When a consumer orders something online, the average shipment reaches him/her within the promised time. Generally, that’s the case. But what happens during holiday seasons?
Today, most people want to shop online and get their Christmas gifts delivered home. The holiday season is quite a pandemonium for shipping carriers. A lot of shoppers order at the last possible minute and shipping carriers miss packages in all the rush. Christmas also brings in its share of bad weather. Shoppers almost forget that drivers, delivery people would also want to spend their Christmas with their families. The surge results in a lot of late and sometimes lost shipments.
Damage control
UPS has, in the past, stated that it is impossible to deliver every single holiday shipment within time. Thanks to this online retailers like Amazon have refunded shipping charges associated with impacted shipments. Amazon also provided a $20 gift card to the affected people.
Here is an account of such shipping issues.
Retailers say that handling an increased number of orders in a shorter period is always a problem. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, there are very few buyers but the holiday season is a mad rush. Statistics claim that typically, during the mad rush, about 15% of online shoppers who order items by retailers’ specified cutoff dates don’t get their packages by Christmas Eve. And with more people opting for online shopping and more gifts being shipped in the mail, the volume of errors is likely to rise, say industry people. It is because retailers do not want to refuse a deal. They think they can take orders up to the last minute, but it is just not that easy.
Retailers generally hire more seasonal workers during the season, to accommodate the work load. And to bypass this bottleneck, retails chains also promote pick up options for online purchases.
As a retailer, it makes sense to be realistic and promise what you can deliver. As a shipping carrier, the holiday season means a surge in revenue AND a surge in late shipments.
Late shipment and refunds
Whether it is during the holiday season or not, shipping carriers offer a late shipment refund if they fail to deliver within the promised time. You are eligible to collect refunds for such late shipments. Make sure that you file for such claims and collect refunds.
As a retailer, it makes sense for you to invest in a relationship with one single shipping partner. Stick to a reputed brand and have an account with them. This makes tracking shipments easier. Consequently, it also makes refund claims and collection simpler.
Click here to automate your shipping refunds for free
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