Every eCommerce business should operate under the guiding principle of “sell to deliver” (sell to deliver on both the goods and the customer’s happiness). Product fulfilment is the word used to describe the back-end process that goes from receiving a product to delivering it to the customer’s doorstep in a timely and efficient manner.
The “returns and exchanges” procedure is an active element of eCommerce enterprises, therefore the concept of eCommerce product fulfilment may go beyond door-to-door delivery. As a result, product fulfilment may be defined as the whole process of product delivery, including receiving the product, packaging, transporting, delivering, exchanging, and even returning the goods.
There is a direct correlation between speeding up the product fulfilment process and increasing the cost of doing business. UX design agency can assist in these processes.
What is product fulfilment?
Your items are delivered to your customers when they place an order via your e-commerce site. But this is a misleadingly easy description of what is really a wide-ranging process that touches many aspects of your organization.
A product’s journey to your customer has already been a lengthy and complicated one. Your supplier or manufacturer is more likely to be the source of the problem. Before it reaches your warehouse or fulfilment facility, it may have to travel through many countries. When it is received, everything is meticulously put onto well-ordered racks so that a new product can be promptly identified. It is then chosen, packaged and dispatched to the customer when an order is made.
You may have chosen to hire a drop shipping provider to handle your shipment, packing slips, label printing, etc., depending on your storage and merchandising requirements. We’re going to assume for the sake of this post that you’re working with a single point of contact for all of these different procedures.
1. Be honest about the inventory sales
Make sure you don’t mislead your customers regarding supply levels. If a product is out of stock or will take a long time to arrive, it should be made explicit on the product page where it may be bought. Be sure to put up banners around your site that explain what to anticipate and apologise for any trouble this may have caused, especially if you’re having widespread delays. If you don’t surprise your customers at the last minute, you’ll be more likely to get their buy-in. Those who expect their products in a couple of days should not be told that it would take six weeks to arrive after they’ve completed the checkout process.
2. Use Omnichannel
The post-purchase plan is all about keeping customers satisfied until they’re ready to buy again. We can’t force someone to make a purchase, no matter how many 5% coupons we send them. An omnichannel approach will be the buzzword as you prepare to accommodate anything else that may be necessary to support your next transaction.
Get as much of your shipping and fulfilment handled as possible before moving on to the next step. Omnichannel fulfilment may be achieved by looking for methods to provide the same locations and processes for all products. A third-party logistics company (3PL) may run the warehouse for you, or you can do this yourself if you choose.
You have complete control over the packing, returns, and a slew of other aspects that may be tailored to match the specific needs of your customers. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to save money on shipping.
It is possible to utilize the same inventory for products from Facebook and Instagram sales, your own website, or marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon. If you do it correctly, you can even fulfil Amazon Prime products yourself or via a 3PL.
3. Transparent store policies
No one wants to be surprised by shady or ambiguous terms and conditions for privacy policies or agreements. 99% of respondents consented to terms and conditions without reading them in an experiment that featured ludicrous terms and conditions, such as allowing permission to name a user’s firstborn child, in terms and conditions that were included.
All of your policies should be publicly visible at different stages along the sales funnels to eliminate any ambiguity. Rather than hiding behind the tiny print, you establish a feeling of confidence and security for your clients by proactively disclosing such crucial information. Higher conversion rates, more revenue, and improved profit margins may all result from this.
4. Automated confirmation emails
It’s crucial to send a confirmation email to customers in product to ensure a positive experience. Send an email to your client to inform them that their purchase has been received, the total amount, and the mode of delivery. A copy of the product confirmation email might serve as a fast reference for anybody involved in this transaction who has queries concerning the product.
Do not wait until the last minute to send out a confirmation email when you don’t have the means to do so. Your customers are more likely to return if they are able to easily and swiftly traverse their post-purchase experience.
Additional excellent practices to keep in mind while composing your confirmation email template are these:
- All the specifics of their product, including the number of items purchased and any changes they may have made to the transaction.
- A detailed breakdown of any extra costs, such as taxes and shipping, that may be incurred.
- Information about shipping, such as an estimated time of arrival
- Sending a handwritten note of gratitude
5. Enable simple returns
Returns are an important element of the product fulfillment process in eCommerce, even if you don’t think of them as such. Having your fulfilment centre accept returned items and immediately update your online inventory levels will ensure that those products are dispatched out as promptly as feasible. More than half of UK buyers say they won’t shop at businesses if they don’t provide free returns, therefore it’s important to have clear return policies. product fulfilment and customer satisfaction may both benefit from streamlining the returns procedure.
Many individuals want to establish a long-term, trusting connection with the businesses that provide them with the goods and services they need. A solid customer journey pipeline may have a significant impact on your business’s bottom line.
Summing Up
Providing an exceptional customer experience with the help of a Magento agency UK not only improves your relationship with the individual consumer but also with anybody who hears about it.
