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Outsource Shipping: How Incorrect Orders and Damaged Products Cost You Customers
Incorrect orders and damaged products can cost you customers. Your shipping strategy should be working to eliminate these excessive errors in customer orders. However, many eCommerce sellers continuously experience extreme shipping failures at least once. Recently, we had the opportunity to hear from three business owners who shared their “Oh Ship” moments with us.
“My customer received a bra instead of my turmeric beverage.” - Jaka Jamu
Jaka Jamu was growing quickly and needed an outsourced partner to help with fulfillment. As soon as they began working with a 3PL, they received one of the worst (and most unusual) customer complaints in the history of their business.
A customer who ordered a turmeric and tamarind super beverage received a bra from another retailer instead. Embarrassed, Jaka Jamu Co-Owner Cailtlin Cummings, corrected the customer’s order and ensured it wouldn’t happen again.
The biggest lesson Jaka Jamu learned was to take the time to vet a potential shipping partner for order accuracy and dependability.
“I sent the right item to the wrong customer twice.” - Small Business Owner
Sun Kim was running his own business and trying to keep up with the influx of orders. Between managing his inventory and dealing with shipping carriers alone, he experienced a variety of “Oh Ship” moments. Handling his own fulfillment, Kim faced the challenges of managing the entire order fulfillment process internally, which can be overwhelming compared to outsourcing. One of his biggest shipping fiascos involved sending out the wrong product to two different customers.
Several orders came in and Kim needed to fulfill multiple orders simultaneously. He misread the first order, picked the wrong item, and sent it out to the customer before he realized there was an error. Then, he misread the next order and did the same thing! Each of his customers received the other’s products.
This major “Oh Ship” moment led to Kim having to deal with two irate customers and decide how he was going to make up for the mistake. He considered three options: letting the customers keep the wrong item, asking the customers to forward their item to the correct person, or return the item altogether so he could then re-ship the correct order out. In this situation, he also had to process returns and manage return shipping efficiently to minimize costs and customer frustration. All these options were costly and resulted in him losing hard earned revenue trying to get his customers the products they originally ordered.
Many online retailers using an in-house fulfillment strategy have experienced similar “Oh Ship” moments as their businesses have grown. Errors like these are a good indication it’s time to outsource.
“We filled 50,000 incorrect units.” - 3PL Provider
This “Oh Ship” moment came to us from another 3PL provider that filled the wrong product. CEO Jeremy Burton shared his story:
Burton’s logistics company was working with a baked goods manufacturer and was tasked with storing frozen products to be filled later for summer holiday weekends. When it came time to fill the packages, Burton’s company made a grave mistake. They ended up incorrectly filling hamburger bun bags with the stored hot dog buns! The error was so large that Burton ended up donating 50,000 units to a local food bank because the packages we unsellable. It’s safe to say his baked goods client decided to take their business elsewhere.
As part of our “Oh Ship” moments contest, we’ve been receiving some truly horrific shipping and fulfillment stories from online sellers shipping themselves and working with other 3PLs. These stories highlight the dramatic results of working with unreliable shipping partners or not working with a partner at all. Poor fulfillment practices can lead to lost sales, negative reviews, and long-term damage to customer satisfaction and your business reputation. Choosing an outsourced order fulfillment partner that can achieve 100% order accuracy and preserve the quality of your reputation is crucial!
When considering an outsourced partner, it’s important to evaluate the best fulfillment method for your business and ensure the order fulfillment process is optimized to prevent such costly errors.
Introduction to Ecommerce Fulfillment
Ecommerce fulfillment is the backbone of any successful ecommerce business, encompassing the entire process of receiving, processing, and shipping online orders to customers. A smooth and efficient ecommerce fulfillment process is essential for building trust and loyalty, as it directly shapes the customer experience from the moment an order is placed to the time it arrives at the customer’s door.
For ecommerce businesses, having a reliable fulfillment strategy is crucial for scaling operations and meeting customer expectations. The right fulfillment solution can streamline everything from inventory management and picking and packing to shipping orders and handling returns. Whether you’re a small business just starting out or an established ecommerce company looking to expand, understanding your fulfillment options is key to long-term business growth.
There are several fulfillment methods to consider. In-house fulfillment, where you manage your own inventory and process orders yourself, can work well for small businesses with manageable order volumes. However, as your business grows, the complexity of fulfillment operations often increases, making it harder to maintain accuracy and efficiency. This is where outsourced fulfillment services come into play. By partnering with a fulfillment provider, ecommerce businesses can leverage expert logistics, advanced inventory management systems, and a network of fulfillment center locations to ensure fast, accurate shipping and a seamless customer experience.
