UDSG UDS Group Inc (CE)

UDS Group, Inc. (Pink Sheets:UDSG), a leader in Delivery Management Solutions and Management Services today released the following write up from the South Florida Business Journal. DELIVERING THE GOODS...Firm helps businesses outsource sales process by Leslie Kraft Burke (as printed in The South Florida Business Journal) http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/ (P14 August 3-9, 2007 REPRINTED BY: SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL. FURTHER REPRODUCTION BY ANY OTHER PARTY STRICTLY PROHIBITED. COPYRIGHT� 2007 SOUTH FLORIDA BUSINESS JOURNAL, 1000 E. HILLSBORO BLVD., #103, DEERFIELD BEACH, FL 33441 / 954.949.7600) Most of us are happy with a delivery service if we receive what we've ordered in a reasonable amount of time and with minimal hassle. But executives at Universal Delivery Solutions (UDS) say they can do much better than that - for businesses and consumers. The Boca Raton-based company, created in 2004 by Lewis G. Plaut and his sons, Ryan Coblin and Adam Coblin, is trying to radically change the way businesses sell and deliver products. It lets businesses outsource the process: Customers call UDS, which takes the order, tries to upsell and then passes the order back to the business, which actually prepares the product and delivers it. The business also gets marketing consultation, a delivery service operations manual and order-tracking software from UDS (Pink Sheets:UDSG), which is paid a percentage of delivery sales. "Right now, we're working with food service companies, but the system can work for companies not traditionally involved in offering delivery services, like pharmacies, electronics and DIY home projects businesses," Plaut said. "We've all seen companies trying to make the consumers' experiences with them as comfortable as possible. Delivery is the next frontier. The way to grow sales is to offer immediacy." From test periods with some franchisers of Salad Creations and Subway, UDS was able to deliver increased sales of more than 10 percent, nearly tripled order ticket averages and show more than 75 percent customer retention, Adam Coblin said. "Employees dealing with walk-in traffic get busy and may not think or take the time to offer customers the opportunity to buy something more," he explained. "Our staff will learn the company's culture and process and take the time with customers to treat them personally and offer them more options. That leads to more repeat business and higher tickets." UDS currently has about 20 staff, of whom about seven are call center representatives. While management owns about 60 percent of the company's stock, Coblin, who has an investment brokerage background, said he hopes to eventually offer staff stock options, along with their current benefits package. Working with UDS' staff has increased sales by 5 percent to 9 percent and average order tickets by two and a half times for longtime Subway franchisee Tony Esposito. Esposito, who tested the services at his Fort Lauderdale location at Cypress Creek Road and Federal Highway, charges customers a $2.50 fee for the service, which he splits with his drivers, who also work as "sandwich artists" for about $8 an hour at his store. The drivers keep their tips, which average about $4 an order. "It's been really well received by customers and employees," said Esposito, who added that the UDS system also was being tested in some Subway stores in Naples and Fort Myers. "We had tried delivery in the past, but found it difficult because people would always call at our busiest times. UDS staff is not rushed, so they can take the time to upsell the customer." He said he's hopeful that Subway's corporate office will take UDS' service as system wide test. "It provides unbelievable convenience for customers, especially for those of stores in places that have inclement weather, he said.�We haven't been getting a lot of sales because our stores don't deliver. This could change that and make a huge difference to a lot of franchisees." THE CHALLENGES: Getting the word out about a new business and concept. Not being able to tap private money because the concept was new. Finding good employees. Helping potential clients understand how the concept could add value to their business. Creating the software specific to the business. LESSONS LEARNED: Keep a tight rein on proprietary information. You get what you pay for with employees, so pay for good talent. See mistakes as learning opportunities. Don't micro-manage. UNIVERSAL DELIVERY SOLUTIONS President: Lewis G. Plaut Web site: www.universaldelivery.com Corporate Address: 751 Park of Commerce Drive, Suite 112, Boca Raton 33487 Phone: 561-674-9500 About Universal Delivery Group, Inc. Universal Delivery Solutions, Inc. (Pink Sheets:UDSG) www.UniversalDelivery.com is the first Company to provide a 100%, turnkey delivery platform to the service industry throughout North America (restaurant, retail, other). The system is designed on both a customer relation management (CRM) system and a service integrated technology backbone between customers, call center and the personal industry provider of choice. About Bizjournals Bizjournals www.Bizjournals.com is the online media division of American City Business Journals, the nation's largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers. It operates the Web sites for each of the company's 41 print business journals and operates a web-only site with local business news and information for Los Angeles. 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The statements in this document may also contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Since this information may contain statements that involve risk and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, the company's actual results may differ materially from expected results.