Parcel Zone Skipping Changes the Last Mile Delivery Landscape

Jul 1, 2022 | Blog

One of the important lessons learned from the recent supply chain upheaval has been that the old ways of logistics just aren’t sustainable. Everything from inventory management to customer experience is being looked at with a fresh set of eyes, looking for solutions that can keep deliveries flowing while giving customers a reason to come back for more. 

A key point of frustration for eCommerce brands has been the heavy price of cross-country shipping. With products sent to customers all over the world, packages make multiple stops at different warehouses and distribution centers, all with their own rates and processing fees. As the item approaches its final destination, these expenses start to stack up, potentially driving away sales to competitors with cheaper shipping rates. 

Rising shipping costs show no signs of slowing down, and eCommerce brands eagerly seek out new ways of getting their products from point A to point B in a way that’s reliable and cost-effective. With all the pressure to find alternate delivery methods, some brands have adopted parcel zone skipping as a way to reduce the cost of last mile shipping. 

What are Delivery Zones?

Delivery zones are the geographic areas a carrier ships packages. Typically, the more zones a package passes through, the higher its shipping cost. 

While the general structure of shipping zones is similar across carriers, they aren’t the same for every delivery. A package’s origin is designated as Zone 1, with the zone numbers increasing as the delivery destination gets further away. For example, if you shipped an item from San Francisco to St. Louis, San Francisco would be considered Zone 1, and St. Louis would be considered Zone 7.

This is why online brands can provide benefits like free shipping to customers in their warehouse’s immediate area. Without the need to pass through any outside distribution centers, shipping costs can remain low. When sending parcels across the country, however, delivery zones can become a hurdle when trying to keep up with customer expectations and competitor prices. That’s why so many brands are looking into zone skipping as a more affordable fulfillment strategy. 

What is Zone Skipping? 

Rather than shipping individual parcels, zone skipping involves consolidating your many ready-to-mail packages into a single truckload, then sending the shipment to a specific zone as one. From there, the individual items can be distributed to customers at a closer proximity, with the shipping cost reflecting only one delivery zone. 

If you’re sending products from California to customers in New York, you can send the items directly to the New York area. Customers then pay for shipping in a single zone, instead of paying for a cross-country shipment. 

By sending an entire shipment or orders to a single zone, you avoid the financial burden of multi-zone shipping. For brands struggling to keep up with the low-cost shipping options offered by competitors like Amazon, zone skipping presents a distribution method that can provide an avenue for a lower cost of shipping.  

Not only does this lower the price for your customer, but the closer your items are to their doorstep, the quicker they’ll be able to arrive. Since the order is already in the customer’s delivery zone, they can expect the parcel to arrive in a matter of days. 

When to Consider Zone Skipping

While zone skipping is a great way to get products to customers quicker and for a smaller price, it might not be an ideal solution for every eCommerce brand. Let’s take a look at when online retailers should consider zone skipping as a feasible fulfillment strategy. 

Cross Country Shipments

If you’re regularly sending orders to customers on the other side of the continent, zone skipping offers clear opportunities to help your brand excel. However, if your primary customer base exists locally, or is just a zone or two away, sending orders to that delivery zone might not be worth the investment. 

To determine if zone skipping is the right choice for your brand, you’ll need to calculate the cost of shipping grouped packages combined with the expense of delivering each product to its destination. If that amount is less than sending each item individually, then zone skipping might be worth looking into more.

Large Order & Product Volume

For zone skipping to make financial sense, you’ll need to ship enough products to fill an entire container. If you haven’t built a substantial enough customer base in the zone you’re shipping to, you might be paying to move products that will just sit on a shelf. 

However, if your order volume isn’t high enough to justify a full semi-trailer, carriers might be able to accommodate a pairing of your shipment with another brand. By consolidating the two shipments, the container can be filled enough to make the trip cost effective. This service might not be available with every carrier, so it’s important to check whether zone skipping is possible with your specific shipping partner. 

Product Tracking Capabilities 

One of the major disadvantages of zone skipping is that it makes tracking packages a little more complicated. Since you’re sending items to another location before their final distribution, your carrier might not be able to provide the most accurate information about when the delivery is likely to be completed. 

That’s why it’s important to have quality reporting and visibility tools in place before you opt for zone skipping. That way, you and your customers will never be left in the dark when it comes to where products are on their delivery journey. 

Conclusion 

Parcel zone skipping keeps the cost of shipping low while cutting down on delivery time. This dual advantage has made it one of the more popular fulfillment strategies as brands continue to grapple with supply chain challenges. 

If your online store has a cross-country customer base with a high order volume, parcel zone skipping might be the shipping solution you’re looking for. 

