead. Oh, okay. And so I do all the, online orders. Okay.

I also deal a lot with returns Okay. Which is which is what we what what I myself use as a loan crew for most of the time. Okay. Great. And and what are your, you know, what are you know, what what is your organization about?

Right? What is your product and what do you guys ship and, you know? So I work for Avon Plastics. Yep. And then we manufacture and ship out, lawn and garden products.

Okay. Decking, like, deck boards and stuff like that. Okay. Okay. So you guys sell those finished goods products.

I mean, so you guys sell through retailers like, you know, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, and things like that. Yep. We actually manufacture them here. We make them, and then we we yep. Sell them.

Oh, great. Great. Very interesting. Okay. Alright.

Alright. Great. You know, so what was the exact problem, that you were trying to solve? For my department itself was, mainly with Home Depot returns coming in, and they’re supposed to come in in resellable fashion. Okay.

And, we were having a lot of issues with, like, pallets of returns coming in and they would be smashed or there would be so much on there that it’d be tipping over. Yep. A lot of damaged products because of the way that they were shipping them to us. Yep. Yep.

So are these products coming directly, you know, from the customers, or is it coming from one of the Home Depot stores or warehouses? The, customer takes the product to the Home Depot store to return it. Got it. And then they send us a bulk shipment of returns at one time. Okay.

Got it. Got it. Very so so very interesting because, you know, when the customer returns, it could be potentially resellable. You know, you can, you know, receive it and then maybe you may have to repackage it or something, but the product itself is resellable. But, you know, along the way, you know, whatever processes somebody is following, some damage happens and when you guys I mean, the Home Depot thought, hey.

You know what? We are sending it to the vendor. It’s all RTV. Return to vendor, and they can take it and sell it. But by the time you guys got it, it was really oh, man.

This was more than the damage that, you know, was originally there when the consumer returned the product versus now it’s not even in resellable condition. Correct. Wow. Very interesting. Very I mean, that’s that’s it.

That’s that’s that’s that puts, you know, you guys in a tough spot. I mean, you know, hey. You know, we went spent all this money and we hold it back to our warehouse or whatever, and then now we cannot even sell it. It’s like, oh my my only option is to scrap scrap it. Right?

Right. Wow. Okay. So so okay. So so how did this, you know, load proof solve that problem for you guys?

So with having the picture proof, we were able to send picture proof to Home Depot and tell them, like, hey. This is how we can receive this. It’s it’s not okay. Yeah. Yeah.

And, eventually, they started, packing them better when they sent them back to us instead of just throwing them all in this big cardboard gaylord. They, actually, like, try to stack them on a pallet now nicely. So Nice. Nice. Nice.

No. That’s nice of them. I mean, that’s that’s good. Right? I mean, you know, see, this is this is we get these, questions asked a lot.

Right? It’s always, you know, being relatively here at Home Depot is huge and, you know, you guys are relatively small. You know, how is that you know, how do you guys have that sometimes? Right? It get a little sensitive to have those conversations and say, hey.

You know, we are losing money because of this and please help us. It’s it’s you know, how does that work? Right? How are you guys able to have that collaborative conversation and, hey. Help us.

Right? We need help here because I’m losing a lot of money on this. You know? How are you guys able to, you know, do that in a really nice fashion and make the other side, you know, understand, you know, we we gotta, you know, you got we gotta work together and you gotta help us. Yeah.

Having the having the pictures to back us up definitely was a big help. Okay. Got it. Got it. Got it.

I think I’m pretty sure most of it’s done through email. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. I mean, we’ve had I mean, see, you know, that’s good that’s good to hear that, you know, with photos, you guys are able to have that, you know, conversation in a nicer manner and say, hey, guys. You know?

Please help us. And and, you know, we got photo proof. That’s nice. That’s very nice. And I know that our, shipping department uses load proof for everything that they ship out.

Okay. Great. Hoping if they have a discrepancy as far as, like, with our lumber loads. Yep. We’ve had before where the customer comes and says, hey.

I was missing this. Yep. Yep. Yep. And we went through the old roof, and we go into the pictures.

We’re like, nope. It’s right here on the truck. You can see it right on the picture. So that’s saved us a ton of money because that lumber is really expensive. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Great. Great. Great.

