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Joe Weppler / July 24, 2020

How are Couriers & Customers Coping with Coronavirus?

Due to the integral role they play in managing supply chains in the modern world, small package shipping & courier vendors were considered essential businesses when governments across North America laid out plans to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual. Couriers such as FedEx, UPS, Purolator, USPS and Canada Post have had to make several changes and concessions to make sure they’re keeping themselves and their customers safe while still delivering much-needed goods. Here are a few examples of what the new normal looks like within the realm of small package shipping.

Preparedness Planning

Shippers across the continent have established task forces specifically designed with developing business continuity plans to keep their packages moving and the supply chain open. This includes not just plans for dealing with service interruptions, staff shortages and package backlogs, but also specific pandemic-related issues and oversight. Along with these task forces, they have placed an increased emphasis on contactless delivery and online tools to help reduce physical contact, as well as enhanced volume tracking to better help customers plan out their shipping solutions.

More Specific Delivery

Several couriers have created or otherwise enhanced delivery customization services to make sure that customers can get their packages where and when they need them. This includes the ability to leave more specific instructions for the drivers delivering your packages, and the ability to reroute or reschedule packages that have already been shipped in order to meet your needs should a unique situation arise. Gone are the days where a package could only be sent to your home or work. Better delivery options will definitely stick around long after the pandemic has been declared over.

Hands Off

While the World Health Organization has stated that the likelihood of novel Coronavirus actually contaminating cardboard or similar shipping containers is low, people just don’t want to take chances right now. Can you blame them? Small package shipping vendors have expanded their no-touch policies in various ways. In order to minimize physical interaction, most vendors have suspended physical signature requirements for regular deliveries. In some cases, customers are asked to verbally verify the name on the receipt in lieu of a signature or show government-issued ID to confirm they’re the package’s intended recipient. In addition to contactless delivery, vendors are limiting the number of customers in their shipping centers, wearing masks while conducting deliveries, and maintaining proper social distancing.

The Coronavirus pandemic is a scary thing – which is why we commend those front-line workers who deliver the services we desperately need. Whether it’s nurses, waste haulers or small package delivery drivers – you have our thanks.

Joe Weppler / July 17, 2020

Safely Disposing Workplace Personal Protective Equipment

In order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, employees across the world are turning to personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace. As more and more workplaces reopen, safe disposal of PPE will become even more important. So what are the safest methods of disposing of PPE? And what services are available to help expedite the process?

What does appropriate PPE look like?

The types of workplace PPE can vary greatly depending on the work environment and also the services provided. PPE could include single-use gloves, aprons, gowns, respirators and face coverings like surgical masks, goggles or face shields. Employers should contact their local health unit and consult the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in order to ensure they’re providing proper PPE based on their unique situations.

PPE should be provided by the employer. If an employee wants to provide their own PPE, their employer must be able to ensure that they will follow the proper protocols in regards to cleaning, re-use and disposal, and that the PPE is properly suited for its intended purpose.

Safe Disposal

Wearing PPE helps to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, but only if it’s properly disposed of. In fact, if PPE is not properly disposed of, it can increase the likelihood of transmission.

PPE generated from businesses reopening and employees returning to work does not legally require special disposal by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) That being said, cautious employers everywhere are seeking the best disposal methods to ensure the safety of their employees.

According to the WHO, face masks, gloves and paper tissues should all be hygienically disposed of in a closed bin. Touchless bins are even more safe, such as those that use automatic sensors or foot pedals. With each bin, consider also putting up posters outlining the proper removal of PPE. Gloves and a mask should be worn when removing the bag from the bin, and the bin should be treated with a registered and graded disinfectant before a new bag is placed.

Waste Disposal Services Tailored To Your Environment

Many waste disposal companies are now offering solutions for workplace PPE disposal, from simple pickup to legitimate medical waste disposal solutions. As more and more employees return to work, these services will likely expand.

These services include features like pickup frequency tailored to your needs and both regular and mail-back disposal. Disposal of medical waste by mail was already common when it came to getting rid of sharps, but disposal companies have begun to expand the solution to include PPE. Reach out to your waste disposal vendor and inquire if they have any specialized services to help reduce the risk of the spread of COVID-19 within your workplace, and if not, what steps they recommend you take.