If you’re looking for a fulfillment partner to help optimize your delivery process, contact the Fulfillment Experts at ShipHero today.

Making Returns Easy in eCommerce

Jun 24, 2022 | Blog

One of the easiest ways for fulfillment centers to run into trouble is through an inefficient returns process. Your outgoing fulfillment can be as optimal as any brand on the market, but without a way to communicate and complete returns, warehouses can quickly become overwhelmed and disorganized.

While a product return might mean the customer is dissatisfied with what they received, returns offer a key opportunity for brands to showcase their quality customer service and encourage them to return in the future. 

Conversely, an overly complicated returns process leaves buyers feeling unappreciated, frustrated and unwilling to visit the online store again. By creating an easy-to-use returns management process, you can ensure your customers walk away feeling positive and satisfied with their buying experience 

Communication & Returns Management

Making returns management easy usually comes down to communication. Whether it’s explaining the process to the customer or keeping your staff informed of new protocols, clear and concise communication helps avoid many of the mistakes that come from reverse logistics. 

Internal Communication & Returns 

Establishing an effective approach to internal communication is central to a healthy, functioning returns management process. Rather than sending a one-off email to warehouse staff, or alerting only the shift manager about an incoming return, modern eCommerce brands need a centralized software program that can track returns and keep everyone on the same page when it comes to how they should be handled. 

A software partner like Returnly, for example, provides brands with easy-to-read feedback about the status of return, when it’s expected back at the warehouse, and why the customer decided to send it back. With this data readily available, your staff can better understand how to process returns while getting a thorough look at why the return was made in the first place. 

Customer Communication & Returns 

The main focus of returns should always center on making the customer’s life easier. The best way to do this is by being upfront and clear about how they can send an item back if they’re not satisfied. 

Whether they expect a repair, refund or store credit, customers need updates and information on the status of their return and how long it will take to be resolved. With a reverse logistics program integrated into your Warehouse Management Software, you can achieve all of this without putting additional strain on your staff.

With a software partner like Loop Returns, customers can easily start the process through an easy-to-use portal, which also displays order return eligibility as well as viable product exchange options. By following the clear instructions on Loop’s portal, returns or exchanges can be easily requested with the click of a button. 

Returns Automation 

Customers want a fast, easy returns process that can be handled in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. With expectations so high, it’s important to make sure your buyers feel seen and heard when sending an item back. 

If you’re already struggling to make your returns management efficient, automation might be the solution. Solution providers like Loop Returns build returns portal for your brand, meaning customers can start the process without the help of a staff member. 

These portals also automatically enforce your returns policy. If a product has been washed or worn, for example, Loop can approve, reject, or flag it for manual review based on your customizations. While this process helps shrink the returns timeline, it doesn’t mean giving up control over the process. You’ll still be able to set parameters for returns based on whatever factors you choose, while connecting the other digital tools your team uses in the warehouse. 

Automated returns come down to simplification. By optimizing the process with a software provider, you can minimize frustrating customer touchpoints and keep your staff aware of incoming returns. 

Exchanges

In order to make returns management an easier process, you’ll need to simplify exchanges. In the past, customers would be required to seek out exchangeable products themselves, email the company asking for the exchange, and wait a long time for the request to be processed and approved. 

Today, customers expect their exchanges on a much shorter timeline. Automation allows brands to predetermine which products are eligible for exchanges and push those items to the customer’s interface. Rather than having your customer service team deal with the back and forth of exchange requests, automation tools present customers with options right away, allowing them to complete the request in a matter of seconds. 

By encouraging customers to make an exchange through an intuitive portal, your brand gets to retain revenue from the original purchase instead of issuing a refund. 

Conclusion

What was once seen as a frustrating and unfortunate point in the customer experience, returns are one of the few opportunities eCommerce brands have to directly interact with customers.

By prioritizing coordination in the warehouse, communicating with customers and implementing an automated returns system, buyers can walk away from your online store with a positive feeling that will keep them coming back for more. 

If you’re looking for a warehouse software solution that can take your brand’s returns management to the next level, contact the experts at ShipHero today.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

ShipHero

About the author:  Aaron Rubin the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter & LinkedIn.

Taking Your Customer Service to the Next Level

Jun 18, 2022 | Blog

Without the benefit of face-to-face interaction with buyers, eCommerce customer service presents a valuable opportunity for brands to connect with their customers and assure them that they’ve made the right purchasing decision. 

Since every online brand is a little different, there’s no single secret to ensuring customer service excellence. But, by learning from the methods of other eCommerce stores, you can find the right blend of strategies that support your buyers when problems arise or questions need to be answered. 

By rethinking the fulfillment process, monitoring online reviews and prioritizing convenience, you can take your brand’s customer service to the next level. 