So so, you know, so what was before loadproof like? Right? I mean, you know, how would the conversation go, you know, when you received this returns palette and it was all, you know, meshed up? You know, how was it before loadproof and, you know, after loadproof? You know, how has that changed?

Well, before load proof, it was pretty much just you saying that it was that way, you know, they and nothing would really get done about it. Yep. But with having the pictures to back you up and prove that, you know, you’re not just trying to get extra money or whatever out of them Yeah. It’s really helped a lot. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And and and who do you guys have this conversation with? I mean, do you talk to the, you know, buyer in Home Depot, or who do you guys have this conversation with? We have we have reps that we deal with. Okay. Okay.

Okay. Yeah. And and and, you know, what are some of the key benefits that you observed yourself, right, right, you know, in front of your eyes, you know, with Loadproof? For sure, the pictures. Yeah.

As I said, like, when we have discrepancies from buyers Yeah. Being able to go back and prove that we had that on the load when they’re saying it’s not. Yeah. Also, like, I know we’ve shipped to Ace before and they’ve come back saying, you know, we got the pallet in this condition. What’s going on?

Yeah. Yeah. We’re gonna find you we’re gonna find you for this and we go back to our pictures and we show them, like, no. This that must have happened, like, on your truck because this is how it looked when it left our warehouse. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it saved us the fines too.

Got it. Got it. And and, you know, could you share some examples on how, you know, load proof made your life better, please, in your operations? You know, is is your team, you know, feeling better? It’s like, hey.

You know, we work so hard and we do all this and, you know, we don’t wanna get blamed, you know, when something goes wrong because, you know, we do this, such a nice job. You know? How does how has that, you know, made your life better, you know, in the overall, you know, sense? It absolutely makes the team more confident Yeah. In what they’re doing and feel better about, knowing that they’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing.

Okay. That when those fines do come around and they can be, like we can dispute it, basically. Yeah. Yeah. Because we obviously didn’t really have that option before this.

Uh-huh. Okay. Okay. And and how has that worked out? I mean, when you guys dispute those fines, you know, has that you know, is that I mean, I know.

Right? I mean, first time when you say something, they’re probably not gonna, you know, trust you guys or believe you guys, but but when you, you know, show a photo no. How has that been? How has that process been? I don’t really deal a whole lot with that.

Okay. But as far as I know, it’s it’s saved us a lot of money. Okay. So that’s good. I mean, that’s that’s that’s very good.

Right? I mean yeah. It’s been Yeah. It’s been pretty positive overall. Okay.

Great. Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic. And and and I mean, obviously, right, I mean, you know, you know, I mean, it’s always like no.

I’ve I’ve been to so many warehouses, and I’ve worked with so many people. Right? The first thing is, hey. You know, blame the warehouse guys. They are the ones that are not chimping.

Right? That’s that’s how it’s been. So, hopefully, you know, that’s some relief, you know, for you guys now, you know, with load proof. Yes. For sure.

Yeah. Yeah. And how big is your team? You know? Is it is it, you know, like, 5 people, 10 people?

You know? How how how big is your team? For me in ecommerce, it’s just me and one other person. Okay. But, well, overall in our company, there’s, I would say about a 100 or so.

Okay. Okay. And and all these people are involved in the, shipping process or loading process or returns and Yeah. Well, a good majority of them are production. Okay.

Got it. Got it. So they are part of the plant that’s really making the decks and all that? The products. Yep.

Products. Okay. Got it. And then and then, you know, chunk of them are in the warehouse, fulfilling orders and stuff like that. Yep.

Okay. Yep. Okay. Got it. Got it.

So so so, I mean, you you guys like it on the floor, you know, when you’re, I mean, you know, you’re so so you for ecommerce, you guys don’t use it, basically. Right? Because it’s all, you know, single orders. Mhmm. We we do for our returns.

Okay. Okay. Got it. So so you so this is a return that’s directly coming from the customer, you know, because obviously, right, ecommerce is you guys ship directly to customers’ residences, and they are returning that. And even for that, you’re taking photos, in the warehouse.

Yeah. Sometimes we do. Yep. Okay. Most of the time, we use it for our bulk Home Depot returns because that’s where we have the most issues.

Issues. Got it. Got it. Got it. Got it.

Got it. Okay. So do you We’re paying for them to, like, return it to us. We don’t want to pay even more when we can’t even use the product if that’s being returned when it’s supposed to be returned in sellable condition. Correct.

