Shipping errors are increasing across the United States, with almost 5% of mail not reaching its destination. Not only can this be frustrating for customers, but it can also cause businesses to endure a great financial loss as these parcels add up, especially since they will need to replace and resend the products that their customers have ordered. As such, here is what businesses should do about the increase in shipping errors across the United States and how they can protect their companies in the future.
What is the cause of increased shipping errors?
There are many reasons why shipping errors are increasing. Many addresses are more complex than they used to be; addresses might have been provided incorrectly by either the business or the sender, or the driver might not know where to deliver the parcel due to addressing issues. Not only this, but many parcels move through warehouses each day, which can lead to loss and, in some cases, theft. Although business owners might not be able to solve these issues themselves, especially during busy periods such as the holidays, there are many steps that they can take to reduce their losses.
How much money do businesses lose?
It is estimated that businesses lose around $20 million a year through shipping errors. This shocking amount of money can mean the difference between a company remaining in the red or the green, especially if they offer a limited amount of stock or if this inventory is handmade. This also impacts small businesses more than larger companies, especially if the business owner in question runs their business from home as a side income.
What can businesses do about shipping errors?
Many business owners feel helpless in the face of increased shipping errors. One of the major steps that they can take is to use the correct address labels. By using the right labels, businesses will be able to ensure that the address is clear and that they can reduce possible errors when they transcribe addresses. Using bright and funky options can also allow the address stand out and can mean that the parcel is less likely to get buried under an assortment of other mail. This vivid label can also be fun and unique for a customer to receive. Not only this, but they might choose to paste a return address label onto all of their parcels. These exciting return mailing address labels can prevent their parcels from being discarded if the address cannot be found, meaning that they will be able to resend the product in question without losing any money.
Businesses should also be wary of the shipping company that they use to send out orders. Some are more reputable than others, and it is important that business owners do not simply opt for the cheapest or the quickest. They should also try to send all of their mail through the top tracked courier services so that they can keep an eye on orders and see where late parcels could potentially be. This can boost the security of their parcels, as well as boost the level of customer service they can provide by being able to inform customers of where their order was last seen.
