If your business regularly ships items to clients, it’s in your best interest to partner with a dependable shipping company. Businesses that develop a reputation for late, damaged or broken shipments often have trouble attracting new clients and retaining existing ones. Fortunately, with the help of the right shipping company, you’ll be able to put this concern on the backburner and focus your attention on more pressing matters. However, not all shipping companies are equally obliging, so it’s in your best interest to be discerning when exploring your options. Any business on the hunt for a shipping company they can count on should keep an eye out for the following traits.
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1. Strong Accountability
It’s important that any shipping company you give your business to be willing to take full responsibility for its mistakes. If a shipment is lost, damaged or broken while in transit, it’s only fair that the responsible party own up to what happened and take measures to make things right. As any seasoned delivery professional can attest, the occasional mishap is unavoidable. Rather than deflect and try to reassign blame, a dependable shipping company will accept responsibility and reimburse clients for the inconvenience. A shipment being misplaced or broken is bad enough – the last thing you need is a shipping company that refuses to acknowledge and rectify their own blunder.
2. Consistent Timeliness
When shopping around for the right shipping company, many businesses are focused on one thing: getting their shipments to their respective destinations as quickly as possible. Since your clients are expecting to receive their items in the timeliest possible manner, it behooves you to seek out a shipping company that’s able to turn this expectation into a reality. Some companies have a tendency to promise timely shipments and subsequently change their tune once packages are in transit. While it’s true that weather and safety-related delays sometimes can’t be avoided, a reliable shipping company will meet its deadlines in the vast majority of situations.
3. Careful Handling
Every client wants their shipments handled with the utmost care – and while most shipping companies will make this promise, not all of them will honor it. Businesses that ship delicate items, like computer equipment and machine parts, would be wise to seek out shipping companies that are experienced in dealing with fragile cargo. If your shipments require temperature control, shock-absorbent cushioning or any other special amenity, look for a shipping company with a proven track record of careful handling. Additionally, when shipping cargo that’s particularly sensitive to shocks, considering equipping the package with a cutting-edge shock watch.
If shipping assorted items is a large part of what your business does, it pays to proceed with caution when selecting the right shipping company. Placing your trust in a company that regularly misplaces, damages or breaks items is liable to result in shipping mishaps and disgruntled clients. In the interest of saving yourself a number of shipping-related headaches, limit your options to companies that exhibit the qualities discussed above.
