Do you want to catapult your business right to the very pinnacle of its niche market or have you ever wondered how to write a blog post outline for your business? If you’re to achieve this lofty aspiration and scale these heady heights, it’s imperative that you keep your consumers happy at all conceivable points. No matter what industry you operate in, the wants, needs, and specifications of your customers should always come first. Quite simply, if you promise to provide your clientele with a specific level of service, you must consistently go above and beyond to exceed their expectations.
This is especially important if you physically ship out goods to your consumers. Nobody is going to feel inclined to bring you their custom if they constantly have to chase up their orders or, more importantly, send their orders back due to them arriving in an unsatisfactory condition. It is for this reason why you must make a conscious effort to improve your shipping process.
To find out what you must do to achieve this all-important feat, be sure to read on.
Optimize your warehouse communication
The way in which you communicate with your warehouse will make or break your chances of improving your shipping process going forward. Quite simply, if you want to get your orders out on time, every time, you absolutely must retain a clear, coherent, and concise flow of communication with your warehouse workforce.
To perform this crucial task, you should consider performing a number of the following tasks:
- Equip your warehouse-based employees with phones and radios
- Install an efficient PA system
- Distribute wearable GPS devices
- Make use of a cloud-based inventory tracking software solution
- Meet with your warehouse staff on a regular basis in order to develop and retain a clear structure
Streamline your operations
Over-complicating your day-to-day shipping process is a recipe for disaster. You aren’t going to get your orders out on time, or in turn, meet your client expectations if you consistently make life a lot harder for yourself. It is for this reason why you must take some time to streamline your operations.
The first step that you must take in this instance is to find yourself an efficient and effective online load board. This will help you to find a quality courier Melbourne that matches your exact shipping specifications, which in turn will help you to stay on top of your packaging process on a daily basis. To search and compare the leading freight distributors in today’s trucking market, check out TruckStop.com.
Find an e-commerce shipping software to streamline the shipping process. This tool integrates with specific carriers, so you can find the best shipping deals, buy postage, print labels, and more using only one software. This will save considerable time, money, and frustration. On that note, consider outsourcing your product packaging to a custom packaging service as well to have more options, get high-quality results, and save on packaging and shipping costs.
Always consider customs clearance
If you don’t want your world-wide shipping process to be held up by unforeseen problems and circumstances, it’s absolutely essential that you take customs clearance into consideration at all times. This will help you to circumvent potential problems before they delay your couriers, which in turn will aid you in your bid to further streamline your operations.
Of course, different trade lines are governed by their own individual customs officers. To overcome potential hurdles in this instance, then, you’re going to need to take your exact cross-country specifications into account.
Keep your customers in the loop
No matter which pieces of the above advice you choose to put into practice, you will be liable to encounter problems at any stage during the shipping process. Unfortunately, no matter how meticulous you are when it comes to packaging and distributing your goods, you could fail to meet your consumer expectations on any given day.
Should you ever encounter any problems, it’s crucial that you take some time to warn your customers of potential delays. Keeping your clients in the loop in this sense will make it easier for them to trust you going forward. Ultimately, this will improve the chances of them returning to your business in the future whether you adhere to their consumer specifications or not.
To keep your clients informed, you must:
- Leverage the power of email
- Make use of social media
- Post regular updates on your dedicated company web page
- Invest in a direct consumer messaging app
- Create immersive and informative blog content
Offer an online order tracking service
The best way to keep your customers in the loop is to offer a dedicated online order tracking service. This will allow your consumers to actively keep an eye on the current whereabouts of the products that they have ordered.
Online order tracking is beneficial on a number of different levels. For one, it provides the consumer with the autonomy to remain on top of the shipping process for themselves, which in turn makes them feel empowered. Two, it allows you to avoid time-consuming questions regarding where your goods currently are in the shipping process, thus allowing you to get on with your other important day-to-day tasks.
Implement electronic data exchange
If you continue to use paper documentation to remain on top of your shipping endeavors, don’t be surprised if you remain consistently inundated with shipping complaints. You aren’t going to stand a chance at optimizing your packaging operation if you fail to embrace e-documentation, which is why you must implement electronic data exchange into your shipping process. This will afford you and your warehouse team members the opportunity to check crucial distribution information while on the go.
For advice on how to embrace digital transformation in the data management process, click here.
Have you recently experienced a sharp loss of custom? Are you constantly riddled with bad reviews from past clients? If so, it’s high time you did something about these worrying trends before they have a serious impact on your company’s ongoing scalability. To take back control of your business’ growth in this sense, you’re going to need to go above and beyond to improve your shipping process.
Make no mistake about it; this isn’t going to be a straightforward task to undertake. So long as you put the above advice into practice, however, you will stand a chance at being able to take your shipping process to the next level.