Joe Weppler / July 10, 2020

Mobile apps see large increase in popularity due to COVID-19

According to a recent market data report from app store intelligence firm App Annie, consumers who are spending more time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic have been increasingly turning to mobile apps for their shopping, entertainment and productivity.

App Annie found that app usage grew 40% year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020 — hitting an all-time high of over 200 billion hours during April. Consumer spending on apps and in-app purchases hit a record high of $27 billion in the second quarter, and overall app downloads approached a high of nearly 35 billion.

Such significant increases can be attributed to the social distancing and lock down regulations that the vast majority of the world have undertaken in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Social lives have gone increasingly mobile — one example being the Houseparty social network. The app allows you to video call your friends, and it saw an increase in downloads of more than 700% by the end of Q1 2020.

In North America alone, video chat and online conferencing apps saw an increase in downloads of 627% percent, and an increase in daily active users of 121%. The star of the video conferencing boom is Zoom, which managed to expand its overall user base by 300% in under a month.

On the reverse side, hospitality, tourism and travel app downloads decreased by 12% in North America. Airline apps saw a similar decline, as well as real estate and car rental apps.

The app stores themselves have also clearly benefited from the pandemic. iOS downloads grew over 20% year-over-year to nearly 10 billion new downloads in Q2 while Google Play downloads grew 10% to 25 billion. Within these stores, non-gaming focused apps represented over half of the new downloads on Android platforms and 70% of the new downloads on iOS.

Strong growth outside of games included apps falling under various categories including entertainment, health & fitness, photo & video, entertainment, tools, health and fitness and business.

Overall, these significant surges in popularity have been a boon to app creators and aggregators across the world, but as countries begin to ease their restrictions and put less emphasis on the need for social distancing, these developers need to be wary of the return to normal. While downloads are important, the true signifier of success is the daily active users (DAUs.) The most successful app developers will adapt and maintain the momentum the pandemic has given them in order to keep their DAU numbers high despite the inevitable decrease in downloads.

Joe Weppler / July 3, 2020

The death of “Wet-Ink” signatures in a post-pandemic world

With so many office workers across the world now working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, the process of obtaining original signatures has posed plenty of challenges. Tasks which are typically formalized with “wet-ink” in person have entered the strange world of online service in an attempt to respect social distancing requirements.

Many state governments have issued temporary regulations or executive orders permitting wills and powers of attorney to be witnessed virtually. eNotarization services have taken off, with the process for notarizing oaths, affidavits, statutory declarations and other documents using technologies like web conferencing instead of meeting with a notary in person.

The landscape of electronic signature services in particular has shifted in light of the pandemic. What does that mean for your business? And what will it mean for signature requirements in a post-COVID 19 business world?

The main guiding principles of the laws governing electronic signatures in Canada and the United States are that when parties to a contract have agreed to use an electronic signature, that signature may not be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form. In other words, as long as both parties agree to use eSignatures in the first place, they are just as legally binding as a signature in ink.

In most cases, the consent between parties to use eSignatures doesn’t even need to be expressly provisioned. Implied consent comes into play when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the consent is genuine and is relevant to the information or document. For example — if an agreement is entered between two parties via email or some other online intermedium, it’s safe to assume that both parties are implying that they consent to the use of electronic signatures to execute their documents.

Electronic signatures are defined by the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act as “an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.” That means anything from typing your name in an email or sending a physically signed document via fax to using an eSignatures service can fall under the same category.

While there are exceptions, many legal documents have been being signed via eSignature since long before the pandemic. While the business world is fairly conditioned to believe in the symbolic weight of pen on paper, a wet-ink signature is, in fact, fairly weak evidence of an agreement. Signatures are fairly easily forged, and their shape and weight doesn’t change from a trivial agreement to an important one.

