Are you running an online store? If so, then you’re not the only one looking for excellent order fulfillment services. These companies make the job easier for you by packaging and shipping your products. These can be time-consuming and rather costly when done on your own. So, should you or should you not avail of the services of a fulfillment firm?
If you’re going to invest in these services, how would you know which company to trust?
First of all, do you even need a company yet? The only way you can answer this question is if you have the facts right about your business. How much will this service cost you, and how many orders are you getting?
If you’re just starting and the number of orders for your product is still manageable, it’s still cheaper to do things on your own. However, hiring a fulfillment team is advisable if you’re getting bulk orders and packaging, and shipping your products is taking too much of your time.
Transforming World
Surely by now, you are well aware that everything’s turning to the internet. People these days are buying everything from their clothing and technology to their groceries online. This means that if you have a home-based business, or have a store opened somewhere, it’s time to offer the products online as well.
If your business is a success and your products are highly sought after due to either their originality or competitive prices, you are most likely going to get overwhelmed with orders.
Pay Attention to Customers
To ensure that you can comfortably pay attention to your customers, making sure that your business does not lack your attention, and that nothing is delayed, you will need to get some help. If your business is doing well enough and you are having a hard time keeping up with shipping your products, you may have to consider a special fulfillment service company.
Pay Attention to Core Business
They offer all of the necessary services to help you continue to focus on the most important part of your business and not have to deal with the smaller jobs. They will ensure that every process is taken care of from start to finish.
They will ensure that you are always aware of your stock flow as well as ensuring that customers are satisfied with their products, and should anything go wrong, they will sort out any returns and have a new one sent out.
Pack of Services
Fulfillment services entail a lot more than just shipping. They do everything from the technical input information to help you with your bookkeeping as well as communication. As your business grows, you will need to spend more time on the important factors of your business, leaving the rest for someone else to deal with.
They will do everything to your liking, but you will not physically have to do it. Your customers will appreciate the quick responses and shipping, and you will enjoy the benefits of being able to focus on the important aspects of your business and continue improving it.
Determine Your Operation Hours
To choose the right order fulfillment company, you should look at their operations hours, their rates, the type of packaging they could offer, and their credibility. Most Internet businesses forget the fact that they’re open 24/7, and fulfillment companies aren’t.
Your choice will be dependent on the cut-off times of these companies. These will have to be in sync with your store’s cut-off for orders. Otherwise, the 1-days shipment you promised your client might be extended to 2 days.
Identify the Rate of Services
You should also look at the company’s rates. You wouldn’t want to sign up for a service you couldn’t afford. Some of these companies charge per month, per transaction, or weight range. If your products are lightweight, you should choose an order fulfillment company that can give you a cheap rate for your product’s weight range. On the other hand, if you’re shipping heavy products, you might save more money with a fixed monthly rate or per-transaction rate.
Credibility of Services
Credibility is also a very important thing to look at when you’re scouring for the best order fulfillment company. While all shipping companies have their own sets of errors, you should look for one that has very minimal error percentages.
These companies are usually very confident and even offer to be liable to lose or delay packages. While they’re also usually the more expensive ones, the insurance (especially if your products are valuable) is worth every extra penny.
Many companies use Fulfilment services today, and they have proved to be very successful and continue growing. This is because they can concentrate on the most important aspects of the business and leave the smaller tedious things to someone else.
That is not to say that this part of the business is not important; in fact, it is one of the most important parts of the process. If you have happy customers, they will come back for more, and by using Fulfilment services, you will ensure 100% customer satisfaction.