What is eCommerce Customer Service?

Traditionally, customer service is thought of as a number you can call when you have a question about a product or service. Since the advent of online shopping, customer service has expanded to include everything from how a user interacts with your site, to how they eventually receive an order. 

For an eCommerce brand to be successful, customers need to be supported throughout every step of the way. Digital stores that provide clear and up-to-date information on available products, pricing, and order tracking tend to leave their customers more satisfied and willing to return in the future. 

Making it easier for customers to complete a purchase and have their questions answered sounds like common sense, but in the fast-paced world of eCommerce, building that infrastructure can be easier said than done. Automations, order management and performance tracking can be a lot to deal with, so some brands have turned to third-parties that can upgrade their customer service protocols quickly. 

Partnering with these third-parties helps your brand build a helpdesk that optimizes customer service and drives profits. By providing services like messaging, self-service and live statistics, these companies can turn eCommerce customer service into a cost-effective branch of the business. 

Fulfillment & Customer Service

One of the easiest ways to boost your customer’s shopping experience is by making a few quality adjustments to how your orders are fulfilled. Let’s take a look at some of the recent trends in fulfillment and how they can take your brand’s customer service to the next level. 

Multiple Delivery Options

As the volatile supply chain continues to cause problems in warehouses all over the world, brands have begun to explore alternative delivery options to take some of the pressure off their staff while ensuring the customer can still get their order on time. 

For brands with a brick-and-mortar location, in-store pickup has become a reliable and time-saving fulfillment solution that allows customers some flexibility in how they choose to receive an item. However, not every online retailer has the benefit of a real-world location. That’s why so many online brands have purchased additional retail space or underutilized warehouses to offer their customers a pickup option.

These rented facilities, known as micro-fulfillment centers, help get products closer to their destination while limiting the expense of last-mile shipping. If a customer lives close enough to one of these locations, they’ll have the option to pick up the order themselves during regular business hours. For an extra layer of flexibility, many fulfillment centers now offer a parcel locker option that can be accessed 24/7. 

Providing these extra delivery options helps avoid the cost of postage, labeling and carrier fees that can really stack up and drive away customers before they place an order. With customer expectations higher than they’ve ever been, supporting their purchases with multiple delivery options could be the key to ensuring they’ll come back for more. 

Customized Buying Experience

One of the most important developments in eCommerce customer service has been the emphasis on a personalized buyer experience. At this point, customers expect online stores to present them with custom content that’s most relevant to their previous purchases and guides them towards items they’re most likely interested in. 

By offering features like product recommendations, price comparisons and personalized interfaces, retailers are employing what’s known as an omnichannel marketing strategy. An omnichannel approach gives your customers specifically tailored content that’s designed to help them make informed purchasing decisions while boosting the amount of products sold. 

As customers visit your site and interact with the omnichannel interface, they’ll be able to find the products they’re looking for more easily and will be encouraged to purchase similar products. 

Returns Management 

Product returns might mean someone is unsatisfied with their item, but they still present a key opportunity to connect, communicate and problem solve with your customer base. 

In the crowded field of online shopping, ensuring a fast-paced and efficient returns management process can help your brand stand out from the crowd. With the recent advancements in fulfillment tech and warehouse management software, building an intuitive returns process is easier than ever.  

Providing upfront and clear instructions on how to complete a return can sometimes be the difference between a stress-free product return and a frustrating experience for the customer. 

Rethinking how your brand handles returns and implementing changes can be time consuming, so many online stores outsource this side of the business. Third-parties like Loop Returns help clients optimize their warehouse returns process and provide an easy solution for customers that need to send an item back. 

For a scaling online store, returns can be an unwelcome issue to deal with, but anticipating and supporting a customer’s decision to make a return can help ensure their satisfaction in the long run. 

Customer Reviews

Social proof and online word-of-mouth can make or break an online store. With so many customers turning to user reviews before making a purchase, there’s a reason so many brands pay close attention to how they’re being talked about online. 

From inside a company, it can be difficult to tell where your customer service approach needs the most improvement. The often brutally honest feedback gained from a customer review can be a great resource when thinking about what aspect of your customer experience could use the most focus. 

Conclusion

As more and more customers get their shopping done online, customer service has become a competitive advantage for eCommerce brands. With the right blend of communication, fulfillment efficiency and feedback processing, brands can stick out of the crowd and turn their customer service approach into a profit-driving branch of the business. 

If you’re looking for a fulfillment partner that can help keep customers happy from the moment they place an order, talk to the fulfillment experts at ShipHero today. 

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO

ShipHero

About the author:  Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial and administrative procedures, reporting structures and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance and mitigating risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.

