Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Christmas Preperation: Shipping and Order Prep


Christmas Preparation: Shipping and Customer Service

Christmas is looming very near as we swing into October. So far we have completed our business plan, perfected our process and packaging, and lined up our vendors (see previous posts for more details). Christmas can get stressful for everyone and to relieve a little stress in both your life and your customers, it is important to stay on top of your shipping and your customer service.

Step 1: Have an ample supply of shipping materials

For a long time I was going to a local store to get my packaging. I was over paying and sometimes they were even out of stock. Here is my little shipping secret for quality inexpensive mailers with FREE shipping--STOCK UP!

http://www.royalmailers.com/Bubble-Mailers.html

Step 2: Update your shop announcements

During Christmas season it is important for your customers to be aware of your shipping deadlines. Include an estimated time it takes to ship out your items. I always over estimate just in case I make a mistake or have to redo an order.

Most shipping companies post shipping date deadlines in order to receive a package by Christmas. This is IMPERATIVE to post in your shop. This protects your reputation and gives your customers an accurate time frame in which they can expect their package to arrive. Be proactive!

Lastly, make sure to offer a faster shipping option in your shop. Many handmade venues do not allow those type of listing by themselves but you can make a note in your shop announcements that you offer faster shipping and to contact you for details.

Step 3: Customer Service

When you are buried in orders it is easy to let your customer service slide with unanswered emails and misplaced requests. There are some very simple things you can do to stay on top. First, decide on one method of communication with your customers. I recommend email because email allows you to organize and send multiple notices at once without muting your account. If someone contacts you through other means I often ask them to email me or I email myself with the information so that I do not forget the request.

Second, send out emails when an order is shipped. You can easily do this by copying each email address as you fill out packages. Copy all the addresses for that days orders and paste them (make sure to blind copy!) into an email. This allows the customer to easily notify you if there is a problem with their purchase or shipping by simply hitting reply. The faster they notify you the faster you can alleviate the issue.


Have a wonderful week everyone!

5 comments:

Robin@creations-anew.com said...

Great Advice...I'm working on getting stock ready....so I don't have to spend alot of time printing and or ordering prints.
Robin
http://www.creations-anew.com

Tereza Crump said...

great tips...thanks for the packaging materials website. :)

Lenox Knits said...

Great advise to stay proactive. I didn't have this problem last year but hopefully I'll be feeling the crunch this year.

Anonymous said...

Great advice. Especially about the emailing customers and using BLIND COPY! Thanks so much for posting this; continue to help us newbies out!

Melissa said...

Thank you for the great advise!!