Breakaway News Volume No.6 Issue No.12 December 2001

Holiday Wishes
 

Breakaway would like to wish all of our valued customers and employees a safe and joyous Holiday Season. Remember that a Breakaway courier is the perfect choice for delivering holiday gifts to friends and business associates. Be on the lookout for flying reindeer wearing Breakaway jerseys. Happy Holidays.

Phone Speed Record

Breakaway would like to salute Jerry at Colorscripts Plus for his top-notch order-placing skills. He recently placed an order in less than two seconds! Phone Operator Maria Ortiz verified this amazing feat. Many thanks to Jerry for his courteous manner and for always having complete job information when he calls.

Santa and Security

Rumor has it that even jolly old St. Nick will have to present laminated picture identification when making his rounds this year. Please remember to fully label any gift deliveries you are sending out. Otherwise, they might not be accepted at the delivery point.

Snow Pool

The past few winters New York has received little or no snow. Can this streak continue? This question is a source of raging debate here at Breakaway headquarters. We would like to invite our customers into this controversy by entering our "snow pool."  To enter, call Account Manager Ralph Santoni, by December 31st, with your unique guess, in inches, of the amount of snowfall Central Park will receive by April 1st, 2002.  If your guess is correct you will win a beautiful Breakaway T-shirt.

Meet the Breakaway Office Staff:

Name: Rosario Torres.

Position: Phone Operator.

Nickname: “Rose.”

Time at Breakaway: Three months.

Favorite Customer: Frame Representatives.

Favorite Artist: My Husband.

Likes: 20 calls at one time.

Dislikes: Customers who forget why they called.

Favorite Saying: “No problem.”

Stump the band…

Last month we asked you to tell us the name of the Native American tribe with whom the Pilgrims celebrated the first Thanksgiving. Many people responded to this question. The correct answer was the Wampanoag. They were also known as the Pokanoket, from the name of their main village.

T-shirt Question

What day was the cornerstone laid for the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Manhattan? The first person to call Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.

Breakaway News Volume No.6 Issue No.10 October 2001

Condolences

Breakaway extends our deepest sympathies to all those who lost family members, friends and colleagues in the tragic events of September 11^th.

Our Heroes

Breakaway would like to thank all the brave people who lost, risked and continue to risk their lives to help others. New York City and the World have been impressed by your heroism. You have served as an inspiring and unforgettable example of courage for all Americans.

Office Space

Many companies have been displaced from downtown Manhattan. If your company needs to be relocated, Breakaway might be able to help. We have 1700 square feet of space available for rent. This space is fully equipped with phone service and broadband Internet access. If you know someone looking for office space, please contact Account Manager Ralph Santoni.

Customer Information

Some companies have lost some or all of their customer information. Breakaway can help recover some of this lost information. We can fax you any old invoices that you request. This can help recover information regarding at least a substantial number of your customers. If you need any old invoices faxed to you, please contact Account Receivables Manager John Handrik.

Plan Ahead

Shifting police checkpoints, heightened building security and other measures may result in extended delivery times. Please plan accordingly. 

Assistance Information

Below are a few telephone numbers that many might find helpful:

NYC Emergency Information: 212-560-2730.

FBI Information: 866-483-5137 or 800-331-0075.

Red Cross Blood Donations: 800-GIVE-LIFE.

NY Blood Center: 800-933-2566.

Real Estate Board of NY: 212-621-9502, 621-9517 or 621-9527.

Stump the band…

Last month we asked you to tell us the year in which the first Monday in September was chosen as the date of Labor Day. This was a bit tricky, as we were not asking for a date connected to the federal holiday. Rather, we were asking for the year in which labor organizations chose the first Monday in September as the date for their observance. This occurred several years before Labor Day was made a federal holiday. The year was 1884.

T-shirt Question

How much time passed between the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the raid on Tokyo by Jimmy Doolittle? The first person to call Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.

Breakaway News Volume No.6 Issue No.9 September 2001

Labor Day Thanks
 

In honor of Labor Day, we would like to thank the hardworking couriers and valued customers who make all our jobs possible. Have a great holiday!

Big Project, No Sweat

If you have a project involving a large number of deliveries, Breakaway can work with you to make it affordable. We have volume discounts for large volume deliveries of any size. If you need help bringing an unwieldy project in on time and under budget, please contact Account Manager Ralph Santoni.

Stumped by the Stub

Many customers have inquired as to the best way to get the Breakaway remittance stub into our return envelope. In the spirit of customer service we present...

Top Five Ways to get our remittance stub into the return envelope:

1. Fold it neatly in half.

2. Make a photocopy of the stub at 50% size.

3. Fold the stub into an origami swan and write a catchy Zen phrase on the outside.

4. Tear it into to little pieces (not recommended).

5. Just stuff it!

Summer Memories

Summer should be a time of marvelous exploits. If you were abducted by space aliens or swallowed by a whale while on vacation, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni. Your adventure might make into a future newsletter!

