In a small business, you’re bound to run into some problems or the other. As a business owner, product shipping and delivery will probably be one of your biggest concerns since customer satisfaction is directly related to it.
Unfortunately, 88% of companies usually experience delays or issues related to supply chain management.
So how will you make sure that your products are delivered to your clients properly? Well, here are a few tips to get rid of logistics-related hassles!
When you partner with a shipping merchant, it’s important to have a good grasp of the different kinds of shipping options they provide.
Will all your deliveries be shipped together in the same transport system, or will there be shipments from other companies too?
You don’t want your customers to become frustrated because you couldn’t place your shipment priorities properly.
If you have any queries, get them resolved by the shipping company. Most shipping partners have an easy-to-understand website where they’ll have the various kinds of prices and services available.
Employees and owners of small businesses often have to juggle multiple tasks at once, which often causes a lot of problems while delivering packages.
This is why today’s technology has incorporated both the human workforce and artificial intelligence to save time and energy.
For example, you might have required an entire task force to keep track of where your shipments are at a particular time.
But many shipping companies like Ontime Group already have GPS tracking systems. It helps delivery merchants to plan their routes and trace their telematics.
Even if your business is relatively small now, thinking ahead is always good. For example, you might have to expand to other cities and, eventually, to different countries around the globe.
While international shipping can initially seem complicated, you’ll get the hang of it pretty soon if you go through the different guidelines and pricing systems.
So make sure to work with the right kind of logistics services that will provide you with accurate rates.
Most major delivery systems already have a price calculator to help you count the shipping charges and their specific guidelines.
When it comes to freight shipping, you’ll need to take extra measures to ensure that the shipping company doesn’t damage your shipments.
For this, use a proper pallet, preferably one made of wood or plastic, so that it can be hauled easily. The packaging itself must also be durable.
Often, your parcels will be shifted to the bottom while other packages are stacked on top. So use new cartons and seal them up nicely with the items inside safely covered in bubble wrap.
Next, when you have to secure your shipments, make sure the boxes are never stacked to the edge of the pallet.
Address verification platforms are tools made by shipping companies to ensure that the delivery the customer has provided exists.
The company uses a large database of existing addresses in a particular region to verify that the shipment reaches the right location.
However, this technology isn’t just reserved for large companies. Even your small business can easily make use of this ingenious technology to improve shipping processes.
This will not only save you a lot of time but also a large amount of money. Moreover, it reduces negative customer feedback.
A standard delivery function will give you enough idea about the delivery date of your parcels, but parcel delivery data will make this job much easier.
If you frequently face shipping problems, you can take advantage of parcel delivery data to estimate the best shipping routes for your consignment.
This, in turn, will lead to a consistent delivery experience, and you won’t have to worry about delayed delivery.
Leverage the data provided by the parcel delivery system to calculate the percentage of parcels that have been delivered per day.
No matter how much care you take to ensure package safety, there’s always a chance that one or more of your parcels might be lost or damaged during the shipping process.
This is why discussing shipping insurance with your logistics partner is necessary. You can purchase them directly through the shipping company or a third-party service.
Insurance policies will vary from one server to the other, which is why multi-carrier shipping often leads to a lot of hassle during shipping insurance. So go for only one carrier and settle the insurance amount beforehand.
If you don’t figure out the delivery issues before promising your customers a safe and timely shipping experience, you might hit a major snag and lose your customer base.
One solution to this is to execute a timely delivery management solution by locating delivery exceptions and talking to the customer about them.
Even though the customer won’t be happy to hear about problems with their shipment, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
It can be through a manual process for carrier tracking tools or via an email system. Hire a cross-functional team to engage in such management programs.
The shipping rates will depend on the carrier service through which you send your shipments.
If you decide on a fixed shipping rate for your store, it will reduce shipping problems and also make sure your customers have to pay the same amount every time. However, if your standard shipping rates are too low, you’ll risk losing your money.
On the other hand, shipping rates that are too high are often termed unfavorable by customers.
The solution here is to manually talk to your regular mail service and set a shipping rate. Then, keep experimenting until you find a rate that suits both you and your customers.
These were some basic tips and tricks to help you navigate through the complex world of shipping and logistics.
However, if you give yourself enough time, you’ll easily be able to collaborate with a reliable shipping company!
