In the post-COVID world, dealing with shipments has strained eCommerce as well as shipping companies. Do you know a significant step to gain the credibility of your customers is to ship their parcels in time? However, before COVID, maintaining shipments wasn’t that difficult.
Studies have predicted e-commerce sales in the US will jump up to 30%, which is immense growth. Though it is a huge success for e-commerce, it has affected shipment companies, as they are facing difficulties in keeping up with bulk orders amidst this pandemic.
With the holiday season just around the corner, carrier networks are looking for possibilities to escape this situation. Demand is increasing day by day, and capacity is constant. Customers are already complaining about delays in shipments.
If you cannot deliver orders on time, customers will question you, not your shipping partner. To avoid any unnecessary delays in shipment, here is how you can effectively manage shipping delays as a retailer.
Start Promotions Early
If your customer orders a gift a week before Christmas because he did the same the previous year, it is unlikely that he will receive it on time. As the shipping circumstances are different from last year, your customers won’t be able to do last-minute online shopping.
The best way to satisfy your customers with on-time delivery of their parcel is to start your promotions early. Get your campaigns started before the actual time. So, you will get extra time to meet shipment delays.
Accelerate your social media campaigns and encourage your customers to place orders beforehand. It all depends on your marketing strategy. If you can get your customers to place orders earlier, you can effortlessly manage shipping delays.
Advertise the competition and tell your customers that they are missing out on a great opportunity. You can offer discounts to those customers who are placing orders earlier. Or you can devise some kind of offer for your regular customers. By doing so, you will have an idea about the volume of your orders, and you can manage their shipment easily.
Be Transparent
Tell your customers about the changes in the shipping methods. Be transparent about the details, and let them know what is causing the delay. The best way to do so is to update your shipping information regularly.
You can also create a separate shipping guide for this specific holiday season. As the circumstances are alien to customers, they can have an idea about what to expect. You can also add estimated delivery dates to your product pages.
Choose a Credible Shipping Company
Amongst this critical situation, choose your shipping partner wisely. Make sure the company you are opting for is responsible regarding its duties and is willing to work hand in hand.
Your shipping partner must be transparent about all the details and strategize difficult situations pragmatically. Go through the tracking services, insurance details, and reviews of the shipping company prior to selecting it.
FedEx/UPS is Here To Help You!
FedEx is one of those shipping companies that will help you get your parcel in time for Christmas even if you order on 24 Dec. However, it would cost a lot. If you have a limited budget, you need to dispatch orders beforehand. By ground, you will have to ship your orders on 15 Dec if you want your customers to receive them on 25 December. FedEx offers three other shipping dates of Dec 21, Dec 22, and Dec 23.
Lately, UPS has suspended its guarantee for delivering most of the parcels on time. If you want to get your order before Christmas, UPS offers three shipping dates, viz. 21 Dec, 22 Dec, and 23 Dec. The deadline of orders delivered by ground varies. You can check the UPS websites for further details.
This holiday season might come with a lot of challenges. Understanding the policies of FedEx/UPS and working with them can help you fight these challenges.