If you order from azure standard I have a ? for you

[mrdevensmom]

I have been order some of my grains for my chicken from azure for about 5 months and I have been very happy with them. On the last pick up the group organizer handed out notes stating that we are to start paying her 5% of our total order as a co-op fee. I was wondering if other groups are doing this if so what are you having to pay. I know some people that get all of there animal feed from azure so this 5% will add up quick.

Thanks

Leala

 

[Cebarmlds]

I order from Azure and haven't heard anything about this..... yet

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Maybe you can pay the $550 or whatever it is for the min. order every few months and thus save 5%. Just get everything at once?

I haven't ordered from them, but investigated it several months ago.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

I have been an organizer for Azure drops for YEARS! This is the organizer adding this. This is not part of Azure Standard's policy. I would not pay it, and I would call Azure and ask if they allow their organizers to do that. I know dozens of people who are drop point managers, and I do not know ONE that would do this.

I might consider talking to any others that order with that group to see if you or someone else is willing to take over organizing the drop. You can even meet at the same location. Let me know if you want to talk more. I would be willing to message you with my phone number and talk about this on the phone.

Short story, I would not stand for it. If you started another group, everyone could move over to that group. Soon, she would not be able to make her minimum if there were not enough people ordering under her name.

Peace
Jen

 

[TACEYPERKINS]

I agree with wildflower, we have never had to do that either.

 

[mrdevensmom]

I have sent Azure an email to see what we can do. The current drop point is off route so getting another drop maybe an issue. I have family members that order from them also they are about 26 miles from the highway that the route is on so I am going to see if maybe if we could start a pick up there. How much work is it to be a organizer? Is it really worth a few hundred dollars with of work?

 

[WildflowerJLH]

I used to run mine on a yahoo group, so it really wasn't much work. The drop point manager that runs my current drop is not computer savvy, so it is a little more work for her. She calls everyone a week before orders are due, to remind everyone. Then she calls us on the drop day with the time of the pick up. The only time it gets to be more work than that is if you have people not show up to the drop.

At the drop, everyone works to unload the truck and sort the boxes into orders.

 

[Our7Wonders]

I'm shocked at this! My husband and I are self employed. We deliver Azure orders into areas that Azure does not service. We add 5% of the orders as our shipping and handling fee (with a minimum of $7.00) however we use a 20 foot rerigerated diesel delivery truck to do this. We have several hundred customers that we deliver for each month and we drive several hundred miles to do this. I can't imagine charging a 5% fee to let people pick up at my home! In one of the areas that we service we rent a warehouse for the day, so instead of delivering we just "host" a pick up location. Here we charge 1% of the order with a minimum of $3.00. This fee covers the warehouse rental for the day.

If it were me, in your shoes, I'd offer to become a new drop point. I'm sure you aren't the only one who is unhappy with this new fee. Others who are unwilling to pay this new fee can order with you - as long as you're near Azure's main route of delivery the only requirement is that you have a minimum of $550.00.

FWIW, I can understand a couple dollars tacked on for each order because it can be an inconvenience for someone to be a host for an Azure drop point. Does she have to open the boxes and store the cold items or does everyone pick up right when the truck drops? She likely has to call people each month to let them know when to pick up and she has to deal with the orders that are left because there are always those who don't come when they're supposed to. In each of the towns that we deliver in we have a "host" who lets us use their porch or garage for customers orders. We give free s/h to these customers for their willingness to let us use their home or business. This saves them between $7 and $25, depending on the size of their order. So I can understand a small fee added on, but 5% is ridiculous - perhaps 1%. Now, if they are delivering the orders to you, that's a whole different ball game, and compensation for their time, fuel and efforts is called for.

Good luck!
Debbi

 

[PaulaJoAnne]

Quote:
This is generally normal. The co-op coordinator puts a fair amount of time and usually gas money into making the co-op function.
Its only fair.
We pay an additional 35 cents per pound for ours, as our Azure stuff is shipped by barge and the Organic veges come in fresh by plane. Then the owners drive a huge truck into Anchorage to the Port and the airport.

 

[WildflowerJLH]

Quote:
I totally disagree. This is not a traditional co-op. People place their own orders, pay Azure directly, there is no sorting, packing, shipping. I also run co-ops for things like stainless steel water bottles, certain green toys, etc. But an Azure drop GENERALLY only requires phone calls, with the occasional person who is not there. Obviously, those who are not accessible by truck are a different story. I could see charging people a fee if they do not meet you at the drop. But if the truck delivers to you, there is really very little that the drop point coordinator does.