How a Man & His Cave Turned a Broken Pinball Machine Into a Stronger Customer Relationship

03/09/25 5 min read

Shipping everything from bar mats to big-ticket, fragile items like arcade machines, pinball tables and bar fridges, A Man & His Cave knew that every damaged delivery could turn into a serious business risk. As the company grew, so did the freight issues – and with a small team and limited admin capacity, the claims process quickly became unmanageable.

Partnering with Parcel Protect gave them a way forward. Now, they can resolve damage claims in minutes, train staff faster, and give customers a post-purchase experience worth raving about, all while staying competitive in a crowded market.

Key takeaways

Simple processes scale better. With Parcel Protect’s clean, repeatable workflows, A Man & His Cave no longer wastes hours chasing claims. The team can train support staff quickly and stay focused on growth, not courier disputes.
Lower delivery costs without the trade-offs. Parcel Protect empowers A Man & His Cave to stay competitive on price without putting the business at risk when things go wrong.
Damage doesn’t have to mean disappointment. Fast claims and confident service turned a $6,000 delivery disaster into a loyalty-building moment.

Big toys, big risks

Founded in 2020, A Man & His Cave sells everything you need to build the ultimate man cave – think pool tables, arcade machines, pinball machines, even bar fridges. With many items shipping on pallets and priced over $2,000, every damaged delivery came with serious consequences.

“We’re a lean team, and we don’t have hours to waste chasing claims,” says Founder and Managing Director Jaya Yoannidis. “We thought our courier insurance would cover us, but the claims process was painful. It took weeks to get a response – not even a resolution – and we’d have to manage the courier, the customer, the insurer. I often didn’t even bother lodging claims. It was too complex, too slow, and we rarely got the full amount back.”

The pressure mounted as the business grew. “Towards the back end of last year, we nearly doubled in growth,” Jaya says. “We were working with multiple couriers, which meant a lot of untested routes, and a lot of things breaking. We had more customer issues coming through than we could manage, and no clear solution. We didn’t have the finances to just refund or replace every damaged item, so we had to really stop and think: how are we going to solve this?”

From chaos to clarity

Things changed when a fridge they’d sold, via Bar Fridges Australia, arrived damaged. “We sent it up to Queensland and it arrived completely smashed,” Jaya says. “We flagged it with the Bar Fridges team – they’re the wholesaler, so it’s normally their responsibility to handle the claim. But the person I was dealing with told me they were with Parcel Protect, and I could lodge the claim myself.

“At first, I pushed back. I didn’t want to deal with the paperwork again after how painful it had been in the past. But they told me it’d only take two minutes. Just an email, phone number, and a few details. So I got one of the boys to give it a go, and it really did take two minutes. That’s when we got in touch with Parcel Protect.”

Since making the move to Parcel Protect, the entire post-purchase process has become more streamlined, for both the team and their customers.

“The old claims process was messy and time-consuming,” Jaya says. “It took so much back and forth that it was hard to train anyone properly. As a small team with offshore support, we need standard operating procedures that are clean and easy to follow. With Parcel Protect, we can train a customer service rep in a matter of hours. It’s made a huge difference.”

And customers have noticed the shift. “In the past, people would get frustrated, because they felt like they weren’t getting anywhere,” Jaya says. “Now our team can say, ‘Just fill in your details here – it’ll take two minutes.’ Customers feel looked after, and they’re actually happy with the interaction. That wasn’t always the case before.”

Jaya says Parcel Protect has helped the business stay competitive, especially when customers are comparing like-for-like products.

“Most of our products are sold by other retailers too, so when customers are comparing us on Google Shopping, they’re usually looking for the lowest total price,” he says. “We have to use the cheapest courier to compete, and that’s a risk. Parcel Protect lets us take that risk without leaving ourselves exposed.”

Don’t cave under pressure

In one recent case, a customer in Emerald, Queensland received a $6,000 pinball machine with crushed packaging and damaged cabinetry.

“Our team looked at me and asked, ‘Is this going to qualify?’” Jaya says. “I asked if the courier broke it. They said yes. So I said, ‘Well, we’ve got Parcel Protect.’ We lodged a claim; it took seven minutes. The next day, a replacement was already on its way.”

The end result? The customer, who had every right to be enraged, was genuinely surprised and delighted. “If I’d spent six grand on something and it arrived damaged, I’d expect some back and forth – not a business just sending a new one without hesitation,” Jaya says. “But that’s what we were able to do. He couldn’t believe there weren’t more steps.”

With the right protection in place, even the worst-case scenarios can become moments that strengthen your brand. Fast resolutions, seamless replacements and a post-purchase experience that builds trust – all made possible with Parcel Protect.

Install the app, book a demo or get in touch at parcelprotect.com.au.

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