Direct order fulfillment, or dropshipping, is another popular approach, where the manufacturer ships orders directly to customers. This method eliminates the need to store inventory or manage warehouse space, but it requires strong supplier relationships and clear communication to maintain fulfillment quality.
Shipping costs and fulfillment cost are also major considerations. A fulfillment partner offering competitive pricing and transparent pricing models can help you control expenses and avoid hidden fees, while a robust network of carriers—including options like DHL Express—ensures your customers receive their orders quickly and reliably. Efficient fulfillment processes not only reduce shipping times but also minimize errors, helping you keep your delivery promise and enhance customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, the best fulfillment strategy is one that aligns with your business goals, sales channels, and customer expectations. Whether you choose self fulfillment, third party fulfillment, or a hybrid approach, prioritizing accuracy, efficiency, and customer experience in your fulfillment operations will set your ecommerce business up for success in a competitive online marketplace.
Leading Ecommerce Fulfillment Provider
ShipNetwork is a leading provider of eCommerce order fulfillment services, operating as a third party logistics company and ecommerce fulfillment provider serving online retailers. ShipNetwork offers national fulfillment services and a network of multiple US fulfillment centers to ensure fast and reliable delivery. As a fulfillment company, they are recognized as one of the top fulfillment providers and offer a comprehensive third party solution for ecommerce businesses.
Their advanced technology integrates seamlessly with any ecommerce platform, supporting efficient order processing and management. Integration is available with popular shopping cart platforms and online marketplaces including Amazon, Big Commerce, Channel Advisor, eBay, Magento, ShipStation, Shopify, Volusion, Walmart Marketplace, and WooCommerce, helping online store owners streamline fulfillment operations.
fulfillment centers utilize one or more warehouses for strategic inventory storage and warehouse storage, enabling them to manage inventory effectively. They work with multiple carriers to ship orders and ship products quickly, ensuring fast shipping for customers.
ShipNetwork provides modern fulfillment solutions designed to help eCommerce retailers reduce shipping costs, improve order accuracy, decrease shipping times, and enhance customer satisfaction. Their expertise includes packaging products and optimizing the supply chain for ecommerce businesses. A dedicated customer support team assists with order inquiries and after-sales service.
Outsource Shipping: How Incorrect Orders and Damaged Products Cost You Customers
Incorrect orders and damaged products can cost you customers. Your shipping strategy should be working to eliminate these excessive errors in customer orders. However, many eCommerce sellers continuously experience extreme shipping failures at least once. Recently, we had the opportunity to hear from three business owners who shared their “Oh Ship” moments with us.
“My customer received a bra instead of my turmeric beverage.” - Jaka Jamu
Jaka Jamu was growing quickly and needed an outsourced partner to help with fulfillment. As soon as they began working with a 3PL, they received one of the worst (and most unusual) customer complaints in the history of their business.
A customer who ordered a turmeric and tamarind super beverage received a bra from another retailer instead. Embarrassed, Jaka Jamu Co-Owner Cailtlin Cummings, corrected the customer’s order and ensured it wouldn’t happen again.
The biggest lesson Jaka Jamu learned was to take the time to vet a potential shipping partner for order accuracy and dependability.
“I sent the right item to the wrong customer twice.” - Small Business Owner
Sun Kim was running his own business and trying to keep up with the influx of orders. Between managing his inventory and dealing with shipping carriers alone, he experienced a variety of “Oh Ship” moments. Handling his own fulfillment, Kim faced the challenges of managing the entire order fulfillment process internally, which can be overwhelming compared to outsourcing. One of his biggest shipping fiascos involved sending out the wrong product to two different customers.
Several orders came in and Kim needed to fulfill multiple orders simultaneously. He misread the first order, picked the wrong item, and sent it out to the customer before he realized there was an error. Then, he misread the next order and did the same thing! Each of his customers received the other’s products.
This major “Oh Ship” moment led to Kim having to deal with two irate customers and decide how he was going to make up for the mistake. He considered three options: letting the customers keep the wrong item, asking the customers to forward their item to the correct person, or return the item altogether so he could then re-ship the correct order out. In this situation, he also had to process returns and manage return shipping efficiently to minimize costs and customer frustration. All these options were costly and resulted in him losing hard earned revenue trying to get his customers the products they originally ordered.
Many online retailers using an in-house fulfillment strategy have experienced similar “Oh Ship” moments as their businesses have grown. Errors like these are a good indication it’s time to outsource.
