Updates on www.awardlink.com

The always user-friendly www.awardlink.com has just gotten "user-friendlier." One of the best features of the web site has always been the capability that allows participants with online bank accounts to use the order status menu bar to find out what the status of their order is. Now, program participants "without" online bank accounts can log on and check on the status of their order. In fact anyone who places an order through PFI Award Headquarters can now check on the status of their order online, regardless of whether they are part of an online program or not.

Here’s how it works

Go to www.awardlink.com. Where it asks for Customer Number, type in "Order". Where it asks for Participant ID or Pin Number, type in "Status." Then hit "enter."

You will go immediately to an "Order Status" screen where you would enter:

• Order Number

Then you would view a screen with the following information:

• Items ordered for Order Number:

• Description Qty Ordered

• Points

• Expected Ship Date

• Actual Ship Date

• Qty Shipped

• Click on Tracking Number for shipping detail

• Contact Us

If Expected Ship Date shows Substitute, Discontinued or Point Short, you should receive a letter under separate cover explaining disposition of those items.

Contact Us

At this screen you type in your order number, click submit and you then go directly to your order status screen which shows all the information featured above. If a blue underscored tracking number appears, you can click on this and go directly to the shipper’s online tracking system. Tracking numbers are provided for all orders shipped via Fed Ex, USPS, UPS from the PFI warehouse. Tracking numbers for drop ship items are provided ONLY when provided by the manufacturer.

If you need additional information about the status of your order or have questions about the information shown, you can click on "Contact Us" and send an e-mail inquiry direct to PFI Customer Service.

Sample Order Number: If you’d like to see how this new capability works, use the following sample order number of: 03222R013. Just type it into the box and click enter.

About Order Numbers

A unique order number is printed on all PFI-Award Headquarters printed order forms. Order Numbers also appear on Bank Of Awards personal point statements and they are included on every acknowledgement letter.

SAFETY PROGRAMS ARE HOT!

A year ago in a special over-sized color edition of this newsletter the feature article "Incentives In A Declining Economy" discussed the challenges of "sales incentives" in what was, and still unfortunately is, a declining or at the very least struggling economy (see October 2001 edition online at www.pfi-awards.com.) The article went on to discuss the value and benefits of employee-focused incentives, specifically suggestion programs and safety programs. These programs present sponsoring companies with the opportunity to cut costs and reduce expenditures—results that go directly to a company’s bottom line. Safety programs in particular can have a spectacular impact, given the nominal cost of implementation vs. the extraordinary costs related to accidents.

But now, you don’t have to take our word on the value of safety programs. Incentive Magazine just ran a feature article on safety programs. The article "Safe Haven" is featured in the August 2002 edition of the magazine and uses the Ryder Systems Inc. safety program as an example of how to successfully set up and run a safety program.

So, what are you waiting for? The following two articles focus on the issue of safety, presenting compelling reasons for focusing on safety that you can share with your prospects as well as a series of questions you can use to begin the process of developing a safety program.

Safety By The Numbers

The reasons to run a safety program are many, but some of the most compelling reasons can be expressed by presenting the hard numerical facts. Here is an updated version of a previously published "Safety by the Numbers List."

• There are currently 3.8 million disabling workplace injuries every year.

• Of the 3.8 million disabling injuries, 90,000 are permanent.

• 5,200 deaths as a result of an on-the-job accident are reported annually. This is equal to an astonishing one death per work hour of the year.

• There are 3.8 deaths per every 100,000 worker.

• Every year there are 1.25 million lost hours as a result of workplace accidents. 80 million hours are lost each year from new injuries and 45 million hours are continuing lost hours from injuries the previous year.

• The overall cost of accidents to US businesses has increased to over $130 billion dollars annually. This exceeds the profits of the top 13 Fortune 500 Companies.

• The average cost for a workplace injury is $28,000 dollars.

• The average cost for a workplace death is $98,000.

• Human error is the cause of 90%of all reported accidents.

• Information provided by the National Safety Council—2002

Safety Planning And The Questions You Need To Ask

So you’ve identified a safety program prospect. You’ve gotten them interested and now you need to answer the question, "what’s the next step?" More than likely the next step is for you to gather as much information about the company, how it’s organized, its culture and its safety performance history. The following is a suggested list of questions that will get you started in the right direction. The more questions you can get answered the better your opportunity will be to develop and propose a safety incentive program that precisely meets your client’s safety performance objectives. Getting answers to these questions won’t guarantee a sale but they will engage your client in the process, establish you as a "safety consultant" and move you considerably closer to a sale.

Company Overview

• How is the organization structured?

• How many facilities, plants, retail locations, distributions centers etc.?

• What is the organizational structure at each location?

• Is there a sales force, distribution channel, etc?

• Is there a safety director at each location?

Employee Overview

• How many total employees are there? Headquarters? Each location?

• What is the male/female ratio?

• What percent of the employees is office/admin/sales/marketing etc?

• What percent of the employees is plant/distribution/production etc?

• Are employees unionized? If yes, what are implications/requirements?

• Are there language barriers? If yes, describe the extent.

• What is the average age of employees?

• What is the average level of education achieved?

• What is the current turnover rate? What is the industry average?

• What is the current level of understanding of safety & safety related procedures?

What are the client’s safety issues?

• Awareness?

• Decreasing Workers Compensation Costs?

• Reducing accidents/man hour worked?

• Adhering to safety policies/procedures?

• Company Overview

Safety Program History

• Does the client have specific safety program goals?

• Can the company provide the following safety statistics?

• Does client currently have a safety program in place? Get sample materials and/or a detailed description.

• How would the client rate the program on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being not effective and 5 being very effective?

• Get a detailed explanation of the rating.

• What awards are being used in the program?

• Merchandise?

• Premiums?

• Logo’d merchandise?

• Cash?

• Gift Certificates?

• If a combination of awards is being used what is the percent of redemption on each?

• How has the program been communicated and promoted to employees?

• Describe any safety training programs and/or materials that are used.

• Manuals

• Brochures

• Training sessions/topics

• Is any aspect of a safety program being operated online?

Decision Makers

• Who is/are the key decision makers?

• Is there a safety committee?

• Does the committee decide or pass recommendation to Sr. Management?

• What is the total program budget? What is the per person budget?

Summary

This list of questions is not meant to be all-inclusive. In fact if you are successful, these questions should lead to more questions and this will further engage you in your client’s safety process and truly position you as a valuable resource on safety program planning.