You’re Doing E-Commerce. What About E-Fulfillment Services?
E-Fulfillment Services Complete the Customer Experience
Fulfillment that impresses customers is a full-service proposition. You can impress customers mightily on the front end with your exceptional e-commerce ordering process. But if you fail them on the back-end with so-so package delivery, you can wipe out those initial customer care gains. That’s a lot of effort for no benefit – to you or your customer. The right e-fulfillment services can turn that around.
Recently, we got a call from a company executive. He said,
“I want our customers to know we care, every step of the way. Right now, we don’t even know what they’re receiving.”
Sounds scary, doesn’t it? No industry is more competitive than retail – no matter what you sell. Lack of attention to every detail can drive customers away, and that can do permanent damage to your bottom line.
E-fulfillment services completes your e-commerce program
If your company demands high touch quality customer care on the purchasing side, there is no reason you shouldn’t have equally high expectations for picking, packing, and shipping. Sure, you want to work with a fulfillment company that uses state-of-the-art equipment and other efficiencies. You need a fulfillment center that can fully protect your inventory as well as your confidential data.
Automation and leading-edge management technologies streamline work and improve accuracy. But no conveyor belt or robotic device can double-check packages before they leave.
That takes humans.
As you’re looking for an e-fulfillment partner, look for a company that puts people first. For example, ask about their turnover rate. Well-treated and well-trained employees stick around – you and your customers benefit from their knowledge and experience.
Saying you can wow customers is easy. Doing it? Not so much. That takes intense, consistent dedication. Ask your prospective partner how they rate in terms of order fulfillment accuracy – the right items, and all the items. Ask about their delivery speed – customers are wowed when it’s faster than expected. And ask to see what your customers are receiving. What they see when they open their package is your final chance to wow them.
Another frustrated e-commerce exec put it this way:
“We just don’t have time for this. We need a company that can do it all.”
He’s right. Aside from the obvious customer care benefits of adding high touch e-fulfillment services to your ordering and shipping process, your company will benefit in another way. Time and money recaptured.
Your company is not in the shipping business. Instead of spending money on extensive warehouse, shipping and related labor, you could invest that money in new product development. Or marketing. Something on the customer acquisition side. With a full-service e-fulfillment partner, you’ll be confident all those new customers will love their purchasing experience as much as your products. They’ll be back.
Customer care really does equal happy customers. Now, you can take one of the following three steps to continue journey in finding the top fulfillment companies.
- Download this free e-book on Choosing a Fulfillment Partner.
- Take a Fulfillment Needs Assessment to score your current state of affairs.
- Contact a fulfillment expert to have a live one-on-one conversation
Want to take advantage of Fulfillment Center benefits to make more money, save time, and create better customer relationships? Find the best Fulfillment Center and Fulfillment Warehouse for you.