I mean, you are paying for the transportation, right, for the hauling from the Home Depot, warehouse to your, you know, plant warehouse. Correct. Oh, okay. Okay. It returns point, basically.

Okay. Got it. Got it. So, you know, do you know approximately high level, you know, what is the dollar savings just a very, very high level? I do not.

Okay. I know that when shipping does get shipping does get fined, it’s a couple $1,000 every time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

So it’s they’re they’re hefty fines that they get. Yeah. Yeah. So it’s I’m sure it’s quite a bit. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And every time is, like, what, once a week or once a, you know, month or once in 2, 3 days? Depends on the time of year.

Right now, since it’s winter, we are kind of pretty slow right now. Yeah. Yeah. But in the busy season in the spring it could be 10 times a week. Wow.

Okay. Okay. Yeah. That’s tough. I mean, 10 times a week and each time, $2,000.

That’s a lot of money. Uh-huh? Yeah. Yeah. Oh my god.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Alright. And and and, you know, how difficult was it to implement load proof for your team? As far as I know, it wasn’t very difficult at all. Okay.

Okay. Most, I think, of the shipping team have it right on their personal phone. Okay. The app on their personal phone. Okay.

I have a spare phone that I use, for it, but it’s been pretty seamless. The updates have been really nice. Okay. What what updates? Is it the, every time we do an update to the software, you know, the which one you’re talking about specifically update?

The most recent, like, app update that they have. Okay. It just it made stuff a little faster and Oh, nice. I mean, thank you for the feedback. Okay.

Nice. So so, I mean, you’re able to take photos faster now. Is that what happened with the latest update? It it seems to upload faster too. Uh-huh.

Okay. Okay. And what device is that? Is that are you using an iPhone or is it a Samsung iPhone? Okay.

IPhone. Yeah. Oh, great. Okay. And what what what, you know, year?

Is it 12, 13, 14, 15, 16? Which one is it? That one. I don’t even know. Okay.

It’s a old I think it’s an older one. It’s like the old shipping phone. Okay. So that’s good. That’s that’s good to hear.

Okay. Even the old shipping phone is uploading faster. Okay. Yes. So so, you know, so from a from a technique so, you know, how difficult was it to implement load proof from a technical perspective?

Right? I mean, you know, installing the app. So you guys basically, it looks like you went to the app store and then, you know, downloaded the app and started using it pretty much. Yep. Yep.

We have a IT guy here, and so he’s been a lot of help with all that stuff. Okay. Anything that we need, he’s been able to real quickly figure it out and if if we need him to help us, you know. Otherwise, most of us, I think, are just able to get it down and do it on our own because it’s so easy to use. Exactly.

So it’s it’s very simple and very, you know, easy. We’ve it’s been set up that way, you know, specifically. Okay. Great. Okay.

So from a people perspective. Right? So, you know, what were some of the challenges? So I mean, this is you know, everybody, you know, runs into it from a you know, whenever, right, we implement a new system and we have a routine as humans ourselves, you know, we have a routine that we are, going with, and then suddenly, right, I mean, you go and ask your employee to do this extra step. You know?

How has been that experience? Sometimes it’s a struggle to remember to do that step at first when it’s new. Okay. But once it’s once you get used to it, it’s just like a day to day function, you know. It’s It’s just something you do every day, all the time.

Yeah. Yeah. So just and for some people, it just took time to get used to doing it and having that extra time to take that extra step. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. But once you once you get into it and you get used to it, I think it’s just come become a becomes a habit. Got it. Got it. Got it.

And and it’s it’s I mean, it looks like, right, when you are doing it yourself and you have this one person that’s working for you, you guys, both of you do it. That’s what that’s what you guys do in your department? Yeah. Got it. Do you know anything about the shipping department?

You know, how how many people that are doing that and how long it took for them to adapt to this, new step? I believe there’s I’m gonna say 5 or 6 for sure Okay. That use it. Okay. And as far as I know, it’s been pretty streamlined for them to to get into using it and stuff.

Like I said, once you once you remember that you have to do it for everything that you’re doing Yep. Then it kinda becomes a habit, and you don’t really even have to think about it anymore. Got it. Got it. But but was there any pushback early on?

Hey. You know? Hey. Why do I have to do this and, you know, why are you making me do this extra step, anything like that? Not as far as I know.

