How do you encourage and connect with a workforce suddenly required to stay home? BTS recently came up with a creative solution to connect with our teams and, in case you missed our feature in Technical.ly Baltimore, here are the details. It’s called the QBOX, short for “Quarantine Survival Box.” We launched it this May, a box-based idea originally created as a Birthday Box for our staff to receive during their birthday month. When it became clear that the coronavirus shut down was going to impact nearly every business and individual worldwide, we pivoted the BBOX idea (Birthday Box) into the QBOX, (Quarantine Box).

The BTS-branded box contained a note from our leadership team (featuring a custom BTS logo concept by artist Gary Schechner) followed by a variety of inexpensive (but fun) items for our employees and their families who were currently at home. This included: An ironic/funny coffee mug, candy (in BTS red), a Nerf gun, groucho glasses (for Zoom calls), zombie playing cards, earplugs, and more. When our custom BTS masks arrived we added those too. Thanks to Amazon, GotPrint, Staples, Starburst, and PirateShip, we were able to order, assemble, label, and ship out all our boxes in a matter of weeks. What did we learn? Glad you asked.

• It’s REALLY hard to buy more than 5 Nerf guns at a time on Amazon. Let alone 60.
• 40 pounds of shredded packing paper goes a long way. Leftovers can be used for pranks.
• A 4” mug is actually 4.25” if you keep it in the box.
• You can definitely buy just the red Starburst if you know where to look
• Amazon’s arrival dates “are more like guidelines.”
• Groucho glasses make any conference call better
• It doesn’t need to be expensive to mean something

Below are some of the notes our staff sent back after receiving their boxes. Thank you to all our staff for this feedback and, more importantly, for doing great work that matters, day after day, no matter what. Because the mission goes on.

I wanted to say thank you for the QBOX. That was a really nice idea that you sent out to all your employees. The kids loved the Rubik’s cube and Nerf gun and I thought the glass and coffee mug were really cool. Thank you again, that was really nice to send me one of these boxes, I really appreciate it.

Yesterday, I received a gift box from BTS. The items in it were perfect! Deck of cards, Nerf gun, coffee mug and a few other things. My son and I will put everything to good use. I really appreciate it, thank you!

Got the package in today’s mail . . . . great idea. Thanks! My grandson’s gonna love it, although his parents are likely to steal the Nerf gun and use it on him. Wine goblet makes for a great Mortlach container.

Thank you so much for the box I just received in the mail. The wine glass will do wonders considering all of the alcohol we’re consuming right now lol. Thank you for thinking of me. 

I wanted to say thank you for the QBOX. That was a really nice idea that you sent out to all your employees. The kids loved the Rubik’s cube and nerf gun and I thought the glass and coffee mug were really cool. Thank you again, that was really nice to send me one of these boxes, I really appreciate it.

Yesterday, I received a gift box from BTS. The items in it were perfect! Deck of cards, Nerf gun, coffee mug and a few other things. My son and I will put everything to good use. I really appreciate it, thank you!

Wow! What a great way to let your employees and their families know you’re thinking of them- wonderful letter- and box items brought a smile to my face. Love how you guys used a local business for the face masks- really nice to receive. Thank you!

Want to see more pictures of our QBOX project? Take a look here on our Facebook photo album.

Tags: Boxes, COVID-19, QBOX