When entrepreneurs think fulfilment, usually its centred on third-party logistics (3PL) as an operational function used to enable goods ordered to be delivered to customers. Of course, 3PL is an important backend process – multiple tasks and people must harmonise for 3PL to be a seamless operation and then there is the focus on cost reduction, both in-house staffing levels and costs associated with freight and postage.
Often, we don’t think about 3PL from a brand and customer satisfaction perspective. Yet, happy customers are key to return business and word-of-mouth referrals. Happy customers become brand champions and advertise your brand for free.
Of course, every brand touchpoint your customer has will leave an impression and this includes 3PL. We believe 3PL is an under-used opportunity to really enhance your brand. It’s an opportunity to surprise and delight your customers.
Some of our more forward thinking 3PL entrepreneurs are doing this already, but if you’re not, consider shifting your focus to enhancing your brand’s image, not just on 3PL transactional processes.
For example,
- Surprise inclusions – product samples, thank you cards, unexpected coupons that can be used for their next purchase. Showing you appreciate someone’s business is a great way to enhance your brand’s image and enhance 3PL to give customers a reason to return again.
- Follow up emails – Marketers everywhere are perfecting the art of emailing order status and making 3PL tracking available. This is not new as a concept, but you can really reinforce your relationship with your customer by emailing them with the latest status of their order.
- Address the issues, fast – Everyone experiences returns, quality issues, customers changing their mind and more. How you handle issues is extremely important. You can either handle them in a way to really impress your customer or not. People who have a bad experience tend to tell many, many people about their poor experience.
So, we hope you’ll think of your third-party logistics in a whole new way. Then talk to the friendly, expert logistics team on 1300 337 100 to find out how 3PL Melbourne can help your brand make a great impact.