diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 854a007..f6ba07d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -20,7 +20,14 @@ func main() {
   )
   flag.Parse()
 
+  // create new consumer
   c := connector.NewConsumer(*app, *stream)
+
+  // override default values
+  c.Set("maxBatchCount", 200)
+  c.Set("pollInterval", "3s")
+
+  // start consuming records from the queues
   c.Start(connector.HandlerFunc(func(b connector.Buffer) {
     fmt.Println(b.GetRecords())
     // process the records
diff --git a/buffer.go b/buffer.go
index 4a0b689..819d863 100644
--- a/buffer.go
+++ b/buffer.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ type Buffer struct {
 	firstSequenceNumber string
 	lastSequenceNumber  string
 
-	MaxBufferSize int
+	MaxBatchCount int
 }
 
 // AddRecord adds a record to the buffer.
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func (b *Buffer) AddRecord(r *kinesis.Record) {
 
 // ShouldFlush determines if the buffer has reached its target size.
 func (b *Buffer) ShouldFlush() bool {
-	return len(b.records) >= b.MaxBufferSize
+	return len(b.records) >= b.MaxBatchCount
 }
 
 // Flush empties the buffer and resets the sequence counter.
diff --git a/buffer_test.go b/buffer_test.go
index d11da71..a6d40d0 100644
--- a/buffer_test.go
+++ b/buffer_test.go
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ func Test_LastSeq(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func Test_ShouldFlush(t *testing.T) {
-	b := Buffer{MaxBufferSize: 2}
+	b := Buffer{MaxBatchCount: 2}
 	s1, s2 := "1", "2"
 	r1 := &kinesis.Record{SequenceNumber: &s1}
 	r2 := &kinesis.Record{SequenceNumber: &s2}
diff --git a/consumer.go b/consumer.go
index 08a8b67..8348c26 100644
--- a/consumer.go
+++ b/consumer.go
@@ -10,8 +10,13 @@ import (
 	"github.com/aws/aws-sdk-go/service/kinesis"
 )
 
-const maxBufferSize = 400
+var (
+	pollInterval  = 1 * time.Second
+	maxBatchCount = 1000
+)
 
+// NewConsumer creates a new kinesis connection and returns a
+// new consumer initialized with app and stream name
 func NewConsumer(appName, streamName string) *Consumer {
 	svc := kinesis.New(session.New())
 
@@ -28,6 +33,25 @@ type Consumer struct {
 	svc        *kinesis.Kinesis
 }
 
+// Set `option` to `value`
+func (c *Consumer) Set(option string, value interface{}) {
+	var err error
+
+	switch option {
+	case "maxBatchCount":
+		maxBatchCount = value.(int)
+	case "pollInterval":
+		pollInterval, err = time.ParseDuration(value.(string))
+		if err != nil {
+			logger.Log("fatal", "ParseDuration", "msg", "unable to parse pollInterval value")
+			os.Exit(1)
+		}
+	default:
+		logger.Log("fatal", "Set", "msg", "unknown option")
+		os.Exit(1)
+	}
+}
+
 func (c *Consumer) Start(handler Handler) {
 	params := &kinesis.DescribeStreamInput{
 		StreamName: aws.String(c.streamName),
@@ -69,8 +93,8 @@ func (c *Consumer) handlerLoop(shardID string, handler Handler) {
 		}
 	}
 
+	b := &Buffer{MaxBatchCount: maxBatchCount}
 	shardIterator := resp.ShardIterator
-	b := &Buffer{MaxBufferSize: maxBufferSize}
 	errCount := 0
 
 	for {
@@ -110,7 +134,8 @@ func (c *Consumer) handlerLoop(shardID string, handler Handler) {
 			logger.Log("fatal", "nextShardIterator", "msg", err.Error())
 			os.Exit(1)
 		} else {
-			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)
+			logger.Log("info", "sleeping", "msg", "no records to process")
+			time.Sleep(pollInterval)
 		}
 
 		shardIterator = resp.NextShardIterator
diff --git a/consumer_test.go b/consumer_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84ac83c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/consumer_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+package connector
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/bmizerany/assert"
+)
+
+func Test_Set(t *testing.T) {
+	defaultMaxBatchCount := 1000
+	assert.Equal(t, maxBatchCount, defaultMaxBatchCount)
+
+	c := NewConsumer("app", "stream")
+	c.Set("maxBatchCount", 100)
+
+	assert.Equal(t, maxBatchCount, 100)
+}
diff --git a/examples/firehose/main.go b/examples/firehose/main.go
index 90d06fd..b16cbd9 100644
--- a/examples/firehose/main.go
+++ b/examples/firehose/main.go
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ func main() {
 	svc := firehose.New(session.New())
 
 	c := connector.NewConsumer(*app, *stream)
+	c.Set("maxBatchCount", 400)
+	c.Set("pollInterval", "3s")
 	c.Start(connector.HandlerFunc(func(b connector.Buffer) {
 		params := &firehose.PutRecordBatchInput{
 			DeliveryStreamName: aws.String(*delivery),