(Don’t) Give Them A Break:  Avoiding Parcel Shipping Damage

It’s time to share a breaking story about parcel delivery.  And we mean that literally.

According to various studies, anywhere from 7% to 11% of customers’ online orders arrive broken or damaged – a scenario that’s even more likely if products are large (when delivery damages climb to 21%).  And when that happens, it can cost your company big.

In fact, it can cost an eTailer up to 17 times more than the original cost of shipping to replace a damaged product.  And even then, you might have lost the customer’s loyalty.

That’s the bad news.

The worse news is all of those parcel shipping damage studies were conducted before the pandemic. Since that time the number of damaged shipments has gotten even higher, with one researcher reporting a 19.1% increase between February and March.

But this article isn’t about the fact that parcel shipping damages occur. It’s about helping you prevent as many of them as possible via smarter packaging and fulfillment practices like the following. 

Avoid the perception of damage

Let’s start with a fundamental truth: Sometimes a “damaged” product isn’t truly damaged. It only appears that way because its packaging has picked up dings, dents, or dirt along the way.   

As incoming shipments arrive at your fulfillment centers, empower your fulfillment partners to inspect their contents and weed out any items whose primary packaging is in need of First Aid. Then authorize them to clean, repair, or switch out that packaging, as needed. 

This is especially important if your products are high-value. However it’s actually a smart practice for products of any price, since few – if any – customers like to think they’ve received a substandard version of any product, and most won’t hesitate to ask your company to send them another one.

Re-emphasize proper product-container alignment

It may seem elementary to point out that allowing products to shift within their boxes during transit makes them more susceptible to parcel shipping damage. But considering how many of us have received small items in very large boxes, there are clearly a lot of warehousing professionals who haven’t gotten the memo. 

In light of this, it may be time to take a closer look at how diligently your fulfillment personnel are adhering to your company’s official product-box alignment protocols. Do they understand that simply reaching for the first available box rather than taking time to find the right one can be a recipe for damage (and additional dimensional expense)?  Or are they so focused on trying to keep up with high order volumes that they’re just on automatic pilot?

A little extra training on the front end can go a long way toward ensuring these employees use the properly specified boxes more consistently.  So can some extra supervision and inspection before packages are sealed.  Better yet, consider the use of a high-level WMS, which can examine SKU dimensions in an order to automatically specify the optimal box or bag.

Seal the deal

Speaking of sealing, let’s talk about the types of tape or other adhesives you’re using.

While they’re usually not as top-of-mind as boxes or polybags (except to us fulfillment geeks), it’s a mistake to regard tape options as peripheral – or to think that any kind will sufficiently protect your parcel openings. The wrong type of sealing material can leave your items vulnerable to all sorts of unwanted odors, moisture, or dirt during transit, while the right one can keep product safer and pristine.

Ask your fulfillment 3PL or packaging provider to specify a few types (or brands) of sealing materials that they’ve had the best experience with. Then take those materials and your other packaging components for a trial run by sending out test shipments. In the long run, it will help you avoid a lot of sticky customer service complaints.

Customized interior packaging or dunnage can be a win-win

You may think of custom packaging as “just” a great way to promote your brand and improve customers’ unboxing experience. But under the right circumstances, it can also create an additional line of defense between your products and (ahem) “overenthusiastic” parcel delivery professionals – all of which gives you even more reason to consider the merits of things like corrugated dividers, trays, boxes within boxes, or bag-within-box combinations.

If such special touches are beyond your budget, you can still earn wows (while avoiding product “ows”) by using branded pillows, airbags, or other durable, high-quality forms of dunnage instead. It may cost a little extra. But it’s still far cheaper than the cost of having to send out too many replacement products.

Tired of parcel shipping damage?

If your internal operation or 3PL lacks the systems and shipping experience to package products optimally in order to reduce shipping damage, consider working with the eCommerce fulfillment services experts at Staci Americas Fulfillment. We’d love to learn more about your operation to see if we can help. Contact us today to arrange a discussion.