While the notarization process helps offset some of the weaknesses of ink signatures, electronic signatures have proven to be much more secure. It’s true that COVID-19 has accelerated the use of eSignatures, but they were already rapidly gaining popularity for their ease of use and security. The practice will continue to grow in popularity even as offices reopen their doors and people begin to meet in person once again. While the pandemic may not spell out the end of “Wet Ink” signatures entirely, we will definitely see a continued emphasis put on the safer e-alternative.

Joe Weppler / June 26, 2020

Changes to Visa fees delayed – but not for long

Visa is making changes to the rates that merchants pay to accept its card. According to a report from Bloomberg, the changes will be the biggest in a decade. Visa had planned to roll out these changes in April and October but delayed them until April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The exception is the planned interchange reductions in the supermarket segment will go forward. We believe this is the right decision to ensure the long-term stability of the digital payments ecosystem,” according to the missive.

The exception Visa refers to is a reduction in transaction fees at large grocery stores and supermarkets. In other words, supermarkets will be paying less to their processor when a customer decides to pay with a Visa card — and that reduction in fees has the potential to impact the prices a customer pays for their goods. Generally speaking, processing fees are passed down the line — the higher the fee a store pays, the higher their prices are to offset the cost.

According to the document Visa sent to the banks outlining the changes, the company’s interchange rates will go up or down depending on both the type of merchant and the way a customer pays for their purchases. Examples include eCommerce sites, which are slated to see higher interchange fees, while transactions related to real estate and education are planned to decrease.

The same document stated that “Visa is adjusting its default U.S. interchange rate structure to optimize acceptance and usage and reflect the current value of Visa products.”

While these changes amount to just a few cents on each transaction, the numbers add up quickly. Processing fees have a major impact on the bottom line for most merchants — retailers, in particular, have struggled with the huge amounts they pay to their processors each year — and that number has only gone up, both due to increased fees in general and more consumers turning to cards over cash to pay for their products.

According to a Nilson report, general-purpose credit, debit and prepaid cards issued in the United States combined to generate $7.584 trillion in purchase volume in 2019 — up over 8.2% over 2018. Merchants that accepted those cards paid over $116.43 billion in processing fees. Cards with Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover accounted for $4.234 trillion of that volume.

While the changes proposed by Visa refer to their “published rates,” it’s important to note that banks and payment networks can negotiate deals with retailers for reduced pricing. Only time will tell if these changes will go into effect by the new planned date of April 2021, or if further changes will be made on account of the continuously evolving effects of the pandemic on the economy.

Joe Weppler / June 19, 2020

Will NAFTA’s Replacement Impact Your Small Package Shipping?

The United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) will soon go into effect, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that has governed the trilateral trade bloc in North America since 1994. All three countries have now submitted the formal notification of their ratification, and the new agreement will come into force on July 1, 2020.

This is a hard transition date, meaning that shipments that arrive in the US, Mexico, or Canada on July 1 will follow USMCA regulations. So what does this mean for your small package shipping environment?

If you’re shipping packages between these three countries, USMCA regulations may require new data elements in order to clear customs and receive the appropriate duty treatment. There are several key changes that differentiate the USMCA from NAFTA. For specifics on the details, check out the links at the end of this overview.

Certificate of Origin

The USMCA does not require a specific certificate of origin document like NAFTA does. A claim for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA requires nine minimum data elements on an invoice or separate documents that describes the originating goods with sufficient detail to enable their identification. The claim must also be accompanied by a specific statement, signed and dated by the certifier.

Minimum Value Thresholds

While the U.S. threshold remains at $800USD, there are new de minimis value thresholds for shipments into Canada and Mexico. The de minimis is the price threshold below which fewer or no taxes are charged on a shipment. These thresholds are different for both duties and taxes, so make sure you know the new rates and how they apply to your normal shipments.

Auto & Dairy

There are new economic growth and market access requirements for the automotive and dairy industries.

Under USMCA, 75% of auto content and components must be manufactured in one of the USMCA countries to attain a zero-tariff rate.

The agreement also increases market access to Canada for certain U.S. dairy products and introduces new tariff rate quotas to allow more dairy imported to Canada duty rate.

