Best delivery service

Silverstreak Solutions won three Best of Sacramento awards in the Cannabis & Vape category: Best Selection, Most Knowledgeable Staff and Best Overall Experience. The medical delivery service, based in Citrus Heights, began three years ago in the Proposition 215 medical marijuana era and recently upgraded to include recreational cannabis. Its 30 drivers will go as far as 75 miles in any direction to fulfill a delivery.

Co-owners Matt Guild and Sterling Harlan have been friends for a decade. Before entering the cannabis business, they worked at Home Depot, gaining valuable experience in retailing and customer satisfaction.

“It starts with our people,” Harlan said. “We try to act as leaders, to make sure we are there to provide a support system.”

“Transparency from us, I think that’s a lot of it,” Guild added. “The customer deserves to know everything there is about what they’re buying, and we want to make sure they have all that information.”

For that reason, potency percentages are listed on all products. Silverstreak’s offerings include an impressive mix for both medical and recreational customers.

“We really pride ourselves on making sure we have a great selection,” Harlan said, mentioning Grizzly Peak Farms, a premium indoor grower from Oakland, as a favorite brand.

So what sells the most?

“By far, flowers,” Harlan said. “Our biggest sellers are ’value flowers,’ which are half- or full-ounces. They are at a better price point, and still good quality, but you are going to get more bang for your buck.”

Silverstreak also encourages pre-orders, which guarantee customers can purchase products that typically sell out. Also, the company’s “goody bags” allow customers to buy products that are being closed out or are in limited supply at a low price. What might be inside a goody bag?

“You’re going to get some flower, some vape, some concentrate and maybe an edible for 30 to 40% off,” Harlan said. “Convenience and value is our motto.”

Guild added that Silverstreak’s drivers are also kept up-to-date with training about new products. Harlan said that they are also given sick time, vacation and, soon, a health care plan.

Asked if any strange or funny things ever happen during deliveries, Guild said that drivers often receive plates of food as tips.

For those who have never ordered from a cannabis delivery service, Silverstreak smoothed out the process so that drivers don’t need to come inside the home. All processing is done online with a dispatcher. Then, like food delivery, the rest happens at the front door. Once the order arrives, customers check to see that it’s correct and pay in cash.

For now, the partners said they don’t want to expand into a brick-and-mortar storefront.

“Our outreach has no end, whereas with a storefront you can only serve so many customers,” Harlan explained.

“We’re happy doing what we’re doing,” Guild added. “It’s what we’re good at.”