Meet the Breakaway Office Staff

 Name: Steven James.

Position: Dispatcher.

Nickname: “Dood.”

Years at Breakaway: Two.

Favorite Customer: Bettina at Frame Representatives.

Favorite Artists: J.R.R. Tolkien and Kurt Cobain.

Likes: Quick Picks and overtime Double Rushes.

Dislikes: Elevators that do not respond to the “Door Close” command.

Favorite Saying: “OK, great!”

Stump the band…

Last month we asked you to tell us the origin of the term “dog days of summer.” Many people responded with many different answers. The answer we were looking for was that during a period extending from early July to early September, Sirius, the “Dog Star,” rises and sets with the sun. Ancient people believed that this amplified the heat given off by the sun resulting in an especially warm period.

T-shirt Question

In what year was the first Monday in September chosen as the date for Labor Day? The first person to call Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt.

Breakaway News Volume No.5 Issue No.10 October 2000

The Jacket
 

One evening, a Breakaway messenger was riding his bike home through Central Park. He saw a teenage girl walking alone near the Harlem Meer. She waved him over. She had stayed too late at a friend’s house and was now on her way home. She asked if he would walk her to her building on 102^nd Street. He agreed and they set off through the park. She was shivering so he lent her his jacket. When they got to 5^th Avenue, the messenger turned around and the girl was gone, along with his jacket. He searched around the park without success. Then he remembered the address she had given him and he rode to her building. When he rang the buzzer an old woman’s voice answered. After he explained the situation, there was a long pause. The woman, speaking in a trembling voice, said “my daughter is not here because she drowned five years ago. If you want your jacket, go look on the north shore of Harlem Meer. That is where she died.” The messenger hopped onto his bike and rode back into the park.  In the moonlight he could see his jacket lying in the grass by the water. He grabbed the jacket and sped home without looking back. Happy Halloween!

French Foliage

As the seasons change, spirits are high at Breakaway Paris. A major competitor has decided to subcontract their bike messenger work to us! For information about using Breakaway Paris, please contact Account Manager Ralph Santoni.

Farewell to a Friend

Breakaway would like to wish a fond farewell to Chris Kim. Chris has been with the company four years. He was invaluable in managing our office move from Walker Street to 35^th Street. Good luck, Chris.

Meet the Breakaway Office Staff

Name: Ricardo Reyes.

Position: Dispatcher.

Nickname: “Latinoheat.”

Years at Breakaway: Four.

Favorite Customers: Jessica at IMG Models.

Favorite Artist: Robert DeNiro.

Likes: Little kegs of Heineken.

Dislikes: Incomplete information.

Favorite Saying: “I’ll speak to the customer.”

Stump the band…

Last month we asked you to give us the name of the first newspaper published in New York City. For a bonus question, we asked for the year in which the paper was first published. Many of you incorrectly guessed the New York Post. The Gazette was actually the first newspaper published in New York City. It was first published way back in 1725.

T-shirt Question

Who started the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade and in what year was the parade first held? The first person to call Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt. 

Breakaway News Volume No.5 Issue No.9 September 2000

Labor Day Thanks
 

Labor Day is once again upon us. We would like to thank our hardworking messengers and valued customers who make all our jobs possible. Have a great holiday!

My Summer Vacation

Another blissful summer is coming to an end. Many of our clients went on exciting and exotic trips this summer and we would like to hear about them. If you went somewhere or did something exciting, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni. Your adventure may make it into a future newsletter!

Penny Wise

Recently, a customer of Breakaway Boston sent us payment for a bill. He was short by three cents. After several gentle reminders by our Receivables Department, the customer sent us three pennies taped to an invoice stub. Persistence pays.

Team Breakaway

Former Breakaway Account Manager Charlie Issendorf took first place in the recent Century Road Club Association Time Trial Championships. The championships were held in Central Park. Charlie completed the grueling twenty-kilometer course in an amazing twenty-six minutes and 30 seconds. Way to go Charlie!

Breakaway R&D

The Breakaway R&D Department recently unveiled a robot messenger named Courbot. This friendly robot is designed to deliver packages in poor weather conditions. Preliminary tests have gone well with the single hitch that Courbot keeps trying to ask our network computer out on a date.

Meet the Breakaway Office Staff

Name: Marc Nash.

Position: Third Base.

Nickname: “Nash.”

Years at Breakaway: Six.

Favorite Customers: Baron and Baron.

Favorite Artist: Robert Mapplethorpe.

Likes: Ice Cream.

