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Products are always on the move, which means things will go wrong along the way. This could be a defect in its production at the factory, an organic component expiring, or damage while being shipped.

In product fulfillment, successful delivery of products is the lifeblood of a business. That’s why if a client orders something and it turns up damaged, you can bet there will be a complaint. And if that happens, it’s up to you to rectify it.

If It Ain’t Broke

Dealing with damaged and defective products begins and ends with your shipping and logistics solutions. Based on these, your business will either have to mitigate the problem itself or pass the problem off to a third party.

Proper order fulfillment and a good processing system that provides order confirmations and invoices are necessities. With today’s reliance on digital media, electronic invoices and/or receipts sent to clients via e-mail are the ideal forms of shipping confirmation. Clients should also be provided with tracking information so they can keep tabs on where their product is, even if you are using mailing fulfillment services.

It also helps to have some sort of insurance policy prepared for when products get lost, stolen, or damaged while in transit. A lot of businesses include this as a mandatory part of their service fees while others make it optional.

When it comes to other damage or errors, sometimes you’ll have no choice but to fix the problem on your own. For example, if there were issues with your kitting assembly and a client didn’t get what they were supposed to, send it to them with an extra gift, such as coupons, as compensation and to apologize for the error. And if the product is damaged once they receive it, be ready to have it sent back for inspection and have the means to refund fees quickly.

Shipping and Handling

In fact, giving the clients options on how they want to have products shipped, including the aforementioned optional insurance, is a good way to properly handle any damage that could happen. Also, by placing the decision in the hands of the client, less blame can be placed on your business if there are any problems.

Bad things can happen and products can get broken mid-delivery, but you can overcome this by working out your shipping methods for product fulfillment in advance.

Need solutions to your product fulfillment problems? APS Fulfillment, Inc. has the knowledge and services to make your direct mail and product fulfillment ventures more successful. Contact APS Fulfillment, Inc. by e-mail at [email protected], visit their web site at www.apsfulfillment.com, or phone at (954) 582-7450.

Also read: How to Deal with Common Product Fulfillment Problems?

What You Got

Learning, studying, applying, taking courses, building skills, and trial and error. If these words sound familiar to what your job entails, you are in good company. There seems to be a large emphasis these days on pros putting all their skills in one basket in regards to what they know, what they can learn, and how they can apply it all.

For product fulfillment pros, this accumulation of skills and knowledge is crucial—it’s how you attract both clients and colleagues.

One Versus the Other

 There was Coke vs. Pepsi, then Burger King vs. McDonald’s, Star Trek vs. Star Wars, Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings, and, for some, Lady Gaga vs. Madonna. When you’ve got two parties doing two similar things, it’s simply a matter of deciding which one is better.

Now before some of you dismiss these arguments as a matter of personal taste or as being trivial, there is some merit to these debates.