We periodically get asked “how long will it take before my order ships” or “what carrier do you use”. So, I thought I would take the time to give some insight into our order processing and shipping process.
The Basics – Shipping Defaults to USPS Ground, shipments are picked up by the US Postal Service on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (exceptions would be Federal Holidays). A tracking number is automatically sent to the e-mail address on file with a copy of your invoice when the order changes from “processing” to “Complete” Please check your spam folders if you haven’t received it.
Costs –
USPS Ground Advantage (5-7 days processing by USPS)
· 0-7.9 oz packages (ex. 1 bar of soap / 1 small lotion) – $4.79
· 8-15.9 oz packages (ex. 1 medium lotion / 2-3 bars of soap) $5.99
· 16 + oz packages – $8.59
· Orders over $69 (after all discounts) – Free Ground Shipping
At Checkout there will be a “USPS Priority Shipping” Option. This option will be available on ALL orders no matter the weight. If you select this option you will be charged an additional $5.00.
With the USPS Priority Option checked (2-3 days processing by USPS)
· 0-7.9 oz packages (ex. 1 bar of soap / 1 small lotion) – $9.79
· 8-15.9 oz packages (ex. 1 medium lotion / 2-3 bars of soap) – $10.99
· 16 + oz packages – $13.59
· Orders over $69 (after all discounts) – $5.00
More Detail
As many of you know from reading our website or our Facebook page, we are a small family owned business. If fact it is just the two of us right now. Chris handles the marketing, most of the customer questions, and makes the majority of the products. I (Sandy) spend the majority of my time labeling product, and processing orders for shipment. I also make some the smaller batch products (like deodorants, muscle rubs, and lip balms). We both take care of the farm and all the animals. Because we are a working farm with 50-100+ animals to care for depending on the time of year sometimes unexpected events may come up that will mean it takes us an extra day to get your order shipped out. Like an 18-wheeler pulling up to deliver a pallet of supplies (we usually know the day, but they don’t usually call first so time of day is always a surprise) or our hay guy coming by in the middle of the day to drop off a truckload of hay because he knew we were running low, or a goat being sick or in labor requiring at least one if not both of us to be out of the shop and in the barn to take care of them. We do our best to process your orders and get them out as quickly as possible, but sometimes things happen.
Now. On a normal week, this is how it goes for me. (We won’t delve into Chris’ schedule since he doesn’t usually process orders).
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Mornings – I check our system and print all open orders. I then start pulling and packing those orders. This is usually an all day job. Some orders are quick to process, but some , like gift baskets which are made to order, take a bit longer. On a really good day, I will be done with orders and have a little extra time to print product labels. I then schedule a pickup through the US Postal Service. Because our mail carrier comes in the morning, orders packaged on Monday will not be picked up until Tuesday, packaged Wednesday, picked up Thursday, etc..
Tuesday & Thursday – I go through my shelves if I haven’t had time after processing orders and see what needs to be made or labeled. Then I print labels and get to work. I usually spend at least one full day a week labeling and wrapping soaps to replenish my “finished goods”. The other day I finish any remaining soaps that need to be wrapped and either label lotions that Chris has made or I make and label other products.
Saturday – This is usually a day to catch up on work around the farm but at least 1 Saturday a month usually ends up being spent in the shop catching up because we had an unexpected run on this product or that.
Sunday – We try very hard to not conduct business on Sunday. We do the farm chores and that’s it. It is a day of rest.
What does this mean for you? On average Orders take 2-3 days to process and be picked up. Now because of the schedule listed above, sometimes orders will go out faster or slower.
Example 1 – You place an order Friday afternoon. I’ve already printed orders (usually around 8am) for the day and unless it is a very slow day, I won’t see this until I print orders again on Monday Morning, This means your order won’t get picked up until Tuesday. 4 days from order to carrier pickup.
Example 2 – You place an Order Monday morning before 8am, I will see and print that order right away and it will go out in Tuesday’s mail pickup. 1 day from order to carrier pickup.
We do take most of the major holidays off so this can also slow down order processing. We do the best we can, but there are only two of us here. We appreciate all of you and your continued support of our small “made in the USA” business. We will always try our best to get your orders out in a timely fashion, but sometimes it will take take longer than you or I would like.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. You can always call Chris (315-243-9343) but please remember that a lot of what he does is time sensitive, he cannot stop in the middle of making a batch of soap to answer a call. He will always answer if he is able, but if he doesn’t , leave a message and he will call you back. The other option is to e-mail your questions to Chris@sillygoatssoap.com
Thank You and Best Regards,
Sandy, Chris, and the Silly Goats!