The holiday season is fast approaching. Start refreshing your holiday shipping strategy for your business now. We understand that navigating the shipping landscape during its busiest season can be overwhelming, which is why we’ve outlined seven best practices to follow to ensure your shipments make it into the hands of your customers safely and on time.
1. Be discreet with external packaging
Criminals are more likely to steal packages when words like “gem,” “jewelry,” or the name of a jeweler are listed on the outside of a package. Words like these or trademarks like GIA®, Hearts On Fire®, or Pandora® not only increase the likelihood of a loss, but they likely void your insurance coverage completely. Instead, try using acronyms, abbreviations, or even a person’s name to help keep criminals at bay.
Another great way to protect the package through the packaging itself is by using pressure-sensitive packaging tape on both box ends. This will provide additional security to the self-adhesive closures on most carrier boxes.
2. Avoid drop-boxes, third-party businesses and non-carrier drop-off locations
Third-party alternatives, such as The UPS Store®, PostalAnnex®, Walgreens®, and CVS®, may be convenient during the holiday rush, but may leave you short on insurance coverage.
Insurance typically begins with the carrier receipt scan and ends with the carrier delivery scan (third-party scans are not considered a carrier scan). That leaves a gap in coverage when the third party has possession of your package. Instead, ensure packages are handed directly to carrier personnel and get a system-generated scan receipt since coverage commences upon scan by the carrier.
3. Personally contact your recipient to confirm the package arrived as expected
Increased shipping volumes during the holidays can lead to relaxed carrier and scanning protocols, which increases the chance of human error. Reach out directly to the recipient either by email or phone to confirm the package was delivered. This personal touch can further strengthen your relationship with the client and build trust.
4. Consult your carriers to identify ways to secure your account
Depending on the carrier, measures can be taken to restrict access and prevent fraudulent redirects of your shipments which means added peace of mind for you and a reduced chance of stolen packages.
5. Opt for expedited service
As shipping volumes increase, services such as Priority Mail, Ground, and three-day services tend to slow down and leave expectations unmet. Upgrading to two-day services or even overnight will likely provide the client experience you desire and statistically increase delivery success rates.
6. Double-check recipient address for typographical errors or missing suite numbers
You already know the holidays can be hectic. What you may not know is that carrier turnaround on address changes typically slows shipment by a full 24–48 hours. We recommend taking a few extra seconds while preparing a package to double-check that all needed shipping details are included. This simple, but often forgotten step, can make all the difference when working to meet holiday shipping deadlines.
7. Report losses as soon as possible
If you’re using JM™ Shipping Solution, it’s important to report potentially lost or stolen packages to our team as soon as you suspect a problem. The JM™ Shipping Solution team will work swiftly and diligently with the carrier for possible recovery. The sooner our team gets involved, the higher the chance of recovering your shipment.
Not already signed up? Register for JM™ Shipping Solution on the Zing® marketplace to compare shipping options side-by-side, save shipping labels for future use, receive loss prevention guidance in real-time, intelligently insure your packages, and much more.
