Nine Tips to Help Improve Your Outbound Parcel Shipping

To better discern customers’ expectations, Kline advises that you test offers, issue comment cards or customer surveys, and/or set up focus groups or customer advisory boards. Remember: If you never ask, you’ll never know.

4. Educate and inform customers about shipping. This job usually starts in your contact center. Staffers there always should be ready to help customers understand delivery times, says Kline. If this task isn’t done to your satisfaction, set up manager-moderated meetings between your distribution center and customer service employees. Require each employee to bring to the table questions and concerns about the jobs done by the other department. Staffers may come away with a new appreciation of the challenges faced “over there in that other group.” Moreover, the result may be not just a bit of consciousness raising, but some actual solutions that can help you both lower your shipping costs and improve customer satisfaction.