Exemptions for Low-Value Shipments

Thankfully, the USMCA provides that there is no certification of origin requirements for shipments value below $1,000 USD or its equivalent in currency as established by the importing USMCA country. A written statement certifying the goods will still be required.

For details on how the agreement might affect your shipping, you can read compliance guidelines at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website at www.cbp.gov. The USMCA in full can be found on the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s website at www.ustr.gov.

Joe Weppler / June 12, 2020

The Effects of a Pandemic on Waste Disposal

If there’s one constant about the human race, it’s that we’re constantly generating waste. Nearly everything we touch on a daily basis comes with some sort of packaging — from our food to our clothes to our toiletries and everything in between. Nobody wants to deal with garbage themselves, so we pack it up, send it off to the waste operators, and hope we never see it again.

The coronavirus pandemic has had a tremendous impact on almost every aspect of our lives — and that pipeline that treks the trash away is no different. So how is the waste sector coping with the pandemic?

Adapting to the New Normal

Municipal waste operators had to work fast to adapt their waste management solutions to the realities of the pandemic. Residential waste volumes drastically increased with the influx of people self-quarantining in their homes. With the massive influx of household trash came the redirection of resources in order to address the situation.

Communities nationwide took different steps, some suspending yard waste collection, others pausing curbside recycling pickup. Waste collection companies shifted their workers away from the commercial routes where businesses sat empty and towards the suburbs. They also made plans for the worst case scenario — their drivers getting sick.

Even now, as communities across North America have begun re-opening their doors, concerns persist about exposure to the front-line workers. Labor unions are pushing for answers around paid leave, and social distancing rules and requirements are forcing changes around collection routes.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has become even more important than ever before. All too often, industry accidents happen because employees simply don’t like wearing extra protective gear or find it uncomfortable. A renewed emphasis and enforcement on wearing proper PPE has taken hold, and waste operators are getting it wherever they can despite the shortage.

For example, take Barney Shapiro, the owner of Tenleytown Trash operating in Washington, DC, and Maryland. Shapiro has turned to the Washington National Opera’s costume department, who are sewing masks for frontline workers. He jumped at the chance for extra masks because, like the rest of the waste management industry, Shapiro knows that the health and safety of his employees directly correlates to how well the massive influx of trash gets handled.

As the re-opening phase begins, even more new challenges appear with it. Waste operators are now dealing with the impacts of the measures taken during the initial phase of the pandemic — once again forced to adapt to stabilize operations. Waste operators across the globe are coming together to make plans for the transition to a post-pandemic world, sharing best practices while also tackling the unique challenges of their own environments.

Despite the difficulties and thankless nature of their jobs, waste operators have kept us from drowning in our own trash throughout the course of one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. So next time you see a waste disposal worker — make sure to say thanks.

Joe Weppler / June 5, 2020

Experiencing “Zoom Fatigue?” You’re not alone.

You won’t find the term in any psychology textbooks, but experts are saying that “Zoom Fatigue” is rapidly becoming a common occurrence for people working from home during the pandemic.

The term started as slang for the exhaustion people are experiencing conducting their day-to-day activities through video-calling interfaces like Google Hangouts, Skype, Microsoft Teams and the eponymous Zoom. Google searches for the term have steadily increased since early March, and psychologists say that several factors are leading to Zoom fatigue.

So why are we finding these video calls so draining? How are the current circumstances contributing to the problem? And what can we do to combat it while still maintaining the rules and habits that keep us safe?

Filling in the Gaps

In an interview with The Inquirer, Eric Zillmer, the Carl R. Pacifico professor of neuropsychology at Drexel University explained that partial blame falls on the lack of nonverbal cues in video calls.

“An amazing amount of neuronal mass is dedicated to reading people’s faces, sensing emotions, social cues, the ambience, intuition,” said Zillmer.

But on video calls, much of that information is lost — whether to fuzzy, stuttering video or simply the two-dimensional nature of a face on a screen. Without these visual social cues, our brains are working overtime in an attempt to hyper-focus on words alone.

“You have to fill in the gaps,” Zillmer said. “And that takes cognitive energy. You get tired more quickly.”

The issue is compounded when there are multiple people on a single call. Your brain struggles to understand each, which can lead to not understanding any.

