Reaching Our Customer Service Center

Our Customer Service team is available to answer any questions you may have. During a normal business week, our Customer Service Center is available 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time, Monday through Friday, by calling 1-800-733-2728. In addition, all of our customer support representatives have voicemail, and may also be reached by e-mail.

There may be exceptions to this schedule during company functions and holidays. Any change to the normal schedule is communicated to our Headquarter Sales and Field Sales teams, as well as to our third-party logistics providers. Our Field Sales team will notify customers.

In the event you cannot reach our Customer Service Center, or it is outside standard business hours, please contact your local sales person or broker for any and all questions or needs that you may have for an immediate answer or solution.

To ensure that the service we provide is as smooth and convenient as possible, we ask that when you place your order, please refer to the following guidelines.

Order Requirements

All sales orders submitted are subject to standard Johnsonville Terms and Conditions. Copies of food guarantee/indemnity can be provided upon request.

Minimum Size for Your Order

The minimum order size is 2,000 pounds. Multiple orders for the same customer ship to location, being delivered the same day, are all considered together as counting toward this minimum.

If your order does not meet the minimum size, you will be asked to either:

• Increase your order size to meet the minimum, or
• Delay placing your order until your need meets the minimum.

Placing Your Order

Johnsonville will accept orders from customers and brokers via electronic data interchange (EDI). All orders must contain the Johnsonville Universal Product Code (UPC) case code and the expected pricing.

If you have an order for one shipping date which includes both frozen and refrigerated unfrozen products, please place the frozen and refrigerated products on separate purchase orders (POs.) This will help ensure that each product is maintained separately at its own proper temperature while being processed.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the preferred method of transmitting and receiving orders, because we have found it to be the most efficient method for both our customers and Johnsonville. Our goal is to have direct communication between our business unit and you the customer. A broker should be the intermediary only when appreciable value-added activity can be demonstrated (for example, guaranteeing pricing accuracy).

Customers and brokers who wish to participate via EDI must establish contact with the EDI manager to coordinate initial setup and testing.

Our EDI system uses a standard Uniform Communication Standard (UCS) or American Nation Standard Institute (ANSI) format. It is critical that your order transmission reflect the expected prices for each variety of product ordered, please!

We encourage all customers to be EDI-compliant with all transmissions, especially with the following transactions:

• 855 - Order Placement
• 810/880 - Invoice
• 820 – Payment (EFT)

Required Information for Placing Your Order

Please be sure to include the following information when placing your order:

• Your customer “ship to” address.
• Your customer purchase order (PO) number.
• Requested delivery or pick-up date.
• 12 digit case UPC number for the product being ordered.
• Product description.
• Quantity ordered.
• Expected case price for each item (including promotional discount information or any other associated allowances).
• Special instructions (for example, “Ship with other PO index2.html#XXXX”).
• Total quantity and weight ordered.
• Terms

Confirming Receipt of Your Order

The method used to confirm receipt of your order depends on how you transmitted it.

Customers and brokers who place orders via EDI will receive a functional acknowledgement EDI transmission. We send this acknowledgement on the next pick-up cycle from the electronic mailbox.

IMPORTANT:If you do not receive an EDI functional acknowledgement confirming receipt of your order within 24 hours, please notify the EDI coordinator immediately.

Please contact the EDI coordinator if you have any questions about our EDI policy.

Customer, brokers, and sales representatives who place orders using methods other than EDI will have the option of receiving an order confirmation by e-mail or fax. These confirmations will include the order processing number, PO number, number of cases, weight, and pricing for verification.

Customers and brokers will also receive purchase order acknowledgement via EDI (855 transmission) that will include all information contained in the Johnsonville order entry system. The customer and broker are responsible for verifying prices on the order acknowledgment.

Required Lead Time for Orders

To allow the standard lead time and ensure timely delivery, please be sure to place your order before the end of the business day that is three days (not including Saturdays or Sundays) prior to the shipment date based on the sailing schedule that applies to you. Please contact your Johnsonville sales representative or the Johnsonville Customer Service team for your specific sailing schedule.

Longer lead times will apply for customers requesting product that is made-to-order, customized, customer branded, or for our international customers. These individual order placement schedules will be provided to our customers prior to placing 1st order for these products.

Late Orders or Order Changes:

Again, we request that you allow the standard lead time for your orders to ensure your product is delivered to you as you need it, when you need it. However, if this is not possible due to circumstances beyond your control and you must place a late order or order change, we will make every effort to accommodate it if possible.