Dislikes: Liver and onions.

Favorite Saying: “OK, great.”

Stump the band…

Last month we asked you to tell us what amazing feat Skip Storch accomplished, in the Hudson River, in 1988. Mr. Storch performed the amazing feat of swimming down the Hudson River from Albany to the Statue of Liberty. There is a rumor that the strange chemicals in the river gave Mr. Storch super powers which he is currently using to fight crime somewhere in South America.

T-shirt Question 

What was the name of the first newspaper published in New York City? The first person to call Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt. (Bonus: what year was this paper first published?)

Breakaway News Volume No.4 Issue No.9 September 1999

Breakaway Boston

Breakaway is proud to announce the opening of our new office in Boston, Massachusetts. Can you believe it? We now have three offices on two continents: New York, Paris and Boston. If you need service in Boston, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni for details.

 What Did You Do This Summer?

As summer comes to a close, it becomes time to reflect on the season just passed. Many of our customers went on exciting and exotic trips this summer and we would like to hear about them. If you went somewhere or did something exciting, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni. Your adventure may make into a future newsletter!

Messenger What?!

Not long ago, a Breakaway messenger was asked to rush a delivery at the speed of light. It turned out that this vital package contained a key to the executive washroom that had been inadvertently taken off the premises. This is just one example of the kinds of things that we pickup and deliver every day. What is the strangest thing that you have ever had delivered by messenger? Give us a call and let us know. (PS: the much-relieved president of the company thanked the messenger profusely.)

 Labor Day Thanks

Labor Day is once again upon us. We would like to thank our hardworking messengers, office staff and valued customers who make all our jobs possible. Breakaway will be closed Monday, September 6^th 1999. Have a great holiday!

Meet the Breakaway Office Staff

Name: Christopher Kim

Position: Dispatcher

Nickname: Yoda

Years at Breakaway: Two as a messenger, one as a dispatcher.

Favorite Customer: HKM

Favorite Musical Artist: Prince Paul

Likes: Room temperature food, the Brooklyn Bridge and a good boat.

Dislikes: Air conditioning, cellular telephones and taxation without representation.

T-shirt Answers

Do you eagerly wait for our newsletter every month, in order to have a shot at the T-shirt question? Do you writhe in frustration when the answer eludes you, never to be revealed? If you would like us to print the answer to the previous T-shirt question each month, call Account Manager Ralph Santoni and register your vote. By the way, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony was the first piece of music performed by the New York Philharmonic.

T-shirt Question  

What family ran the last farm in Manhattan? The first person to call Account Manager Ralph Santoni (with the correct answer) will win a coveted Breakaway T-shirt

Breakaway News Volume No.3 Issue No.14 September 1998

Wedding Bells

Congratulations to John Paul Pizio, Breakaway Chief Information Officer, on his marriage to Barbara Fogarty. They will be away the entire month of September as they honeymoon through Alaska and points along the Pacific Coast. Please send all large cash gifts c/o Account Manager Ralph Santoni.

Humble Pie

Does someone in your office need the chip knocked off his or her shoulder? We can help. Breakaway is proud to announce the introduction of our "Executive Humility" program. At absolutely no cost to your Company, Breakaway will take a problem employee and train them as a messenger. They will be put to work delivering packages on the busy streets of Manhattan. Few experiences are as humbling.  They may leave your office arrogant and apathetic, but they will return penitent, motivated and eager to please. If you are interested in this program, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni.

Solid Gold

Breakaway Dispatcher Leah Gillman won the Gold Medal in the prestigious Empire State Games Road Race last Month. The Breakaway Racing team is now ranked 10^th nationwide, out of a field of over 1200. Go team!

Labor Day Thanks

Labor Day is once again upon us. We here at Breakaway would like to thank all the hardworking receptionists and mailroom personnel who make our jobs possible. You guys really get the job done. Thank You.

What Did You Do This Summer?

As summer winds to a close it becomes time to reflect on the season just passed. Many of our clients went on exciting and exotic trips this summer and we here at Breakaway would like to hear about them. If you went somewhere or did something exciting, please call Account Manager Ralph Santoni. Your adventure may make it into a future newsletter!

Meet The Breakaway Office Staff

Name: Maria Ortiz

Position: Telephone Operator

Nickname: "Conchita Alonzo"

Years at Breakaway: 3

Favorite Customer: Epoch Films

Favorite Artist: Mary J. Blige

Likes: Chef Salad, Rice and Beans and Partying!

Dislikes: Confusion about what items can go by bicycle.

Favorite Saying: Porque estoy aqui?

T-shirt Question

In what year did Paula Cooper open the first art gallery in Soho? The first person to call Account Manager Ralph Santoni, with the correct answer, will win a Breakaway T-shirt.