Always On

It’s not just work. During the pandemic, when quarantine is the norm, video calls aren’t just about doing business. They’re how we connect — with friends and family, professors and classmates, and even church. We’re following along with our yoga instructors, participating in educational webinars, and checking in on our loved ones.

There’s a common denominator with all these calls we experience throughout the day — a little picture of ourselves in the corner. In normal day-to-day interactions, we don’t see ourselves. In video calls, our faces are omnipresent. This leads us to be hyper-aware of ourselves — from our physical appearance to our environment. Our brains magnify every perceived flaw, and we can’t escape the feeling that everyone in the call is looking directly at us.

If that isn’t mentally exhausting enough on its own, being on camera also puts us in “performance” mode. We sit up straight, we put on a big smile, we over-articulate verbally and we over-emphasize physically. Think about the last in-person conversation you had. Did you stand three feet away from them and stare at their face the entire time? No — you looked around, your peripherals taking in other people or objects. On camera, we worry that looking away makes it look like we’re not paying attention. Without those breaks in the “constant gaze,” our brains get tired.

Thankfully, there are some steps you can take to combat Zoom Fatigue. The most obvious being cut down on the number of video calls you participate in. There are a few ways to go about this:

Designated Meeting Times

You can establish times designated for “No Meetings” to give you time to refresh your brain and focus in on non-video related tasks. You could even designate a day to be specifically meeting free. If it’s conducive to how your team operates, you could do the opposite and schedule all your meetings in one day so you can keep the rest of your week Zoom-free.

Meet Only When Necessary

There’s a classic office saying that follows many meetings that don’t see much participation — “That could’ve been an email.”

Take advantage of emails and chat platforms. Text-first has the added benefit of forcing you to write down your thoughts — which will often lead you to think more critically about your ideas and even solve your problems before you hit send.

If someone is asking you for a video meeting, learn to say no if you don’t think the meeting will be valuable. Provide alternatives, ask for documents or video — a lot of the time people ask for a meeting as a default when the problem at hand could just as easily be solved with an email. If Zoom Fatigue is getting to you, don’t be afraid to say no. Your time and energy are valuable.

Play by the Rules

Sometimes, calls are unavoidable. When they are, set rules for yourself and your team and conduct your calls within them.

Create an agenda and stick to it. If your meeting is going to be long, schedule breaks. If your meeting software has the option, consider hiding the view of your camera to reduce that “performance” mode tendency. If video isn’t necessary – consider some good, old-fashioned voice communication.

Finally, if you need to have a meeting and it needs to be on video — do your best to keep it short. Go in prepared, say what needs to be said, and get out. Your brain will thank you for it.

Joe Weppler / May 27, 2020

Credit Card Companies Are Cutting Credit Limits Due to COVID-19 Concerns

According to a report from CompareCards.com, nearly 50 million cardholders had their credit limits involuntarily reduced or even had a card closed by their issuer in April. The same survey found that 3 in 10 cardholders are using credit cards “more than ever” since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Considering the impact that COVID-19 has had on the economy, it’s no big surprise to see banks reduce their lending. In uncertain economic times, banks get nervous at the prospect of their borrowers running into unexpected financial circumstances. The precedent was set in 2008, just before the Great Recession, when economic uncertainty led to banks slashing credit limits and tightening credit standards. 

Unfortunately, these cuts can have a negative impact on your credit score by increasing the overall percentage of your credit in use. For example, if you have a credit limit of $20,000 across two credit cards, and you’re currently using a balance of $4,000, you’re using 20% of your credit — keeping within the suggested utilization rate of no more than 20% to 30%. 

In this same scenario, if your credit card limit is suddenly slashed to $10,000, you’re now using 40% of your available credit without ever having borrowed more or missed a payment. That change is going to negatively impact your credit score at no fault of your own. In fact, your utilization rate is the second-largest factor in determining your credit score — second only to your payment history. 

While there’s no way for a consumer to guarantee that a bank won’t reduce their credit card limit or close their account altogether, here are a few ways that you can mitigate the risk: 

Actively maintain your credit score: Continue to pay your bills on time and keep your utilization rate below 20-30%. By avoiding late payments and high utilization rates, your credit limit will naturally grow over time. 

