Common shipping errors for SMEs

The logistics operations of shipping parcels are a fundamental part of the day-to-day running of countless small and medium-sized businesses. Shipment volumes have been growing rapidly in recent years, driven by the popularity of online shopping.

A myriad of small details may be involved, such as dealing with the shipping company or printing labels. However, opportunities for errors and delays multiply, and inefficiencies in this process mean additional costs for the business and, potentially, poorer customer service.

This is a list of the most common and important errors in the SME parcel shipping process. Keeping this list in mind, analyzing how often they may occur in your business, and considering ways to fix the problems is an excellent investment of your time and attention.

This is an aspect that is often overlooked and has a major impact. Good packaging practices are beneficial on several levels. Poor packaging can result in a damaged product, the use of unnecessary space and the consequent additional shipping costs, the use of unnecessary time or materials, and a poor image for the company.

For example, statistics indicate that a large number of products are damaged due to boxes that are too large.

Paying attention to how packaging is being processed, the suitability of the packaging, the use of cushioning materials such as polystyrene, and their costs, as well as all other details, brings great rewards in the long run. You can also find the most important packaging tips on this blog.

The modern world, it is sometimes said, is the world of information, and nothing is more important than the quality of the information we have. Communication with the customer, in both directions, is fundamental in digital commerce, and here it appears in its most basic form.

Delivery problems due to errors in the address, the recipient's name, or the phone number are common and result in delays, potential costs, and possible customer dissatisfaction.

The best recommendation to avoid this problem is to carefully review all the information before proceeding with the shipment. Ask the customer for all the necessary details, make sure they are correctly recorded, and call, if necessary, to ask for clarification.

We should note that the non-home delivery system, in which InPost specializes, simplifies this part of the process, since parcels are sent to a Ponto Pack or Locker.

A resource that today plays an indispensable role is shipment tracking, that is, the provision of up-to-date information about its location.

Without the ability to track the shipment, uncertainty arises for both the sender and the recipient. A recent survey shows that the vast majority of online shoppers consider this feature important and usually use it.

That is why InPost provides a 24-hour parcel tracking service, from the moment it comes into our hands until delivery at the destination point.

You should make sure that you provide your customers, in the purchase e-mail, with the tracking number assigned to each parcel, as well as the link to track it. Of course, many customers could find this link on their own, but there are not only people who are not used to shopping online; this procedure shows care, and customers who are used to online shopping might notice its absence and take it as carelessness.

There are a significant number of digital commerce businesses that do not account for shipping costs or make careless calculations of packaging expenses and other similar details.

Of course, the higher the value of the product being shipped, the less relevant the shipping cost is, proportionally. For smaller items, where the profit margin is significantly affected by the shipping cost, the approach may be, for example, to offer shipping above a certain value. This encourages the customer to add other items to the purchase.

Another way to control shipping costs is to provide the customer with more economical options, such as shipping through a Ponto Pack. You can learn more about this and other advantages of our approach on this blog and on our website.