IanMillions of international packages make their way to destination points and cross borders every day. And the vast majority of them are the goods people buy from eCommerce businesses operating globally.
While it’s no secret that free package shipping does not actually exist and the seller is the one who has to pay for it, international shipping either costs loads of money for a brand, requires lots of workforces, or both.
Plus, there’s always a chance of late deliveries or lost packages. And suddenly, shipping internationally becomes a true headache.
Thankfully, this struggle a seller experiences can be minimized by knowing how to get the most out of your partner shipping carrier.
Carriers often offer a bunch of additional perks to having you as a long-term partner. And it’s an important thing to have in mind when making a new agreement with a package shipping carrier.
This article will give you a basic understanding of how to make the most out of picking and dealing with a shipping carrier for your eCommerce business (or for your shipments). That way, you’ll be able to make a smart choice by saving both your money and your nerves when choosing a partner package shipping carrier.
Quit Overpaying for Shipping
Spending less on quality services is one of the top priorities for you when choosing a carrier, right?
If it’s a yes, the best way to avoid paying too much and find the cheapest shipping carrier meeting your needs is to simply compare pricing. There are many shipping price comparison sites that give you estimated costs from major US shipping carriers such as DHL, FedEx, and UPS.
Using price comparison sites will give you a primary understanding of what shipping costs to expect regarding the destination country and the country you are shipping from. And believe it or not, it usually varies greatly.
But. There’s always a but. Although DHL, FedEx, or UPS are great for international shipments due to long-term experience, smooth processes, and of course, affordable pricing, comparing a few carriers won’t give a full picture.
Regardless of these big players in global shipping, the US shipping market is crowded with less popular package shipping carriers. Possibly, some of them will also be able to offer you affordable pricing and meet your business needs.
So, do your research ⇓
- Use the shipping price comparison sites ( e.g. Easyship, Upela, etc.)
- Check costs manually with less-known carriers
- Request a custom quote based on your unique business needs
Doing all this will guarantee you’ll find the best shipping partner for your business in terms of pricing.
Prepare to Negotiate
When you choose a shipping carrier for your business, you want to have it for a long period. You do know that bouncing from one to another is exhausting, disrupts work processes, and is wasteful.
But what you may not be aware of is that the shipping carrier needs you likewise you need their services. And you can definitely benefit from that.
When you receive a quote or a long-term offer for shipping services, know that it’s not definite. Usually, there’s plenty of room for negotiation that many businesses forget to take advantage of.
You can lay down your own conditions because as much as you’re interested in having them as a shipping partner, they’re interested in having you as a long-term client.
Want better rates, package insurance, or some extra benefits? Just ask for it!
What’s worse that can happen? Nothing. The carrier can say no and that’s it. You’re free to accept the primary offer or head to another carrier.
Be confident and persistent when making this big decision
Choose a Shipping Carrier Wisely
Picking a good shipping carrier sounds quite simple, but it’s easier said than actually done.
To make it less challenging, the best thing would be to choose a reputable and widely-known international shipping carrier. You cannot go wrong by picking from big-name courier services such as DHL, FedEx, or UPS.
However, if your shipments have a specific route, you might look for other options. Let’s say you operate in the States, but your product is purchased amazingly in the Polish market. So, you’re constantly shipping to Poland from the USA.
And what does that mean regarding picking a carrier? It simply implies that you might consider a carrier specializing in this exact route. That might save you money, shorten delivery times dramatically, and prevent shipping fails.
For example, carriers like AEC Parcel Service which specializes in delivering packages to Eastern European countries may provide a better shipping experience than those shipping to every part of the world.
Consider Convenience and Benefits
If you’re trying to actually get the best out of a shipping carrier, you have to consider what additional value the carrier has to offer.
Put simply, you have to look not only through yours as a seller, but also through the customer’s perspective. Will your customer and your business experience the best package delivery possible without any delivery issues?
What’s here to consider in a nutshell:
- Figure out whether the shipper offers free package insurance covering your product.
- Decide if delivery times and methods are appropriate for your business model.
- Pay attention to the shipping refund policy and compensation for late deliveries.
- Consider the drop-off locations and whether there’s one next to your business spot.
- Will the shipper provide strong customer service for you and your clients? It should.
- Check if the shipper has a real-time tracking tool for both your and your customer’s peace of mind.
Do a Feedback Research
Nothing gives a better picture of a product or service than the experiences of others. Getting familiar with opinions from former or current customers helps to compare competitors, figure out if they offer quality service, and actually makes it easy to decide if the business can be trusted.
The best way of doing it is by reading reviews online. Facebook, Google my Business, Yelp, and other sites where customers express their opinions are the most popular places to look at those stars and words about shipping carriers. In fact, in most cases reading reviews dramatically changes the first impression.
On the other hand, it’s easy to find reviews from simple customers, yet businesses do not tend to share their experiences online. So, if you’re operating in eCommerce, you might want to reach out to your business partners or even competitors asking for their experiences with international shipping carriers.
How LateShipment.com Can Help You
Regardless of which shipping carrier you’re going to choose, the top goal here is to avoid late shipment experiences and have an impeccable shipping service operating along with your business.
However, international shipping is a complex procedure and even the best carriers sometimes fail in delivering packages. That’s where LateShipment.com steps in.
LateShipment.com is the world’s only logistics cloud tool that combines shipping refunds with everything you need to create well-managed, branded delivery experiences despite the odds.
LateShipment.com drives savings in your shipping spend, gives you new revenue channels, better repeat purchase rates, and offers your customers premium delivery experiences. Here’s how we elevate the game for your business.
At LateShipment.com, we aim to transform your customer’s post-purchase journey and make it a memorable experience that encourages fierce customer loyalty.
Our Delivery Experience Management platform powers post-purchase CX success for your business by helping you:
- Stay on top of delays by tracking your in-transit parcels across carriers in real-time.
- Resolve delivery issues proactively with predictive alerts for shipments facing delays.
- Over-communicate with customers facing critical delivery issues.
- Send automated delivery status notifications via email and SMS to reduce your customers’ anxiety.
- Build beautiful, branded order tracking pages, personalized for your customers.
- Capture your customers’ Delivery Satisfaction (DSAT) rating after every order delivery.
Our DEM platform also seamlessly integrates with all your tech-stacks such as eCommerce platforms, CRM systems, Help desk, and Email marketing tools, etc without any change to your existing workflow.
Now, how good is that?
The best part is,
In addition to helping you elevate your customers’ post-purchase experiences, you can also SAVE UP TO 20% on your shipping costs with our Parcel Audit and Shipping Refunds solution, which can help you:
- Audit your monthly shipping invoices for 50+ service failures
- Submit refund claims to your carrier(s) on your behalf
- Deposit the refunded amount directly into your account
- Save you up to 20% of your overall shipping spend.
- Get better service quality from shipping carriers
The value we add to businesses is most evident when experienced first-hand.
Or, get in touch by writing to us at sales@lateshipment.com
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