Few things are more aggravating than receiving a package that’s incurred noticeable damage or been outright destroyed while in transit. This can be particularly frustrating for businesses that regularly ship merchandise to large numbers of clients. Even if they aren’t to blame for the condition of a damaged package, many clients are liable to hold them responsible, demand their money back and think twice about doing business with them in the future. While some packages are broken or damaged due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control, the majority of these incidents are easily avoidable. Anyone looking to ensure that their packages have safe journeys to their respective destinations should heed the following pointers.
- Proper Packing
Despite being overlooked by many senders, proper packing is often a vital step in ensuring a package’s safe delivery. People have a tendency to place delicate cargo in boxes and shipping containers that are too large. Since extra space provides cargo with room to slide around, there are ample opportunities for damage and breakage throughout its journey. You can nip this problem in the bud by carefully measuring the cargo you wish to send, as well as prospective shipping containers. Although your cargo should fit snugly, the ideal shipping container should also have a little bit of breathing room, which should be filled with cushioning.
- Proper Classification
When shipping delicate items, it’s imperative that your preferred shipping service be aware of the level of fragility they’re dealing with. So before sending a delicate package on its way, make sure the shipping service knows exactly what’s being sent and how careful they need to be. In all likelihood, they have established protocols in place for handling the item(s) in question. Such protocols typically entail storing fragile packages away from other shipments and being extra careful when handling them. Conversely, failing to bring a package’s fragility to the attention of a shipping service practically guarantees that the shipment won’t receive the special treatment it requires.
- Proper Shipping
If you regularly ship delicate cargo, you’d be wise to seek out a shipping service with a proven track record of safely delivery fragile items. Giving your business to a shipping service that’s consistently proven itself unreliable in this regard is likely to work out poorly for both you and the package’s recipient. To confirm that delivery personnel are being as delicate as they claim, consider equipping your shipments with dependable monitoring tools. A responsive impact monitor, for example, can provide you with firsthand insight into the shipping conditions faced by the packages you send.
For better or worse, noticeably damaged packages tend to reflect just as poorly on the sender as the shipping service. Needless to say, if your business revolves around shipping merchandise, consistently damaged packages can adversely impact your financial bottom line. As such, no business can afford to put good shipping practices on the backburner. Fortunately, putting the previously discussed tips into practice can help make damaged packages a thing of the past.