We will investigate the following options before we notify you whether we can accept the late order or change:

• If the order or change is less than a full truckload, our Customer Service team will contact our Transportation team to determine whether there is room for your order on existing trucks without incurring additional expense.

  If there is no room on an existing truck, the customer will be contacted to determine whether the order needs to be shipped or can be moved to the next regularly scheduled shipment day. (Please refer to sailing schedule) The customer will be given the cost associated with shipping the order on an additional truck.

  • Once the customer has been contacted, he or she will need to respond back to our Customer Service team based on deadline provided for that situation.
  • If no response is received within that timeframe, the order will be moved to the next regularly scheduled shipment day for that delivery area. The customer and Johnsonville sales rep will both be notified if this needed to occur.
• If the order is a full truckload order, we will contact our Transportation team to determine whether a truck can be secured and delivery can occur by the required delivery date, and the cost associated with shipping the product.

If we are unable to secure transportation for the originally requested delivery date, we will work to accommodate the first available delivery for which we can secure transportation, before moving order to the next normal sailing date.

NOTE: Late orders or order changes may result in fees being assessed against the customer’s trade spending &index2.html#38;/or Customer P&index2.html#38;L.

Full Layers/Full Pallets

We ask that all customers order in quantities of product such that they occupy full pallets, if at all possible, or at least full layers of a pallet. Please refer to the attached list of item pallet configurations.

Customers who do not order in quantities sufficient to occupy full layers will be asked to increase the item quantity to occupy a full layer.

Back Orders

Every effort is made to fill orders at 100 percent of the quantity requested. In the case where the full amount of product is not available to be shipped on a customer order, our Customer Service team will contact either the Johnsonville sales representative or broker to notify of any shortages once the order has been invoiced. Because a customer’s needs may change by the time additional product becomes available, Johnsonville does not do automatic back orders. Shorted quantities will need to be placed on a new PO number, or added to an existing PO.

Johnsonville’s Customer Pick-Up Program

As an alternative to delivery, Johnsonville offers a customer pick-up program. To participate in this program, you must agree to the following guidelines.

• Commercial carrier rates are used to calculate the customer’s pick-up freight allowance. The freight allowance will be based on truckload outbound rates. The rate does not include unloading services, detention fees or fuel surcharges. We encourage customers to consolidate the Johnsonville freight with other similar shipments to gain efficiencies within your transportation operation.

  Johnsonville’s pick-up allowance is based on a 40,000-pound truckload. Example: Miles times outbound carrier rate divided by 40,000 will equal the customer’s pick-up allowance.

  The allowance (rate per pound) is credited against the net weights of the customer’s order.

• Important: To keep the administration of the pick-up program manageable and minimize the possibility of errors, we are unable to allow customers to switch back and forth between picking up orders and having Johnsonville delivering them. Customers must always pick up their orders once they agree to Johnsonville’s customer pick-up guidelines—no exceptions may be made.
• The customer will take ownership of products at the time of pick-up. Payment terms are based on the pick-up date, not another “received” date.
• In addition to Johnsonville’s customer pick-up guidelines, the customer must agree to the following:
  • There will be no changes to order-placement lead times.
  • Pick-up times must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.
  • Customers are responsible for all late or detention fees, pallet costs and/or exchange.
  • Johnsonville reserves the right to review and administer changes based on compliance with the program.
• The customer is responsible for product temperatures during transit. Temperature requirements are as follows:
  • Refrigerated unfrozen products should be stored at 28 degrees Fahrenheit to 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Frozen products should be stored at zero degrees Fahrenheit or below.
• Customer truck drivers and carriers are responsible for all product overages, shortages, and damage (OSDs) at the time of pick-up. Any OSDs must be reported to the Johnsonville OSD Coordinator. Our OSD call number is 800-733-7447.
• At no time can “shipper load and count” (SLC) be allowed on the bill of lading.
• Johnsonville will not be liable for product deficiencies caused by the Customer’s failure to comply with the provisions of the pick up policy.

Complying with these guidelines is essential to the smooth operation of Johnsonville’s customer pick-up program. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in discontinuation of the pickup program with a customer.

Please contact the Johnsonville Transportation team at 800-733-7447 for more information, or to participate in the Johnsonville customer pick-up program.

Shelf life and Code Dating

Johnsonville goes to great lengths to understand how products perform under normal storage and shipping conditions. In doing so, we have established shelf life standards that will ensure optimum performance for our customers and consumers.

