For online retailers, shipping is a major part of their business. In fact, it can make or break the final price for your customers.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon alone spent $4.5 billion on shipping in 2016. It’s clear that shipping can eat up a lot of your budget if you are not careful. There are many pack & ship companies in the market and you should aim at finding the best one that fits in your budget and can best meet your requirements.
Thanks to the availability of Shipping comparison companies like Shiply, finding a perfect shipping deal has become very easy. However, still some problems remains which must be addressed.
But there are plenty of problems that can cost you money when it comes to shipping – here are five:
1) The Shipping Cost Going Up
2) Package Size and Weight Restrictions
3) Packaging Cost
4) Damaged Goods or Lost Items in Transit
5) Expensive Last-Minute Changes
Freezing Shipping Temperatures
Freezing shipping temperatures are a part of how supply chains work. This is done by refrigerating the transport vehicles that carry the goods from the factory to their destination.
Especially for fresh produce, this is a very important process because they have a short lifespan and need to be consumed quickly. The cold environment in transportation helps maintain their quality and freshness as they move along the chain.
Some people might make the argument that frozen shipping temperatures are actually bad for produce because it can cause cellular damage or even kill them. But there is no evidence that this is true because some vegetables like spinach can be processed with freezing temperatures and still maintain its qualities so it’s not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to produce.
Late or Early Delivery Dates
A late delivery date is when a product is not delivered on the agreed deadline. An early delivery date is when a product is delivered to the delivery site before the agreed deadline. Freight Assist Australia is a trusted and reliable Gold Coast transportation company that will ensure your products are delivered at the agreed time.
1. Late Delivery Dates:
When a company or individual delivers their items beyond the promised time, it can result in dissatisfaction and anger among their customers who are waiting for their products. There are usually two types of late deliveries: one happens because of unforeseen production delays, and the other happens because of ignorance to the customer’s needs.
A good way to avoid delivering your item past its expected delivery time is to have an open and honest communication with your customer throughout the process, so they know what to expect. The best way to do this would be through social media or messaging apps such as WhatsApp or Viber.
Damaged Packages - Missing Contents - Broken Items - Partial Packages
Let us discuss about the different types of damages that can happen to packages during transit.
Damaged Packages: If a package is damaged, it may mean that it is not in good condition and may have been damaged while being shipped.
Missing Contents: If there are missing items, this means that either the items were not in the package when it was shipped or were removed from the package once it was delivered.
Broken Items: It would be considered a broken item if one or more pieces of an item are damaged and cannot be used anymore.
Partial Packages: A partial package would have items missing of an order, but they can still be used as long as all pieces are not missing or broken.
Incorrect Shipment Numbers - Goods Delivered to the Wrong Address - Multiple Deliveries to the Same Address
The correct shipment number is a crucial factor in the delivery of goods and packages. Incorrect shipment numbers can lead to one of two scenarios:
– Goods Delivered to the Wrong Address –
If the sender forgets to enter the correct address, there is a chance for goods delivered to the wrong address. The delivery person will go door-to-door looking for the recipient of the package. If they don’t find them, they will return back home with the goods. The problem with this scenario is that there may not be anyone at home to take possession of it in time, leading to an inaccurate delivery and lost packages.
– Multiple Deliveries to the Same –
If there are multiple deliveries made with a single order, another problem arises –
Returned Shipments
Returned shipments can be really expensive for a company. It is also important to mention that the customer won’t be charged for the shipment if it is returned. What are some ways to reduce the number of returned shipments?
Some possible solutions to this problem are:
– Providing an easy return policy, so customers don’t worry about returning items.
– Clearly marking any items on sale as final sale and not returnable, which will eliminate customer inquiries about returns or possible refunds.
– Making sure that there are no hidden fees in shipping prices.
– Giving options for customers who return items like they can either have a refund or store credit.
