Shipping Strategies to Gain Happy Customers

It is essential for any business establishment to strive in order to attract as many clients as possible. Remember, any person in business looks forward to making enough profit. Courier services can only make a lot of profit if they attract many clients. 

It is worth noting that services that possess good qualities attract clients. It is, therefore, the responsibility of a courier service to ensure that they exhibit the best qualities which will, in turn, draw clients to them. 

Below is a list of qualities that any courier service enthusiastic about being at the top of the game should possess:

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Do not overcharge for shipping. 

Customers will always go for listings that do not have excessive fees; hence having reasonable handling fees should draw in more buyers. For international buyers, you can separately charge the handling fee.

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Include all shipping costs in the listing

Courier services should devise a built-in calculator for their shipping activities. The calculator assists in giving a correct estimate concerning the location of delivery. The total weight should include the weight of the box plus that of the item. The calculator automatically calculates the accurate charges for each item based on the location of delivery.

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Have a packing slip 

A packing slip is elemental as it helps identify a package in case the shipping label stuck on the package gets torn. The packaging slip ensures that the package still gets to the owner or can be sent back to the sender.

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Have a shipping insurance

It is advisable for courier services to have shipping insurance for expensive items. Insurance helps avoid huge losses when orders are lost or damaged, and the owners demand a refund of their money. 

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Keep a record of all deliveries

It is critical to have delivery confirmation on all packages to track down a parcel, in case it gets lost. 

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Keep a record of payments

After payment has been received, keep all information concerning payments and tracking until after 45days. For items paid for using PayPal for more than $250, use signature confirmations. Records of payments keep away unscrupulous buyers.

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Make use of USPS flat rate boxes

For items weighing more than 2pounds, use the USPS priority flat-rate-shipping boxes. These kinds of boxes attract discounts which will save a courier service on the shipping fee. 

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Devise labels that are accessible and not easily damageable

It is also essential to have self-adhesive labels that are readily available or can be printed at one's convenience from a thermal label printer. Having a UPS account is advantageous as you can order printer labels for free from eBay.

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‍Embrace technology and the internet

If you are using the post office for shipping services, you can use an online shipping software just like Shipsaving that allows printing of labels, purchasing insurance, and storing information on all packages. The shipping labels can be printed directly from your personal computer. This shipping software also allows the label to hide the postage amount. PayPal's integrated shipping tool allows buyer’s address to be added alongside the weight and insurance information of shipping goods. However, this is only available to buyers who pay through PayPal; all other modes of payments will require actual input of all that information. 

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Ensure that you package your items properly

Adequate cushioning should be provided for fragile items and sealed tightly. A variety of packing supplies at an affordable price can be found at www.uline.com. You can also use newspapers for packaging, although that will mean an added shipping cost. However, you can check in with businesses that might have packaging materials that are to be disposed of and borrow them. Proper packaging prevents items from damage and loss as a result of ruptured boxes.

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Employ support staff or firm

If you start receiving big volumes of shipping orders, have someone else assist you in some activities. For instance, packaging and shipping. Support staff help in reducing the time lost in shipping and handling and allow for more listing. Shipping companies such as UPS offer such services.

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Separate package with separate orders

In the case where a single buyer creates multiple orders at the same time, it is wise to package them differently but ship them all together. Separating individual orders helps reduce the cost of shipping. Combined shipping can also serve as an incentive to customers who buy many different items resulting in a win-win situation.

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Make customized packaging materials.

To make packages more professional and authentic, have official branded packaging materials. Branded packaging materials have the courier's name inscribed on them. Remember that this is the right way of marketing your brand.

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Ensure that you do not over tighten your packages.

Every packing material should leave free space for padding on all sides if it is a box. In case of any previous labels, kindly ensure they are all removed and the correct labels carefully placed. Clearing labels help to avoid any confusion and ensure clarity on the point of delivery. All openings should be covered entirely.

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Determine the appropriate size of packaging materials for each order

Some items can be of irregular sizes hence unable to fit into a regular-sized box. If the item can be rolled into a smart fit, then tightly wrap it around the roll. And make sure every part is well covered, especially the sharp point. Any items of a round shape, especially tires, should be covered with pressure-sensitive tape. The tape should be looped around it, and place the shipping label at the proper position.

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Use the most cost-effective options available

It is essential to choose the best which are the most affordable and reliable shipping options. There are various shipping options available, for instance; it should give you the best shipping price for your item. Different shipping options have different shipping time-lines; therefore, it is essential to select the option that works well for you. As the media mail takes up to eight days to do a delivery which is really a bad idea for urgent deliveries. The retail ground shipping option is quite cheap and most reliable for large and irregular items in particular.

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Be fair to your clients when setting prices

It is advisable to charge for handling and shipping appropriately. The handling fee should cover up for the time used in packaging, money used in purchasing materials and also the shipping fee. Having a flat rate shipping fee gives your business a more formal look, it allows for the inclusion of the handling fee, and it guarantees your items are more expensive when compared to what has been offered on the courier's listing.

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Seek all the relevant knowledge about the industry

Ideal courier service has in-depth knowledge on how to go about the shipping. The experience ensures that you do not incur any losses within your transactions. It also helps the courier service to keep the customer base growing, make more profits, and improve on professionalism. If you need to expand your shipping services to international levels, then thorough research on the scope of the location, expected customers, and restrictions in any area code are quite vital. 

The above qualities should be followed by any courier services that are determined to survive in the shipping industry. Note that the amount of income a firm raises from their business determines whether they can comfortably withstand the storms involved in the industry. By striving to give the best services to their clients, a courier service secures a longer life in the industry. It is therefore advisable for all the courier services to observe the guidelines to help them in their survival in this field.