Thanksgiving turkeys can’t fly – unless they’re onboard a UPS cargojet. For morethan 20 years, UPS has shippedthousands of organic, free-range turkeys knownas WillieBirds for home product retailer Williams-Sonoma. Theturkeys are brined and sealed, then deliveredvia UPS Next Day Air in time to become the centerpieceof holiday dinners across the United States.
✈ Preparingfor takeoff: In the days leading up toThanksgiving, dozensof UPS trailers stuffed with WillieBird shipments leave from Diestel Family Ranch,Williams Sonoma’s California-based turkey supplier.The birdsare destined for UPS flights and next-daydeliveries across the country.
As the industry leader in on-time delivery performance for fiveconsecutive peak seasons, UPSdelivers the reliable service that customers likeWilliams Sonoma depend on year-round, and especially during theimportant holiday shipping season.
📝 Behind the scenes of Operation Willie Bird: Planningbegins months in advance. UPS alerts its U.S. delivery driverswith specificinstructions for delivering these high-prioritypackages. That includes a dedicatedhotline to resolve any potential obstacles to on-timedelivery.
On the receiving end of those calls is the UPSProactive Response Team – a group of customercare representatives dedicated to the Willie Bird shipments.They watch the turkeys from the moment they leave thefarm, readyto step in at the first hint of a potential problem,even a single missed package scan anywhere en route.