
a. What is your website address? When I type in your address, I find myself on another company's website.
SyracuseGiftBaskets.com (one of our domain names with an S added) takes you to another local gift provider who operates online under the nearly identical domain name, in addition to his/her own. Customers have made us aware of ongoing confusion caused by the similar names. Our business was founded in 2000 as The Syracuse Gift Basket Company.
We are NOT and never have been Syracuse Gift Baskets. We would encourage everyone looking for us online to please type carefully.
You will find us online at the following three addresses: SyracuseGiftBasketCompany.com
SyracuseGiftBasketCo.com
SyracuseGiftBasket.com
b. Where are you located? Do you have more than one location?
We have one centrally located showroom at 222 Teall Avenue in Syracuse. Our building is a multi-business facility located next to the Post Office, just five minutes from downtown, and easily accessable from Route 690 or Erie Boulevard. We're pleased to offer free parking next to our front door, on the post office side of our building. See printable directions on the "Our Store" page.
We have no plans to expand to another location...we prefer a personal hands-on approach to our business! Our central location allows us to provide the most expeditious service to customers throughout our area. Additionally, the high percentage of orders received via phone or internet are easily and efficiently handled from a single location. More than three quarters of our facility is devoted to work area and stock, allowing us to readily accommodate increased volume.
c. Do you have a catalog or brochure?
Most people who are interested in our gifts have access to our online catalog, which features our entire line of standard gifts. We provide clear enlargeable photos online (just click for a larger image) with exact descriptions of content and the dimensions, so customers can see exactly what they are ordering. We frequently update our catalog, adding new gifts several times each year. Having an online catalog allows us to easily provide our customers with fresh gift ideas, and indicate "temporarily out of stock" items as they occur. A paper brochure or catalog would soon be outdated.
d. How much do your gifts cost?
We usually say that our average gift costs between $40 and $50. It depends very much on the contents and the container. The least expensive gift we can put together would be about $12. At the other end of the spectrum, we have created one-of-a-kind baskets for fundraisers incorporating special items and gift certificates brought in by the customer, valued at more than $500. We are firmly committed to making each gift special, and making the most of the your budget, no matter what it may be.
e. Do you offer volume discounts?
Throughout the year we notify our customers via direct mail of discount offers, and we offer an ongoing college care package discount for multiple gifts.
f. I don't see exactly what I want on your website -- can you make a customized gift for me?
Of course! Give us a budget and some information about the recipient and
your occasion, and we will design something just for you. Most of our gifts are made-to-order, and many are customized on some way. Customized gifts are made up of components we carry in our store...generally, we do not shop for special items. While we encourage customers to bring in a special item or two that we don't offer, there will be a $10 surcharge for gifts made entirely of components purchased elsewhere, in addition to our fee for materials and time.
g. Can I add balloons to my gift?
There are some gifts in our catalog we felt would be enhanced by the addition of a balloon, and the option is offered along with the description. We can add balloons to ANY gift being hand-delivered in Onondaga County...just let us know what you would like. Mylar balloons are $2.50 each, latex balloons are $.75 each, and the smaller pre-inflated "stick balloons" are $.75 and $1.50. "Hi-Float" is added to all helium balloons to make them last longer. Pre-inflated balloons (no helium) are the only type of balloon that is shippable. FYI: Local hospitals do not allow delivery of latex balloons to patients due to latex sensitivity issues. Mylar balloons are acceptable.
h. Can you include wine or alcohol in my gift basket?
Unfortunately, at this time New York State does not allow us to obtain a license to sell wine, beer or spirits. It is illegal in this state for any gift basket service to buy, resell, or ship alcoholic beverages. It is also illegal for liquor and wine stores to sell gift baskets containing liquor.
We're happy to incorporate alcoholic beverages purchased elsewhere, and brought in by the customer for inclusion in their gift(s). Local delivery only.
i. How quickly will my gift arrive?
Orders for delivery within most areas of Onondaga County placed by 11:00 A.M. will be delivered the same day, except during heavy holiday periods. Often we can accommodate "emergency" gift orders placed later in the day, based on our own workload and our couriers' delivery schedules. Delivery time for orders being shipped out of the area will depend upon how far the gift must travel from our Syracuse, NY location. If you would like to know when your gift will arrive, using normal UPS ground delivery, call us with the zip code of the recipient and we can give you an estimate. If you would like it to arrive sooner, we can use one of the UPS expedited services, at the additional cost we are charged.
j. Can you deliver to hospitals?
We can deliver to St. Joseph's, Crouse, University and Community Hospitals. However, we do not ship to hospitals outside our local delivery area. Our experience has been that gifts can be delayed in the hospital's shipping and receiving area, and the patient is often discharged before the gift is delivered. We recommend that the gift be directed to the patient's home address instead. FYI: Local hospitals do not allow delivery of latex balloons to patients due to latex sensitivity issues. Mylar balloons are acceptable.
k. What if something I've ordered is out of stock?
We make every effort to keep our standard gift components in stock. If we are out of a particular item we reserve the right to substitute something similar, of equal or greater value. If it is something that will impact the overall look of your gift (such as the container), we will indicate the substitution in the gift description, or contact you before processing the order. If we are missing several components on any gift, we will note the gift is TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK. In this case, we may be able to offer you an appropriate gift substitution if you contact us.
l. Will the gift I order look exactly like the one in the picture?
The products listed in the gift and the container will be as pictured, unless we are temporarily out of a component. See previous FAQ. We do vary the ribbon, flowers, leaves, and other enhancements when appropriate, to offer seasonal looks. Thus, in the spring you will see brighter colors, in the fall you would see golds, browns, and other earthy tones, and so on. We may also alter trim to better suit the gender of the recipient or the occasion.
m. What is your policy on donations?
We are asked for donations frequently, often several times a day. While we would love to honor each and every request, we're unable to do so for obvious financial reasons. In general we limit our donations to our own favorite charities, and to requests from our regular customers. We find that customers will often purchase our gifts for use as fundraisers.
n. What credit cards do you accept?
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover
|
|