Any business that regularly ships merchandise to clients could stand to review and reassess its current shipping practices. If clients have consistently complained about receiving shipments that have incurred damage or been outright destroyed, your established approach to shipping may not be doing the trick. While the occasional lost, late or damaged shipment is unavoidable, there are several simple measures you can take to dramatically reduce shipping grievances and increase client satisfaction. Businesses that are ready to get serious about shipping can benefit from the following pointers.
- Find a Trustworthy Shipping Service
Many damaged packages are directly attributable to negligence on the part of shipping services. Despite claiming to handle packages with the utmost care, some shipping services won’t think twice about being rough with fragile cargo. That being the case, if you currently do business with a shipping service that habitually damages your packages or delivers them well past the project dates, find a new shipping partner posthaste. When shopping around for a new shipping service, look for companies that are known for delivering delicate cargo in a safe and expedient manner. Additionally, make sure any shipping service you give your business to offers responsive customer service and is willing to take responsibility for its mistakes.
- Provide Sufficient Cushioning
The more fragile the cargo, the more cushioning it requires. No matter how careful a shipping service is, most cargo is going to experience some degree of shock absorption and jostling while en route to its destination. As such, you’ll need to provide sufficient cushioning to ensure that such conditions have a minimal impact. Furthermore, abstain from using shipping containers that are too large for the cargo. The more free space, the more room there is for cargo to get banged around. For best results, use shipping containers that provide a small amount of free space – and fill that space with cushioning. If you’re unclear on the best type of cushioning for a certain item, consult your preferred shipping service.
- Use Responsive Shipping Tools
It can be difficult to ascertain how much shaking and jostling a package endured throughout its journey. Just because a package arrives at its destination without any noticeable damage doesn’t mean that damage didn’t occur. To ensure that a package’s recipient has a clear idea how many shocks their item(s) absorbed or what kinds of impacts were endured, consider outfitting your packages with responsive shipping tools, like shock watches and impact monitors. A good impact monitor can reveal that a package that’s in seemingly perfect condition was actually exposed to travel conditions that may have proved perilous to its contents.
If your business is primarily built around shipping merchandise to clients, good shipping practices should be among your foremost priorities. Adopting a lax approach to shipping is liable to result in packages arriving late and/or damaged and draw the ire of various clients. Fortunately, responsible shipping isn’t nearly as daunting as some enterprises make it look. Taking the previously discussed safety measures can help ensure that any packages you ship arrive on time and undamaged.