If your business ships merchandise to clients on a regular basis, you’d be wise to periodically reevaluate your shipping practices. Unsurprisingly, companies that develop reputations for sending out improperly-packaged, damaged or outright broken merchandise tend to lose clients at a rapid clip. Sure, the occasional mishap is unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean businesses shouldn’t constantly strive to do better in the shipping department. Any enterprise looking to improve its shipping practices and increase client satisfaction can benefit from the following measures.

Improper Packaging

A company’s packaging choices have the power to make or break a successful shipment. When shipping computer equipment, machine parts and other delicate cargo, businesses need to ensure that these items have suitable shipping containers and ample cushioning. For example, selecting shipping containers that are too large or too small is practically guaranteed to result in a rough journey. Additionally, failing to provide adequate cushioning is liable to result in items becoming damaged or broken while in transit.

If your business’s packaging practices could use some work, reach out to your preferred shipping company. In addition to providing you with an abundance of valuable pointers, many of these companies will take the packaging process off your hands entirely.

Unreliable Shipping Services

Businesses that regularly ship merchandise need to acquaint themselves with dependable shipping services. Continuing to do business with a shipping service that consistently damages packages, loses shipments or misses delivery windows can be tremendously inconvenient to both you and your clients. Furthermore, many clients are likely to equate mistakes made by your preferred shipping service with mistakes made by your company.

With this in mind, seek out shipping services that are well-suited to your company’s needs. For instance, any service you do business with should be experienced in handling the type of merchandise your company specializes in. Secondly, the ideal service will have a proven knack for making deliveries on time and delivering cargo in its original condition.

Lack of Monitoring Tools

Certain types of cargo are particularly sensitive to rocking, jostling and impacts. However, if such cargo doesn’t feature any outward blemishes, damage incurred throughout the shipping process may prove impossible to notice until it’s too late. As such, businesses that specialize in delicate merchandise should consider investing in cutting-edge monitoring tools. A responsive shock watch or impact monitor will meticulously log any damage a shipment suffers while en route to its destination, thus providing its recipient with a full accounting of what their merchandise endured.

A business’s shipping practices can say a lot about its general approach to client satisfaction. For example, if a company consistently ships merchandise in an improper or haphazard manner, it’s only natural for clients to assume that their needs don’t really matter. That being the case, any enterprise that wishes to maintain a steady base of satisfied clients would be wise to remedy any issues with their shipping practices. When working to stamp out shipping problems, the previously discussed pointers are sure to prove useful.