Seems that everything is on a subscription these days. Entertainment, groceries, news, and even specialty goods. It’s difficult to find something these days that isn’t on a subscription service, and for some things it’s a bargain! But that can make more work for you as a business. Instead of just shipping what orders you get, now you have orders AND a regular package to be sent out to a large number of recurrently paying clients.
The good thing is that there’s a certain amount of predictability in subscription box logistics. You generally know how much inventory you need, and can get pretty well prepared in advance. The reliability of your subscription box service will determine your business’ ability to retain customers, and keep customers renewing subscriptions. Therefore, to help your customers get the best of your subscription boxes, and to help you keep your customers happy, here are some subscription box shipping tips that every business should know.
1. Choose the Right Shipping Partners
The first of our subscription box shipping tips is to get the services of a good shipping partner. The company you align yourself with to handle your shipping concerns will be a huge decision, simply because when people agree to a subscription, the expectation is that in exchange for regular payments, customers receive a well packaged, and punctual stream of supplies.
What to Look for in a Shipping Partner
To make sure you’re getting the best shipping partner, you need to take into account shipping speed, cost, whether or not they offer parcel tracking, and their customer service capabilities. Some of the most reputable shipping partners include FedEx Corp, Royal Mail, UPS (United Parcel Service), and Aramex.
Of all the subscription box logistics you’ll have to deal with in your business, this could be the most important.
2. Set Clear Delivery Expectations
Businesses are built on expectation. Commerce of all kinds constitutes a promise, one rendered legally binding through the claims made by a business, and the exchange of currency. It’s why we might demand a full refund or replacement for an expensive item from a reputable dealer, while we’re more than willing to accept the fact that if we got something from Temu, the item quality is likely on the lower end .
Therefore make sure that you’re setting the right expectations. Familiarise yourself with shipping times for different regions and make sure that you communicate these to your customers. By the same token, make sure that you supply tracking information where possible, and that you’re giving customers delivery updates.
Customers are impatient for goods (especially expensive ones), and expect to receive them in a timely manner.
Not only that, but people will generally be more forgiving of delays if they’re communicated beforehand. Set the right expectations, then be proactive in maintaining those expectations.
3. Packaging for Protection and Branding
So much of what makes a business successful isn’t shipping the packages, it’s about knowing how to ship subscription boxes. Making sure that your packages speak with your brand is important. A brand constitutes the aesthetics, and “personality” of a product. The way people associate Apple with sleek, minimalist design and efforts to innovate, people need to have similar associations with your brand.
Establishing a Brand Through Subscription Boxes
What causes does your brand support? What audience does it align itself with? When you have a business you need to have a brand voice, and this should be evident in your packaging. Custom-made branded boxes can really help in this endeavour, as well as packaging protection that is coloured in your brand’s colour scheme all serve to drive home your brand identity. Using eco-friendly materials for your packaging is also a great way to show that you’re a company with a cause.
However, as people say, first impressions last. If your customer receives a box with sloppy packaging and damaged products, they’re likely to immediately cancel the sub and spread negative word of mouth.
Make sure your products are packed so that they arrive in perfect condition, otherwise your first impression could very well be your last. However, if your business is just getting started, it is of course okay to start out with simple packaging, and improve subscription box delivery options and aesthetics later.
4. Offer Flexible Shipping Options
Subscription box logistics can be tiresome, but it’s important to understand that everything you do, you do for the customers. They are what keeps your business alive. Customers like one thing above all else - choice.
Offering flexible shipping options will greatly improve your subscription box delivery rates and engagement. This can include things like expedited shipping for urgent sales, or the choice of what day and time a customer might like their package delivered. It can even include options to pick up parcels! Work with your shipping partner to see what’s possible and then present the options to your customers. They’ll be ever thankful and your business will thrive.
5. Track and Analyse Shipping Performance
Customers are impatient, that’s just a fact. Whenever someone makes an order for something, they want it yesterday. It’s part of the fun of getting a package. Subscription box delivery, customer engagement, and customer retention can be infinitely improved when you offer customers the ability to track their packages. Nothing is more exciting than opening up your phone to see where your latest package is.
Additionally, this data allows you, as a business, to analyse the success of your subscription box logistics. You can catalogue the times and dates of shipping, delivery, and customer’s receipt of delivery. You can also gather client feedback and use this to enhance your own services. Analysing the data behind your company is paramount to its success.
6. Handle Shipping Issues Gracefully
Most celebrities get PR training to face the public. Very few small businesses can afford the expenditure. We all have a horror story of receiving a broken or missing item in a delivery, and then being faced with a difficult business representative or owner that handled the issue badly.
Make sure you’re not one of these people. The customer isn’t always right, but they are always the king. When disputes happen, if there is genuinely an issue with the item, offer sincerest apologies, a refund, and/or replacement of the item. Discounts or free gifts by way of apology also turn sour situations sweet. However, if a customer is acting entitled or smearing your brand, feel free to engage them with courtesy and dignity while publicly setting the record straight.
But as the experts subscription box logistics, before you ship anything, you’re going to need to have the supplies to ship it. Boxes, envelopes, bags, bubblewrap, etc. Check out our full range of shipping and delivery products online, including eco-friendly options, or give us a call on 02 8750 5347 to discuss your options.