I think they were more happy to be doing it to have that proof. Wow. Okay. Okay. Instead of getting blamed for the stuff that they weren’t really doing.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Nice.

Nice. Okay. Alright. So that’s better. I mean, you know, so they knew also, they were getting blamed before.

Yeah. Yeah. Like, they when they would they would get the fines, they would be the ones getting yelled at for shipping something out wrong, and sometimes it wasn’t even their fault. So Correct. Correct.

Correct. So exactly. So that’s not that’s good to hear. So once they realized, oh my god. You know?

I don’t you know? Now I have a tool. I can protect myself, you know, from these, you know, you know, situations. So so they they embraced it. Yep.

Great. Okay. Nice. I mean, that’s that’s that’s nice to hear. And and and it looks like from a returns perspective, it’s like, hey.

You know what? You know? We gotta do it and make it a habit and, you know, remember it. I mean, they probably forgot a few times when when they got started, but when they started okay. Nice.

Nice. Nice. So, you know, did you guys, you know, implement any best practices using load proof? You know? Were you able to do anything like that?

As far as I know, just document everything that you do, everything that you ship out. Make sure when you, are taking your pictures that you’re taking pictures of labels So that, like, the labels and, all of that and the proof pictures as well and Packing packing. Right? I mean, generally, it’s it’s really about packing. That’s what that’s what we’re seeing.

You know? It’s it’s making sure the packing is done correctly or maybe in the return scenario. No? And the pallet stacking is correct. And Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Great. You know, I mean, is there anything else you would like, you know, to share about load proof?

Hey. You know, something like this feature would be nice or something like that or any other feedback that you have about load proof. For me, I’m not sure. It it probably already has this, but, I don’t know if I just don’t have access to it. But it’d be nice to go back and, like, look at some of the stuff that I put on there, like the pictures and stuff.

Absolutely. I mean, also, you guys don’t have access to log in to the cloud? I myself do not. I’m sure that, our shipping manager does. Correct.

I mean, you can you can actually, you know, ask, talk to them, and get a login for yourself. Know, I mean, you already have a login and well, it sounds like you have only a, you know, upload access. And and and, you know, you can log in through the browser. And, actually, there is one more app that we have launched. It’s called Loadproof Viewer.

You can download that app in your same phone, and you can log in, you know, I mean, you need a you need a password for that. Right? Currently, you guys are, you know, using only the PIN and doing the upload. So you gotta, you know, go back to the, you know, your IT person or the shipping manager that set up Loadproof. So you have to talk to them and get a get a login for yourself to log in to the, you know, browser or the viewer, and then you can see the photos.

Okay. I will look into that. Thank you. Correct. You can see the photos, and you can also share those photos with others.

Whoever. Right? You guys Which would be nice if we have to dispute something. Correct. Exactly.

And how do you guys do that today? I mean, you’re just uploading the photos into load proof for now and and, and, you know, you guys don’t even If we need to use them, then we just go to that one person that, has that access, and then they have to do the rest of the stuff. Got it. Got it. Got it.

Got it. Okay. Alright. So would you recommend load proof for someone that is in your shoes? Right?

Someone like a I mean, you know, someone, that’s a return supervisor or an ecommerce supervisor like yourself, you know, would you recommend load proof? Absolutely. Yeah. And why is that? I mean, if you could just list three reasons why you would recommend load proof to someone else.

Because it will save you money in the long run. Okay. Whether it’s fines or disputing bad returns or what have you, the picture evidence is key, I think, and it, holds your employees accountable. So that is a good one. Right?

Holding your employees accountable. It’s not like, hey. You know, you can go back to Home Depot and say, hey, guys. Look at it. Right?

We’ve implemented our system just to, you know, even to make our own employees, you know, hold them accountable because we don’t wanna ship, you know, especially from a shipping team. We don’t wanna ship damaged products or products that are not packed properly or noncompliant products. Right. Uh-huh. Great.

I mean, that’s all. Yeah. Kelly, thanks for taking the time to join this call, and that’s all I have. I mean, if you have anything else to add, you know, please, I know, I know, let us know. I mean, you know, you can always send us an email, and we are constantly looking for feedback in terms of, you know, how we can, you know, do things better and stuff like that.

Right? We are we are always, you know, looking for feedback and, I know, anything, you know, please let us know. Okay. Sounds good. Thank you.

Thank you for the time. Thank you. Bye.”