Bulk Natural Foods

Host Resources

Thanks for signing up as a host! We think you’ll enjoy meeting new people as you serve your community with Bulk Natural Foods. Here are some tips and information to get you off to a smooth start.  You may want to bookmark this page for quick reference later on.

Things You’ll Need On Pick Up Day

1. Change. Make sure you have some small bills and coins counted out before customers start coming. To minimize stress at the last minute, we keep the same amount of change (in fact, we keep the exact same number of 5’s, 1’s, quarters, etc.) in our cash box AFTER each order is finished. That way, the cash box is always ready to go.
2. Calculator.
3. 3 Ring Notebook. All of the customer order sheets are hole punched for a three-ring notebook.
4. Blankets. If the weather is particularly hot or cold, or if the fruit you’ll be distributing is especially perishable (as is the case with apple cider, cherries, and berries), have some blankets ready to cover the fruit and keep it cool.

Contacting Us on Pick-Up Day

On pick up day, the best way to reach us is to call. If we are busy helping a customer or dealing with other issues, we might not see an email in time to give you a response when you need it, so please call so we can give you priority service. Our office number is 931-593-2616.

What to Do If Someone Doesn’t Show Up

First of all, please call the person to see if they’re on their way or remind them if they forgot. If  you’ll be leaving your location at the end of the pick up window, it’s a good idea to start calling people 15 minutes before you head out to give them a chance to get there before you leave.

If you’re not able to get in touch, or if the person says they can’t come and you’re stuck with extra stuff, please give us a call. We’ll send out an email to everyone we know in your area to see if they want the extra products.

You can also sell the unclaimed products to another customer or to someone else you know. Some of our hosts bring “leftovers” to church or social groups where they’ve had good success selling a few extra boxes.

Or return non-perishable products to us the next time around.

If You Run Late On Pick-Up Day

Please call us a.s.a.p. if you are running late on pick up day. We will post an update on our delivery status page to alert customers of the delay.

Placing Your Personal Order

When you order products for your own family, select to pick up your order at the location you host. This will ensure that your personal order is among your group’s load.

If There Is a Problem with Someone’s Order

Bad or Damaged Products

Occasionally, you may find a product or group of products that looks like it has gone bad or has been damaged. In this case, we ask that you tell the customer to watch for our feedback request email and fill out the accompanying form. WE will refund them if necessary. They should pay you full price.

The customer could also opt to refuse a damaged product, and that’s fine. Just let us know and we’ll either take it back if it’s non-perishable or we’ll refund you for it if it is perishable.

People can get upset when there’s a problem with something they ordered, so please do apologize on our behalf if something is damaged or obviously bad and assure the person that we’ll do our best to make it right.

Missing Products

We have a team of human beings who sort and pack our customers’ orders. They’re really good, but sometimes they make a mistake.

Or sometimes a product arrives to us broken or damaged.

And sometimes, one of our suppliers fails to send certain products.

We do try to notify our customers ahead of time if a product will not arrive, but mistakes can occur here too.

If one of your customers is missing an item on their order, it’s very simple for you to deduct the cost from their invoice. The transport fee and the tax is calculated in to the cost of each item, so all you need to do is subtract the price of the item from the person’s total. Be sure to make a note on your own sheet so we can refund you for the missing product.

Again, please apologize on our behalf. We are constantly working to improve our processes, but as long as human beings are involved, there will be unforeseen issues from time to time. We know it’s a bummer when you don’t get what you ordered, so please let the customer know we’re sincerely sorry.

Getting the Word Out

The more people who pick up at your location, the better! Here are a few ways to spread the word and generate some interest.

1. Tell your friends, family, church, school or homeschool groups, and co-workers. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt if you share fresh fruit or other goodies with them.)
2. Post information about the order to your facebook page, tweet about it, post it to any relevant yahoo or google groups that you’re a part of.
3. Homeschool families seem to make up the majority of our customer base, and we often reach out to these groups through yahoo and google groups that we’re a part of personally. This has been one of our most successful forms of advertising. If you’ve found other creative ways to reach out to the homeschool community, let us know and we’ll share your ideas with the other hosts.
4. Give our hand outs to people you know, share them at events, or post them on community bulletin boards.
5. Put out a sign, or a few signs. We have some little plastic signs we can give you if you ask. One of our hosts made a creative sign in the shape of a giant apple one year, which generated quite a bit of attention from passers-by.
6. Don’t be afraid to advertise to groups that are not in your immediate area. People have friends and family all over the map, and they continue to spread the word to others who may be right in your neighborhood. The more word gets around, the better for all of us.