Keep your cards active: If you have multiple cards, make sure you don’t let any of them become inactive for too long. Inactivity is one of the most common reasons you might see your credit card limit lowered. Your credit card limit is not set in stone when you receive you card — sudden drops in your credit score can lead to your issuer lowering your limit. This can be as simple as making a single purchase on your lesser used cards every few months before hiding them away again. 

Move recurring payments to an inactive card: One great way to keep your less-used cards active is to use them for small, recurring payments like subscriptions to streaming services, food delivery plans and monthly bills. Most recurring services have auto-pay options that can be used as a set-and-forget method of keeping your card active. 

Ask for a limit increase: While this may sound redundant, one method of countering the effects that a credit card limit slash might have on your credit score is by seeking a limit increase on another card. This can help maintain your utilization rate and mitigate a dip in your score. Issuers are less likely to approve an increase in your limit now — but it’s worth asking.

Reach out to your card issuer: Speaking of asking — if your credit card limit is reduced or your account is closed — reach out to your card issuer. If you can show them that you’re still employed, maintain a steady income and that you’ve been a valuable customer, you may be able to have the decision to lower your limit appealed. Often, these decisions are made by a computer program and can be reversed with human intervention.

If you’re struggling to pay your credit card bills, many credit card issuers are currently allowing their customers to opt into relief programs online. These financial hardship programs usually offer cardholders both short-term and long-term payment plans in exchange for immediate relief from their credit card bills.

Joe Weppler / May 22, 2020

How Are Telecom Operators Coping With Increased Traffic?

Rogers Communications Inc. recently told a House of Commons committee that home internet usage is up more than 50 percent compared to before the coronavirus pandemic. Voice call usage on the Rogers wireless network is up 40 percent, and 1-800 toll-free calls are up more than 300 percent. Rogers customers alone are making more than 50 million wireless voice calls per day.

According to Akamai, a tech company that monitors web defenses, global internet traffic has increased by as much as 30 percent since mid-March. That’s almost an entire year’s worth of internet traffic growth in just a few short weeks. It’s important to note that this growth was experienced even with the loss of live sports streaming, which normally accounts for significant global traffic.

When it comes to mobile data consumption, the trends are unsurprisingly similar — especially in areas with heavy lockdowns such as Spain and Italy. Italy — the first European country to go on lockdown — saw peak usage increase by nearly 90 percent.

So how are telecom operators and content owners across the world stepping up to address the impacts of such significant traffic surges?

Telcos everywhere have worked closely with their respective governments to provide increased internet services to the public to help manage the crisis. Engineers are working around the clock adding additional fibre-optic connections and servers to those invaluable central offices that house and reroute customer data.

Video game companies like Sony and Microsoft are bottle-necking peak-hour downloads to help combat the congestion. Massive video streaming platforms like Youtube, Amazon and Netflix have adjusted their encoding rates, sacrificing video quality to help reduce the strain on telecom operators. This is especially pertinent, as major video streaming platforms are reporting massive increases in usage as people spend more time on the couch. The television industry as a whole saw a 20 percent increase in viewership in mid-March, and Amazon’s live streaming platform Twitch saw its total amount of hours watched jump from 33 million on March 8th to 43 million on March 22nd.

In the U.S., the Federal Communications Commission has granted temporary access to normally reserved mobile spectrum bands to provide additional broadband capacity. Similar steps are being taken across the planet, from Ireland to Brazil.

AT&T has waived data overage fees in the United States. Vodacom in South Africa has invested $24 million to add network capacity to support remote workers. In Canada, Bell accelerated the rollout of its new wireless home internet service in rural areas. In Wuhan, the original epicenter of the coronavirus virus, China’s three major telecom carriers have set up 5G stations for health care workers in city hospitals.

Businesses everywhere are experiencing unprecedented circumstances, and they have all had to adapt — whether to growth or loss — due to the pandemic. In these strange times, it’s comforting to see the international effort put towards keeping humanity connected.