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As your business grows and develops, you may no longer be able to manage your inventory, shipping, and logistics alone. That’s where you may need to partner with a Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider. However, outsourcing something so important as the last mile delivery to an external company comes with risks.
In this guide, we’ll look at a few strategies to ensure that your partnership works in your favor – from ensuring you're choosing the right outsourcing partner to maintaining high standards of communication. Let’s dive in.
Partner With A Logistics Company That Aligns With Your Values And Goals
The first aspect to focus on is the importance of choosing the right partner. You’ll need to find a company that can showcase its expertise and reputation, but you’ll also want a partner who meets your budget needs and future goals.
For example, if you are looking to expand internationally, you’ll need a provider that can comfortably handle large inventories and worldwide delivery. Also, be sure to review the set of values of the company you are going to partner with to ensure you both value customer service, product quality, sustainability, and business longevity.
Review Their Customer Service Standards
Next up, be sure to review the customer service standards of the company you are looking to entrust with the last-mile delivery of your products. Premium 3pl customer service is important because the delivery specialists and technicians who will deliver your products will be the ones in touch with the customer personally. A customer will associate them with your product or company, which can make or break your reputation.
Ask Your Customers For Direct Feedback
If you are struggling to gain an idea of the quality of a certain company or their services, ask your clients directly. You may follow up after a sale to verify that the delivery happened in a timely, quality manner. This can help you supervise the last-mile delivery aspect, which may not have direct control over.
Pro tip: Asking your customers for feedback after the delivery occurred can help you gain insights and prevent them from writing public reviews that may mistakenly associate the poor service quality of a delivery company to your brand name.
Ensure Clear Communication With The 3PL Provider
Outsourcing aspects like delivery, shipping, and logistics management is essential for any growing business. However, outsourcing such important aspects of your business can also have some challenges, such as decreased service quality and security concerns. To address these risks and prevent damage to your company, be sure to keep the lines of communication open with your 3PL provider. This can help you build a relationship of trust and respect, which is necessary to continue growing your brand.
Invest In The Right Tech Tools
Last but not least, be sure to take advantage of the right tech tools to boost your logistics strategy. These include inventory management software, route tracking tools, and real-time tracing. These tools are just some of the ones that can help you build trust in your chosen 3PL provider and ensure a high-quality last-mile delivery service.