For products intended for frozen storage, a Best Flavor By date is printed on the case label indicating the date at which peak freshness is ensured. For products intended for refrigerated storage, a Sell By date is printed on the case label indicating the date at which peak freshness is ensured.

In addition, Johnsonville also codes each package within the case with a designated code that provides additional data about the product. This data includes what raw materials were used to make this product and what line and time the product was made. All of this information is invaluable when an issue arises that warrants product tracking or retrieval.

Product Withdrawal or Stock Removals

Under rare circumstances, Johnsonville will need to locate and withdraw products from the market. Our internal procedures are intended to detect and retain products that don’t meet our standards before they leave our possession. However, under those situations where products have left our possession and a problem is detected, we have the ability to track and trace product routes. We will communicate these issues early in the process and ask for help to ensure a rapid response.

Our communication will flow through our sales and customer service teams and will include information about the issue, the product lots that are impacted and actions to locate and withdraw products. In addition, we will move as quickly as we can to replace products and resume our normal business relationship.

Unloading Practices

We request that all customers provide the equipment and manpower necessary to off-load their orders from the carrier’s trailer at the time they are delivered. Accessorial charges may result in fees being assessed against the customer’s trade spending and/or customer P&L

Shipper Load/Carrier Count

Johnsonville does not provide shipper load and count (SLC) service.

Shipments are loaded by Johnsonville Members (or our agents) and must be counted by the carrier before the trailer is sealed. The customer will break all the seals when the product is delivered. Customers will not be held liable for products damaged or shorted. Johnsonville will file a claim for any shortages with the carrier, unless the seal is intact, and so certified by the customer.

For customers picking up an order, the carrier is responsible for all product overages, shortages, and damage (OSD) at the time of pick-up. Any OSDs must be reported to the Johnsonville OSD coordinator at 1-800-733- 7447 within 24 hours of occurrence.

Pallets Types and Exchange

Johnsonville’s standard offering is GMA-style white wood pallets. Johnsonville requires an even exchange of like quality pallets at the time of delivery.

Customers picking up are required to meet these same guidelines at time of pickup.

NOTE: Noncompliance may result in fees being assessed against the customer’s trade spending &index2.html#38;/or Customer P&index2.html#38;L.

Pricing of Orders

Johnsonville has a national price. Our pricing is effective based on the order shipment date.

In the event of any price changes, Johnsonville will provide customers with 30 days’ notice prior to the effective ship date.

For example, if a price change is effective September 1, Johnsonville will provide notice to customers 30 days prior to that date. Any order shipping on or after that September 1 date will reflect the price change.

Product Diversion

Product diversion (the resale of our product in geographic areas or venues not authorized by the terms of us providing product to a customer) can undermine Johnsonville’s marketing strategy, the value of our brand, and the brand of other customers who carry our products. Therefore, this practice cannot be tolerated by Johnsonville. Product diversion may result in Johnsonville discontinuing the availability of our products to the offending customer.

Payment Terms

Standard Industry Meat Terms: Net Seven Days

Johnsonville’s terms of payment are “net seven days” because this is the industry standard for meat manufacturing companies.

This industry standard was established because fresh meat is highly perishable, and thus has a very short shelf life. Under Section 409 of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the federal government requires that for all livestock purchased for slaughter, payment must be initiated by the close of the following business day. Since we are a fresh meat slaughterer, Johnsonville Sausage strictly adheres to this requirement. We therefore set vendor terms at net seven days from receipt of goods.

Agreements to alternative terms by brokers or Johnsonville sales Members are unauthorized and therefore not binding.

Payment guidelines:

• Customers picking up product from a third-party warehouse (mixing center) will be allowed
  a one-day transit time for purposes of calculating invoice terms.
• If a customer pays by EFT, an additional five days will be added to the terms. For example, &index2.html#8220;net seven days&index2.html#8221; will become “net 12 days” (cash in the bank).
• Customers who are unable to meet credit approval, or who are placing rush orders that don’t allow ample time to research credit, will be given the option to wire the funds in advance.

Requests for Extended Terms

All requests for extended terms should be directed to Johnsonville’s credit manager or director of sales. A formal response letter will be sent out to the customer. It will be noted that Johnsonville does not offer extended terms for new warehouse openings, new store openings, retailer/wholesaler consolidations, etc. Standard terms apply.

Credit Application

To start the credit review process, a signed credit application must be submitted to Johnsonville for review and approval. Each customer is required to have signed & approved credit app before shipments may begin.