“We filled 50,000 incorrect units.” - 3PL Provider
This “Oh Ship” moment came to us from another 3PL provider that filled the wrong product. CEO Jeremy Burton shared his story:
Burton’s logistics company was working with a baked goods manufacturer and was tasked with storing frozen products to be filled later for summer holiday weekends. When it came time to fill the packages, Burton’s company made a grave mistake. They ended up incorrectly filling hamburger bun bags with the stored hot dog buns! The error was so large that Burton ended up donating 50,000 units to a local food bank because the packages we unsellable. It’s safe to say his baked goods client decided to take their business elsewhere.
As part of our “Oh Ship” moments contest, we’ve been receiving some truly horrific shipping and fulfillment stories from online sellers shipping themselves and working with other 3PLs. These stories highlight the dramatic results of working with unreliable shipping partners or not working with a partner at all. Poor fulfillment practices can lead to lost sales, negative reviews, and long-term damage to customer satisfaction and your business reputation. Choosing an outsourced order fulfillment partner that can achieve 100% order accuracy and preserve the quality of your reputation is crucial!
When considering an outsourced partner, it’s important to evaluate the best fulfillment method for your business and ensure the order fulfillment process is optimized to prevent such costly errors.
Introduction to Ecommerce Fulfillment
Ecommerce fulfillment is the backbone of any successful ecommerce business, encompassing the entire process of receiving, processing, and shipping online orders to customers. A smooth and efficient ecommerce fulfillment process is essential for building trust and loyalty, as it directly shapes the customer experience from the moment an order is placed to the time it arrives at the customer’s door.
For ecommerce businesses, having a reliable fulfillment strategy is crucial for scaling operations and meeting customer expectations. The right fulfillment solution can streamline everything from inventory management and picking and packing to shipping orders and handling returns. Whether you’re a small business just starting out or an established ecommerce company looking to expand, understanding your fulfillment options is key to long-term business growth.
There are several fulfillment methods to consider. In-house fulfillment, where you manage your own inventory and process orders yourself, can work well for small businesses with manageable order volumes. However, as your business grows, the complexity of fulfillment operations often increases, making it harder to maintain accuracy and efficiency. This is where outsourced fulfillment services come into play. By partnering with a fulfillment provider, ecommerce businesses can leverage expert logistics, advanced inventory management systems, and a network of fulfillment center locations to ensure fast, accurate shipping and a seamless customer experience.
Direct order fulfillment, or dropshipping, is another popular approach, where the manufacturer ships orders directly to customers. This method eliminates the need to store inventory or manage warehouse space, but it requires strong supplier relationships and clear communication to maintain fulfillment quality.
Shipping costs and fulfillment cost are also major considerations. A fulfillment partner offering competitive pricing and transparent pricing models can help you control expenses and avoid hidden fees, while a robust network of carriers—including options like DHL Express—ensures your customers receive their orders quickly and reliably. Efficient fulfillment processes not only reduce shipping times but also minimize errors, helping you keep your delivery promise and enhance customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, the best fulfillment strategy is one that aligns with your business goals, sales channels, and customer expectations. Whether you choose self fulfillment, third party fulfillment, or a hybrid approach, prioritizing accuracy, efficiency, and customer experience in your fulfillment operations will set your ecommerce business up for success in a competitive online marketplace.
Leading Ecommerce Fulfillment Provider
ShipNetwork is a leading provider of eCommerce order fulfillment services, operating as a third party logistics company and ecommerce fulfillment provider serving online retailers. ShipNetwork offers national fulfillment services and a network of multiple US fulfillment centers to ensure fast and reliable delivery. As a fulfillment company, they are recognized as one of the top fulfillment providers and offer a comprehensive third party solution for ecommerce businesses.
Their advanced technology integrates seamlessly with any ecommerce platform, supporting efficient order processing and management. Integration is available with popular shopping cart platforms and online marketplaces including Amazon, Big Commerce, Channel Advisor, eBay, Magento, ShipStation, Shopify, Volusion, Walmart Marketplace, and WooCommerce, helping online store owners streamline fulfillment operations.
fulfillment centers utilize one or more warehouses for strategic inventory storage and warehouse storage, enabling them to manage inventory effectively. They work with multiple carriers to ship orders and ship products quickly, ensuring fast shipping for customers.
ShipNetwork provides modern fulfillment solutions designed to help eCommerce retailers reduce shipping costs, improve order accuracy, decrease shipping times, and enhance customer satisfaction. Their expertise includes packaging products and optimizing the supply chain for ecommerce businesses. A dedicated customer support team assists with order inquiries and after-sales service.
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