Package Theft and Missed Deliveries: 7 Ways to Protect Your Business Shipments
A client has 3 days for a contract to be on a porch. This results in a shipment of inventory that appears “delivered” but does not arrive. A spare part bounces up and down between carriers while your team waits. A lost or stolen package isn't just a package for entrepreneurs or small business owners. It translates to postponed orders, unhappy customers, and cash down the drain.
Fortunately, many delivery issues can be avoided. Read on to learn about seven practical measures you can take to keep your business packages safe, including tips on more savvy delivery practices and services that make package delivery easier for you.
Why Package Theft and Missed Deliveries Hurt Small Businesses
Lost and delayed shipment is more expensive than the product the shipment contains.
There are large businesses taking up delivery problems with their own mail room and receiving staff. That's usually not the case for small businesses. You end up paying for the replacement of the package, spending time on claims, and may end up letting a customer down because he/she was expecting you.
Undelivered deliveries are a lessened form of the same issue. Carriers leave notices and packages are returned to depots, and the one person who can sign is not available. These little interruptions accumulate over the year, and result in lost productivity and opportunities.
7 Ways to Protect Your Business Shipments
1. Stop Shipping Business Packages to Your Home
Your delivery chain has one weak link to the residential address.
Home addresses are frequently vacant during the working hours, and a porch is seen by any passer-by. Orders for shipping businesses also include your personal address on shipping labels, websites, and invoices.
This is where a separate business address comes in handy. For instance, the home-based online retailer who sends out inventory from a commercial address doesn't have to schedule his day around the delivery truck.
2. Use a Mail Service in Houston That Accepts Packages
If you are unable to sign up for delivery at your location, a staffed site may do so.
When you have mail sent to your business, you know that it will find a person to accept it during your hours of operation when you have a reliable mail service in Houston. The carrier delivers the box to a person, rather than leaving it on a doorstep, significantly decreasing risk of porch theft.
Find a provider that will let you know when goods are delivered so that you can either pick up or arrange forward. Office In America Business Addresses & Mail Handling is a solution designed for small businesses to ensure shipments reach their destination.
3. Track Every Shipment and Set Delivery Alerts
When you are able to see what is going to happen, things are just normal occurrences.
Carrier tracking numbers and text/email notifications for all incoming shipments. Maintain an online spreadsheet of what was ordered, who ordered it, when it is expected, and tracking link.
If a package is late or it appears it has been delivered but it hasn't, you'll find out within hours, not weeks. It's sufficient to check once a day for five minutes and most importantly with regards to valuable or time-sensitive items.
4. Require Signatures for High-Value Deliveries
A signature makes it easier to prevent theft, and it makes it a record.
If you're looking for expensive inventory, equipment, or legal paperwork, ask the sender or the carrier to confirm with a signature. A signature is the mark of a real person accepting the package and provides proof if there are any issues with it later.
Signature requirements will only be effective if there is someone to sign. That's another good reason to have an address that's stuffed rather than a house that's empty or a locked suite.
5. Choose Secure Delivery Options
It's simpler to redirect a package than to recover one that's been stolen.
Most carriers or retailers offer a locker to hold packages, delivery to a locker, or a window for delivery. If you can't ensure someone is there, use these options.
Make it the norm to order from vendors and suppliers at your business address; change your business address on all online accounts. Rushing cannot be the result of an old place.
6. Pair Package Handling with Live Phone Answering
There aren't delivery issues that need to be resolved if someone picks up the phone.
Sometimes the carriers may call to verify an address or make other arrangements to reschedule a delivery. When no one is picking up, the package is returned to the truck. When you have a live receptionist on your business line, your calls get answered and when customers call to enquire about an order, they connect with a live person.
Office In America's answering services for businesses not only provide a business address, but they also ensure that communication and deliveries remain in one place.
7. Build a Delivery Process Your Team Follows
Most avoidable mistakes are avoided by a simple written process.
Record package receiver, storage location, and package logging procedure. A one-page checklist makes it helpful for a two-person team.
Stipulate the quick reporting of damaged or lost items as carriers have deadlines for claims. I would suggest that one person is assigned to track incoming shipments on remote teams and pass on to other members of the team as necessary.
Common Package Handling Mistakes to Avoid
Just a few repetitive practices create numerous delivery issues.
Here are three common pitfalls: After delivery, leaving the packages unattended; not using the same address for all vendor accounts; and not monitoring shipments after the order confirmation. All of them are very easy to correct with a steady address, straightforward tracking and a transparent point person to receive.
Another common error is not to think about delivery as a priority until they realize something is missing. It's better to invest 30 minutes in establishing a process than it is to incur the cost of the replacement of the lost shipment later.
How a Virtual Office Helps Prevent Delivery Problems
A virtual office is a single service that provides a professional address, the handling of mail, and live support.
The best virtual office in Houston provides more than a mailing address. Find a delivery person who responds to your calls and provides you with an address you're proud to advertise on your website, invoices, and business card.
Office In America, and Houston-based companies, bring them all together. A business address and mail processing helps to keep your packages safe; a phone answering service helps to keep your calls covered, and your mail and phone answering service can expand alongside your business.
Conclusion: Protect Your Shipments and Your Reputation
Package theft and missed packages need not be a cost of business. Get items out of your house, monitor what is coming and ask for signatures on valuable items, and establish a simple process your team can follow. A professional business address, mail handling and live phone answering provide a solid base for everything else.
All set to keep your business delivery and operations moving smoothly? Check out business addresses, mail handling, answering phones, conference rooms, private offices, and flexible space in Houston at Office In America.
Office In America Co. is a prominent provider of comprehensive solutions customized to meet the diverse requirements of businesses, ranging from startups to well-established enterprises. We offer a wide array of services aimed at empowering businesses of all sizes, including virtual office in Houston, physical addresses for businesses, and workspaces, providing unparalleled assistance.
Our flexible coworking spaces and state-of-the-art meeting rooms foster an atmosphere of collaboration, networking, and increased productivity. With well-equipped facilities and a vibrant community, businesses can thrive and accomplish their objectives.
By partnering with Office In America Co., businesses can confidently concentrate on their core operations, knowing they have access to a cost-effective, flexible, and professional workspace solution. Explore the advantages of working with us today by visiting www.OfficeInAmerica.com.
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