Indicators it’s time to change fulfillment providers
If you are running a successful eCommerce, you have spent countless hours perfecting your product, brand, and user experience from purchase to return. In addition, you likely partnered with a fulfillment company to help deliver and grow your business. It’s possible that you have started to feel dissatisfied with how things are going. Here are five crucial indicators it’s time to change fulfillment providers.
Limits on where orders can be shipped
Your fulfillment partner must be able to fulfill orders wherever your customers are! Ideally, your fulfillment warehouse is near your customers. This becomes difficult as eCommerce brands grow and reach a wider audience. Scaling your business with a 3PL might be a good idea. A change in fulfillment providers can help leverage a more comprehensive distribution network and ensure deliveries can be processed quickly.
Long order processing and shipping times
Customers are more demanding than ever when it comes to shipping times. The “Amazon Prime-Effect” has solidified the idea that any product ordered from anywhere shouldn’t take more than two days to process and never more than five to arrive. If your orders take more than three days to process and ship, it could indicate it is time to change fulfillment providers. Most 3PL partners that can genuinely help your company scale will be able to process and ship an order anywhere in the continently US within 2-days. Your business could suffer if your service provider cannot consistently meet this timeline.
Inventory is taking days or weeks to be stocked and added
Accurate inventory data is crucial to a successful eCommerce. Having inventory readily available within 24-36 hours is game-changing. Nothing is more frustrating for an eCommerce business than knowing a large product shipment has been received at the warehouse but is sitting on a pallet waiting to be stocked and added to the inventory management system. This is typically an indication of a lack of staff or organization. The longer this process takes, the more sales potential is lost. If it takes more than a few days to get your inventory added, it might be time to change fulfillment providers.
Confusing invoicing or billing
Managing the financial reporting of a successful eCommerce is problematic on a good day and mind-numbing on a bad day. Top-rated 3PL providers offer complete itemized billing transparency. Having a financial report that details every charge with open-honest billing can help highlight advantages and opportunities for process change. When your fulfillment partner cannot give a detailed and accurate invoice about where their charges stem from, it is time to move on. The decisions you make are only as good as the data on which they are made.
Negative customer reviews regarding shipping
Negative customer reviews are an obvious indicator it is time to change fulfillment partners, because only one bad review can drive away up to 22% of potential customers. If you have noticed more than one poor review related to shipping or final delivery, your company cannot afford to ignore it.
It can be daunting if you see that it might be time to change fulfillment providers. It is an involved process that can be confusing, overwhelming, and take a lot of resources. However, at Falcon Fulfillment, we pride ourselves on onboarding new clients in days or weeks, not months. We offer a dedicated account manager throughout the onboarding process and beyond. Let our team do the heavy lifting so you can focus on growing your business. When our customers changed their fulfillment partner, we delivered! Want to learn how working with Falcon can help your eCommerce business scale? Get in touch with one of our agents today.
