A quality product deserves quality delivery, believes Rutger Callewier, General Manager of Wide Awake Coffee. With his specialty coffee brand, he aims to create a complete coffee experience - one that customers can feel from the moment they place an order to the very first sip. That’s why Wide Awake Coffee partners with DHL eCommerce. “Since DHL eCommerce started delivering our parcels, I know orders arrive neatly and on time. That wasn’t always the case before.”
In search of a reliable shipping partner
Since 2019, Wide Awake Coffee has been roasting the finest quality coffee in Brussels, initially focusing mainly on the local hospitality industry. That changed in 2020, when online shopping received a major boost. “During the COVID period, we experienced massive growth”, Rutger explains. “Suddenly, private consumers also found their way to our website. Even though the site wasn’t very user‑friendly at the time, orders were coming in fast.”
“We heavily invested in our website. Coffee - and specialty coffee in particular - is still a premium product, and the entire experience should reflect that. This includes online shopping and, of course, delivery. With our first shipping partner, things weren’t running smoothly. Parcels were collected too late, customers complained about damaged packages, and customer service was hard to reach. With DHL eCommerce, service quality has improved on every level.”
Straight onto the truck
Wide Awake Coffee mainly ships to private coffee lovers via DHL eCommerce, although its B2B segment is also growing rapidly. “We were already well known in the Brussels hospitality scene. There, we do the deliveries ourselves to maintain close customer contact. But recently, companies outside Brussels have also shown increasing interest in our coffee. DHL eCommerce helps us ship to those business customers as well - and there are more and more of them, as we keep growing."
"The entire shipping process runs smoothly. All parcels are collected in one go by the same truck, and we don’t have to worry about shipping labels either. Every time a customer places an order on our website, the shipping label is generated automatically thanks to the DHL eCommerce integration with Shopify. Super convenient! All in all, we ship around 500 parcels per month this way.”
The same timing, every day
In DHL eCommerce, Rutger found a partner he can rely on. “Every day, the driver arrives at the same time to collect our parcels — you can set your clock by it. And we do, because we align our production accordingly. If a customer places an order before 7:00 a.m., we know we can still prepare it for the 2:00 p.m. pickup. This precision also allows us to clearly inform customers about when they will receive their parcel.”
“And it may sounds like a detail, but it’s a real added value: 99% of the time, it’s the same driver. He knows us, knows the route, understands our volumes - and is simply a pleasant human contact!”
Not a chatbot but real human contact
That personal approach and human touch are what Rutger values most in the collaboration. “Take customer service, for example. It may sound obvious, but it really isn’t anymore: at DHL eCommerce, you’re helped by real people, not chatbots. They usually reply within the day and genuinely try to solve your issue. They have a clear overview of where your parcels are and can act quickly."
"There’s also our dedicated account manager, Kristof. Every year, he gives us an update on our volumes and supports us whenever needed. Kristof thinks along with us about our company’s growth and truly believes in our potential. During rate negotiations, he takes that growth into account as well, and I really appreciate that. For me, it’s a sign of sustainable cooperation - no quick fixes, but a partnership based on trust. That’s why I see us working together for a long time to come.”
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