There are hundreds of thousands of parcels shipped across the country and worldwide every year. It seems inevitable that some will become lost or damaged. That’s why you need to have insurance to ensure you are not out of pocket when this happens.
But not all damage is unavoidable. Sometimes the pressure on the delivery services is so high that they don’t take the care that they should with your parcels.
This is why you need to learn the principles of damage prevention:
Contents
Packaging
The first step in damage prevention is to secure your product properly. Where possible it should be wrapped in a purpose built box. A great example of this is the boxes that cell phones arrive in. The phone is in a separate compartment to the accessories and is unable to move while in transit.
Of course this doesn’t prevent the parcel from being thrown around but it will help to protect the phone.
If you haven’t got a purpose designed box then use one as close to the size of your item as possible and pack the surrounding area with foam or any other material you have. This will help to stop your item from moving and absorb some of the impact if dropped, banged or even stabbed.
The right packaging really can make a difference.
Reputable Service
The next step is to choose a delivery service that has a good reputation for delivering on time and has a low number of incidents regarding damaged goods.
It should be easy to check the statistics online and speak to other users of a specific service. You may even find comments regarding the service on social media.
Once you have located the right delivery service you may be able to negotiate a better price with them; this will depend on the volume you are shipping through them.
Damage Control
The next thing to invest in is damage indicators. These are small devices that fit to your boxes and will tell the receiver whether the item has been tilted to far, bashed, stabbed, or even been subject to temperatures that are too hot or too cold.
This is a great way of making the carrier service pay more attention and be more careful when delivering your products. It can also help resolve issues earlier.
For example, if a parcel arrives damaged the customer will come to you expecting a refund and you’ll need to pursue the delivery service. This can be a lengthy process especially if it is simply your word against theirs. During this process you’ll be out of pocket.
A damage indicator will stop the customer from accepting the product and place the blame firmly on the delivery service. The process of reclaiming funds from them to compensate is then much easier.
It is important to make your customers aware of the steps you take to ensure their item arrives in good condition. They should also know what their responsibilities are; this will help to alleviate any issues.