The moment a customer places an order, the order fulfillment process begins and only ends when the order has reached the customer’s hands. But if the customer is not content with their order, you will also need to manage returns and refunds. So beyond evaluating the benefits of custom packaging, you must develop a robust order management system.
Order management is critical for all e-commerce businesses. Collecting and storing inventory, delivering orders, and managing the post-sale process are key functions your business must succeed in to eliminate the cost of various mistakes, reduce shipping fees, and save on a number of resources.
Superior order fulfillment also plays a major role in customer satisfaction.
Here’s how you can improve the entire order management process for your e-commerce business.
Create A Refund And Return Policy
It’s pretty normal to receive a significant number of returns in e-commerce. Customers won’t be able to try the product before purchasing it, so they may need to adjust the size, color, or other details. There are also times when customers realize the product is not suitable at all. As a result, e-commerce businesses need to implement refund and return policies that consider the likeliness of order replacements and refunds to make it as easy as possible for the customer.
If customers find it frustrating or challenging to replace or refund an order, they might leave a negative review that could cripple your sales. Beyond creating important policies, you can also improve this step of order management with innovative e-commerce returns management.
Boost Storage Capacity
Warehouse storage is often critical in e-commerce fulfillment, so it’s important that your e-commerce business has access to sufficient storage. But because the enormous cost of affording extensive warehouse space is often not plausible for startups and smaller e-commerce businesses, you could consider relying on e-commerce order fulfillment services.
These services provide short-term storage while assisting with receiving orders, picking, packing, shipping, and logistics.
Find Credible Suppliers
If your company relies on suppliers for any resources, it’s vital to rely on credible suppliers. The right suppliers can ensure the order fulfillment process runs smoothly. At the same time, the wrong suppliers could delay the process before it even starts.
Beyond confirming quality and prices, you must also consider supplier locations to make sure they align with your e-commerce business needs.
Give Customers Real-Time Updates
Shoppers tend to eagerly await the arrival of their online orders attentively enough to notice when deliveries are even a few minutes late. And while a few minutes won’t harm your reputation, it could upset customers greatly if their orders are delayed by any longer than half an hour. Even so, you must notify your customers of the delay the moment it happens.
As such, customers should receive notifications each step of the way, from order processing to packing, shipping, delays, and delivery confirmation. You can provide this service for your customers by investing in an ecommerce order management system that can provide your customers with automated notifcations throughout the entire process, boosting their satisfaction levels in your business and encouraging them to return and use your service in the future. Live order tracking is another excellent way to keep customers in the loop regarding their orders.
Creating straightforward return and refund policies, relying on e-commerce fulfillment services, finding credible suppliers in convenient locations, and implementing real-time updates and order tracking are just a few effective yet simple ways to improve order management in e-commerce.
