eCommerce Order Fulfillment Best Practices Throughout the Customer Journey.
Happy customers mean more business. Order fulfillment process is crucial to delivering an exceptional customer experience. The entire fulfillment process begins even before a customer clicks the buy button. Let’s talk a little about customer purchase journey.
Before they buy
A customer is interested in knowing item availability, cost, estimated delivery along with shipping charges before they click the buy button. The return policy is also important to them. Some even take product availability and time of delivery into consideration before making the purchase decision.
During checkout
A customer might still abandon the cart if there is a mismatch between the speed of shipping and their preferences. Shipping costs are always a huge distraction for online shoppers.
After checkout
After making the purchase, a customer expects to receive a confirmation on their order along with a clear way to track the status.
While waiting
Customers expect timely order status updates, including when it is shipped. They want to receive a tracking number and be informed of any unexpected delays.
Post-order receipt
Some customers are eager to leave feedback or review a product after delivery. There are a few who might want to be able to return the item, if necessary.
Related: How To Offer Fast & Affordable Shipping for eCommerce.
An easy to access customer service desk is important.
As the order fulfillment process begins before they make a purchase, eCommerce retailers must start focusing on their eCommerce fulfillment model to provide a seamless, omnichannel experience that guarantees customer satisfaction and nurtures loyalty.
eCommerce Order Fulfillment Best Practices for Success
Data integration
The key to delivering a real omnichannel experience lies in data integration across the supply chain ecosystem. Unless an eCommerce business focuses on connecting data from different sources and ensures real-time access, a true omnichannel experience cannot be delivered.
It is crucial to provide order fulfillment details before a customer decides to make the purchase, failing which, they can easily lose customers to the competition that is transparent in sharing this information.
Providing them with all the details upfront can make the customer buying experience a pleasant one.
Optimize order fulfillment
It is important to review the order fulfillment process and optimize each part of this process to ensure order accuracy and meet demand and expectations. Look for third-party providers who offer a guarantee to meet service-level agreements.
It is in your best interest to upgrade to a cloud-based order management system to get a complete picture of the supply chain ecosystem with third-party integrations.
Get inventory visibility in real time
An eCommerce business cannot succeed unless it delivers a seamless omnichannel experience that guarantees accurate picking and packing of orders along with timely shipment. Real-time visibility into inventory levels is important here.
Automation
Automated services can help a retailer scale their business while cutting down on the chances for errors. Automation can improve efficiency of services and ensure a smooth flow of data without bottlenecks.
Related: 5 Ways Elite OPS eCommerce Fulfillment Can Help You.
Make returns easy
It can help streamline the reverse logistics process to deliver a positive customer experience. Improve efficiency to reduce the risk of returns as it can be a costly proposition and add to the overall cost. With that said, returns will still happen so making return policies clear can ensure a good customer experience.
Strengthen ties with shippers
eCommerce fulfillment is heavily dependent on third-party services. Since delivery experience is critical to customer experience, it is important to renegotiate contracts with shipping carriers. The goal is to improve SLAs so you can deliver a better experience for customers.
The key to delivering an outstanding eCommerce order fulfillment experience lies in proactive communication with prospects, accurate order processing, ensure real-time visibility, and timely shipment. Automation can help eCommerce become more efficient, boost sales, meet customer expectations, and improve loyalty.
Related: 4 Benefits of a Streamlined eCommerce Supply Chain.
Elite OPS and Order Fulfillment
As the leading eCommerce online order fulfillment service provider, Elite OPS is happy to help you exceed customer expectations. With decades of experience in the fulfillment industry, we have a reputation for unsurpassed service with our specialization in warehousing, inventory storage, and drop shipping.
As the champions of order fulfillment, we have all the resources and experience to store your inventory, monitor orders in real time, and ensure timely fulfillment. Our goal is to take the burden of your shoulders so you can focus on core competencies and grow.
Professional eCommerce fulfillment saves time, money, and stress for retailers. It serves to boost your reputation and improve customer experience, which has a positive effect on your bottom line.
All in all, Elite OPS is your partner in growth and can ensure peace of mind, better profitability, and greater customer satisfaction.
Related: How Can a 3PL Cut Operational Costs for eCommerce Businesses?
Elite OPS has been a leader in Shipping and Logistics for over 25 years. Contact Us to find out how we can help you Save Time and Money on Procurement as a Service, eCommerce Order Fulfillment, and Kitting and Assembly.
