Everyone has experienced the disappointment of eagerly anticipating their online order, only to discover it’s been shipped somewhere else.
Misshipments can be a major headache for both customers and businesses alike; not only do they lead to costly delays in shipping, but they also threaten future customer loyalty if regular occurrences are left unchecked.
To avoid these issues, eCommerce companies must take measures now to understand where misshipment problems arise – and how best to prevent them from happening again.
What Is A Misshipment?
Misshipments are, unfortunately, a common occurrence in the delivery world. These blunders can take many forms – from packages being sent to completely wrong customers, incorrect items arriving at their rightful destination, or simply ending up off course on the route.
Whatever form it takes, misshipment errors create immense disruption and confusion for both shippers and receivers trying to keep track of orders.
How Are Customers Affected By Misshipments?
Misshipments are a major hassle for the recipient. Today’s customers have high standards for the shipping experience, and they aren’t willing to tolerate any deviation from perfection. This includes receiving the wrong things or having to wait longer for their shipments.
In addition, when a shipment is incorrect, the customer must devote extra effort to resolve an issue that they did not cause.
Customers are already downhearted about the situation, and now they have to call customer service to get it fixed.
Poor customer service simply makes things worse for the customer, and a lengthy back-and-forth is a certain way to turn off a client who would have otherwise made repetitive purchases.
How To Prevent And Avoid Misshipments?
To avoid misshipments, your business will need to guarantee that the right things are shipped to the right places at the right times.
The following advice should help your company cut down on incorrect orders and incorrect delivery.
Use Barcode Scanners
In order to reduce the number of errors made during picking and hence the number of incorrect shipments, it is essential that workers double-check that they have taken the correct products off the shelves.
Pickers can save time and prevent mistakes by using barcode scanners that are linked to your inventory management software.
Some scanners even immediately update inventory records after an item is chosen to reflect the change, ensuring that you have precise records of how much inventory you have remaining in stock.
Maintain Communication with Carriers
The final mile of delivery may likewise make or break the customer experience, although businesses may have far less say in this than they do with fulfillment.
Your company has a higher chance of addressing carrier difficulties or miscommunication before they snowball into misshipments if you maintain open communication channels and have solid relationships with key carriers like USPS, FedEx, and UPS.
Proactively communicating with carriers in the event of misshipments can give you more information to communicate to customers. This keeps consumers informed and may speed up the delivery process.
Partner With a Reliable 3PL
Misshipments are more likely to occur when a company’s fulfillment and shipping operations are handled in-house, especially if the company lacks experience or skill in eCommerce logistics.
Third-party logistics providers, or 3PLs, are increasingly being used by e-commerce companies as a means to boost order precision and reduce shipment errors.
Your operations are less likely to experience misshipments if you work with a reputable 3PL company to handle orders deliveries and interact with drivers on your behalf.
Conclusion
There are a few different reasons that misshipments happen, but the good news is that there are ways to prevent them. By understanding why they happen and taking steps to reduce them, you can keep your business running smoothly.
Here at Flash Box, we know how to deliver things “in a flash.” And we’re here to show businesses just like yours the difference that speed can make and there will be no misshipments.
Ready to experience these benefits for yourself? All you have to do is contact us today to get started!