Follow Maggie on Twitter & LinkedIn.

Building The Ultimate Unboxing Experience

Jun 10, 2022 | Blog

Receiving a package in the mail is always exciting, and for online retailers, it’s one of the few opportunities to make a memorable connection with customers. 

As a result, brands have gotten creative when it comes to the moment of unboxing, investing in inventive designs that distinguish their product from the others on the market. With the goal of building the ultimate unboxing experience, eCommerce sellers have created one of the hottest retail trends of 2022. 

What is unboxing? 

Unboxing is a relatively new focus in eCommerce marketing that refers to the design and packaging of a product. When customers receive something in the mail, the process of opening the item for the first time can be made into a fun and captivating experience. 

What started as a stylish way for brands to stand out from the rest of the crowd, the unboxing craze has grown into a near necessity when marketing a new product. In addition to building customer loyalty, distinct and creative packaging can open new and lucrative marketing opportunities.

As unique branded packaging became the norm, online content creators started making videos that feature themselves opening these packages for the first time, giving their audience a glimpse of what to expect when they place an order. Unboxing videos, as they came to be known, have since become a fixture for brands marketing their products online. For online retailers, unboxing videos are a great way to tap into a new pool of potential customers.

Benefits of Branded Packaging

Aside from just looking good, specialized packaging that sticks out from the crowd has a ton of benefits for an emerging eCommerce brand. Let’s take a look at how a focus on unboxing can bring an online store to the next level. 

Marketing Opportunities

Online retailers don’t get the marketing opportunities offered by having a physical storefront where customers can be invited in to do their shopping. Without a brick-and-mortar extension of a brand’s identity to help build customer connections, digital retailers are more constricted in how they can express what their products are all about.   

Aside from the product itself, the box that it comes in is one of the few chances you’ll have to make a lasting impression on a customer. For example, Anthem, an Italian based apparel company, brands itself as an eco-friendly clothing option that embodies surfer culture. In order to sync their packaging with this brand identity, Anthem’s products come in a biodegradable bag, sporting an off-white, sandy color. 

This packaging reinforces Anthem’s core values and emphasizes the qualities that drew those customers to the store in the first place.  

Long-Term Savings

When opting for a basic product packaging setup, most brands settle for a one-size-fits-all box. While this might be convenient, it’s not an optimal solution in the long term. 

Customized packaging means your products are delivered in a box that fits the exact dimensions of the item inside. In a time when shelving space is hard to come by, this approach helps ensure that valuable warehouse space isn’t wasted. 

For retailers selling fragile items, custom packaging that’s designed to protect your product specifically can help avoid damages and warehouse returns. 

Leveraging Influencers

Providing a fun unboxing experience also opens up the opportunity to explore avenues of social media marketing that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to. Working with influencers to promote a product is easy, but actually getting their fans excited about a product is another challenge. 

Unboxing videos, as we discussed above, allow customers to see a trusted content creator’s live reaction to an item and can make a big difference for shoppers who are on the fence about completing a purchase. 

In addition to unboxing videos, influencers on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter make a living by featuring products in their social media posts. After displaying a product for their audience, they typically provide links that direct to where the item can be purchased, allowing the customer to make a purchase easily. 

Live shopping and unboxing streams are a popular extension of social marketing, where a host opens items from an online store and provides customers with an idea of what to expect when the item arrives. If an exciting product arrives with eye-catching packaging, an Instagram or Facebook live stream can excite potential customers about what your brand has to offer.

Upgrading Your Product Packaging

Designing and implementing a new product design sounds like a lot of work, but there are plenty of third-party services that can put together a stellar unboxing experience for your customers. These creative design agencies build customized packaging that speaks to the brand identity and helps it stick out from the competition. 

With the added benefit of a quality warehouse management system in your toolbox, adding customized packaging to your process won’t be a hassle. By simply including a few automation rules to your shipping strategy, you can easily integrate new packaging details and start sending out orders with a brand-new look. 

If hiring outside help isn’t an option, simply including a few extra tokens of gratitude can make your product’s unboxing more memorable. Merchandise like stickers, coasters or greeting cards won’t add much extra weight to the shipment, and can make for a fun surprise when a customer opens the item. 

Conclusion 

Packaging is too often overlooked as just what carries an item from point A to point B. Rather than seeing it as just another tool, brands are approaching their packages like a blank canvas that can highlight what makes their brand special and heighten the customer experience when it finally arrives in the mail. 

If you’re looking for a fulfillment partner to help optimize your delivery process, contact the Fulfillment Experts at ShipHero today.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO

ShipHero

About the author:  Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial and administrative procedures, reporting structures and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance and mitigating risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.

Follow Maggie on Twitter & LinkedIn.