Testimonials and Online Reviews

As a small business owner we love hearing feedback about our products, service and business in general.  After all, who doesn't love talking about small business at a barbeque and how many friends and family are just plain interested in their own business.  But with all feedback - there is the potential for opinion and personal agendas and that is what I want to touch on in today's blog post.

First, some background.  We have been in business for coming up to eight years now and over this time we have had positive and negative experiences with customers and clients across all types of circumstances.  Honestly, I can say that in over ninety five percent of interactions the order, product and delivery goes effortlessly - everything performs as expected and all systems operate as designed.

Next, there are the other maybe three percent of times where there is something to complicate the order.  Perhaps a wrong delivery address is provided by the purchaser, or a delivery recipient moves from one hospital ward to another, or the courier is unable to access the property for unforeseen circumstances.  This means we have to spring into action and find solutions on the go to resolve the issue and ensure that the fruit basket arrives in a timely and presentable manner.

Again, in the vast majority, we're talking 90% plus, things are amicably resolved and the product gets to where it has to go. 

But this still leaves the odd order that just doesn't work - for whatever reason - be it the person has left for interstate by the time the product arrives, or the courier doesn't get the package to the hospital ward before the person leaves the bed.  Or the hamper cannot be delivered on the specific day due to a holiday or illness or lack of staffing.  It simply does happen in the course of business and there is little you can do about it in those rare occasions it actually hits the fan.

Now, we are prompt to offer a refund or replacement as a matter of course and in most cases this is sufficient - even if it does mean to some extent we self insure every parcel we ship in terms of having to replace or refund it if something goes astray.  That's just business and that's what keeps our margins tight.

But it is disappointing to see negative reviews - especially when you have done your best and given a full refund - and only to see the disgruntled person storm off and write a negative review in the heat of the moment when every avenue has been exhausted.  I am sure most negative review writers would cringe if they were to read what they wrote a few weeks later and feel ashamed and embarrassed at their unwarranted vitriol.  But then, that's a new aspect of business where the online review can stay in cyberspace for years afterwards and garner warning s from new customers that they are cautious for a single event that happened years ago.

So I feel better now, not justifying or explaining negative reviews away, but perhaps putting some perspective on what motivates a person to go to great lengths to write a negative review in the first place.  I am sending out my forgiveness and sympathy that the person chose this route, and offer my sincere apology that they felt so embittered and angry that venting their spleen publicly was the only way they could possibly feel as though they would avenge their anger.  To you, I say sorry, and to myself and my business, I say we will continue to strive harder and work tirelessly to avoid further incidents. 

Thanks for reading...

Fruit Baskets with Apples

Australia's Best Apple Fruit Baskets

Fresh Fruit Hamper delivery makes a smiling, stunning impression

Apples are a mainstay of the traditional fruit basket or get well soon hamper and make a bright, crunchy contrast to the other softer fruits.  Apples are absolutely authentic and original when it comes to the fruit world – they do not grow true to seed – which means each and every seed in your apple has a different potential apple variety! 

There have been in excess of 7500 varieties of different apples documented over time and of these, there are still about 150 plus still in commercial production!  That means there are plenty of different tastes, types and textures for you to choose from when you are assembling a fruit gift idea.

There is also the growing movement for apple growers to favour heirloom and ancient apple varieties over the newer variations, so the older classics are constantly evolving for the modern marketplace.  In Australia, commercial constraints like transportability, colour retention and longevity of flavour has strongly influenced the varietals available – which means you are most likely to see these Australian Apples.

Bogle – a miniature Aussie apple with golden red blushed skin – perfect for baking.

Bonza – Crisp eating apple derived from the Jonathan.

Gala – a cross originally from New Zealand, with better tasting strains like imperial, royal and regal making the best for the table.

Golden Delicious – from the US, pale green with golden flecks – ideal for eating and cooking with.

Granny Smith – Originally from a seedling in Sydney, now widespread across the world – a tart green eating apple.

Jonathan – A smallish popular eating apple that is not seen often due to it's poor storage.

Pink Lady – From Western Australia, a cross between the lady William and Delicious apple with good eating flesh.

Red Delicious – the most widely grown dessert apple in the world, with a distinctive crown of ridges around the “freckle” at the base of the core.

Red Fuji – from Japan, the most distinctive feature for this eating apple is the honey core which is a concentration of sugars – highly desirable. 

Sundowner – another WA cross, this apple is a mellow version of the pink lady with simlar long term storage abilities.

Australia boasts the ideal climate to grow apples, with a noted lack of apple pests that plague other continents and an ideal climate to ensure sustained vigorous growth.  We don't have to suffer the scourge of Apple Blight or hard to control pests like apple codling moth. 

It is the buyers perogative to ensure that a diverse range of tasty, appealing apples are brought to market by making strong preferences for these strengths and not buying product that lacks any desirable qualities.  Choosing fresh apples has become very difficult due to the long store time and prevalence of cool rooms for fresh fruit at all major fruit and vegetable markets across Australia.

But in saying that, the long term storage of apples has always been a feature of the fruit – going back centuries earlier people were in need of fresh fruit over the long dark winters.  So it is quite wrong to think that the long storage times of modern fruit are wrong or not expected – it is just part of what has worked for apples and apple growers

I am happy to say that for our Sydney Fruit Baskets we have established trusted relationships with a network of quality assured fruiterers and markets so we can ensure you get the best eating fruit in your gourmet hamper.  After all, when you make the connection with FruitHampers.info you are relying our expertise and professionalism to get the best fruit for your dollar.  And we think that's pretty special...

Mens Gift Ideas Not Expected

Mens Gifts Ideas Off the Mark       

With the best intentions and for all the right reasons, research suggests that when it comes to picking the right gift, men are still not delivering.  According to an article in the Sunday Telegraph, December 29, 2013, Men are “still getting things wrong when attempting to choose the perfect gift for their other half.”

The article notes that a staggering “42% of women return presents from their significant others as soon as they can” – which is quite an indictment on the ability of men to choose meaningful and appropriate gifts for their partners.  As an indicator of what men really think that their partners want, it demonstrates that men are out of touch with their partners and have simply no idea of what is currently in demand.

As a gift hamper and anniversary gift specialist, I appreciate that men do make some brief investigations into finding the ideal gift, but the search is often short and unrewarding simply because there is a dearth of relevant material out there.  In other words, men have a bit of a look around and then give up and resort to the old fall back of perfume, flowers or gift cards.

But it isn’t all bad news – just under half the respondents (45%) of the survey noted that they had to return the items bought for the present due to incorrect size or colour.  This is great news as it supports the idea that although the minor details may be wrong, the general thought and style was nearer to what the recipient expected.

Another big factor in buying a birthday present online is choosing a product that is for the household – like a steam cleaner or vacuum instead of a personal intimate gift for the person.  Men seriously blunder in this area, thinking that a new piece of equipment will be appreciated when in fact it is just that – a new piece of equipment.

When searching online for birthday gifts and presents delivered to work, people in Australia are just coming around to the immediacy and freshness of an artfully arranged fruit basket.  Unlike in the United States, where Fruit Baskets and Fruit Hampers have an established widespread appeal, Australia is an emerging market for designer gift baskets and hampers.  Many men would do well to choose a well thought out fruit hamper as a birthday gift for women instead of wondering which size to buy and whether or not this would offend her.

Next time you are looking online for a women’s gift or present, remember to consider the fresh fruit appeal of a fruit hamper and how sharing dew-fresh fruit direct from the markets in a wicker basket with your personal message (we can even help with writing your message!) is sure to make a smiling impact on delivery.  Oh, and you can be 100% certain that your partner will not be bringing the fruit basket back for an exchange because she did not like it!

Welcome to Hunter Valley Hampers

We have been in business since 1988 offering our world famous (yes 38% of our orders are from overseas) Hunter Valley Hampers to thrilled customers to share with family friends and business associates alike.

Here's a tip, go straight to our Gourmet Hampers or Fruit Baskets pages and make the simple decision right now to send a tasteful gift - or call 1300 284 684 direct to speak with one of our hamper makers live. International callers please dial 612 49689733 to connect.

Once you have had a look at our selection, be sure to note that we offer a diverse range of products, most likely unlike the run of the mill products you will see on virtually every other site out there. And we took this risk way back when we started, we didn't want to be just another mirror site promoting the bland sameness of it all, we wanted to be different. And memorable. And focused on our local providores.

We're confident you will be impressed with our stand-out quality, our unique gift combinations, and our classic timeless gift baskets.

So whether you are a returning corporate customer, or a first timer who has been referred by a friend, you can be confident you will receive first class service and attention to detail at Hunter Valley Hampers.

Create Your Own Hamper Gift Online

Never before have we been able to offer the opportunity to create your own hampers online. You see, it is such an easy thing to do, although there are a couple of handy hints and tips to consider to ensure you make the best choice.

1. Window Shopping (imagine wandering through the Hunter Valley Markets)
Browse across our website at Hunter Valley Hampers.  You will find a wide selection of Unique to Region Hunter Valley Products, from local Gresford Chutney to Methode Champenoise Sparkling wines.  We have personally spent hours driving across the Hunter Valley and meeting the local suppliers and Market Stalls so we have access to the finest quality local gourmet produce.

2. Trust what we do, We have been in business since 1988.
Sometimes, you may have the perfect arrangement of products but there is something missing or misunderstood.  Please call 1300 284 684 before you make your decision.
Often we can make some minor changes or personalise your hamper so it fits your budget.
Sometimes it is as simple as adjusting the portion size of the product in your hamper! 
Like 500gm of honey; we can save your bottom line or meet your corporate budget with a more compact 150gm jar, with a saving of over $4.60 per hamper - imagine this across your selection to meet your budget!

Hunter Valley Hampers and Gift Baskets ship out dozens of handmade gifts each week. 

Champagne Gift Ideas

Hunter Valley Hampers is your Champagne Gift Idea specialist. For Birthday Gifts, Anniversary Celebrations and simply delightful Champagne Gift Ideas visit your online store for all gifts delivered Australia wide.
Hunter Valley Hampers are fast becoming a favoured Champagne and Sparkling Wine Gift, specialist.
Send the Taste and Share the Feeling.
Hunter Valley Hampers as Gourmet Hampers Australia.