Research from the State of Logistics Outsourcing of shows that 83% of shippers and 98% of third-party logistics (3PL) providers agree that using 3PLs has significantly improved customer satisfaction. Additionally, 3PL users and providers agree that they provide new and better ways to improve logistics.
Among the reasons why 3PL providers can help improve customer satisfaction are:
Seamless service
Working with a 3PL company helps create a seamless shopping experience across all channels and devices, whether mobile catalogs, online sites, or social media shops. Customers also expect brands to have a variety of in-store pick-up and delivery options.
3PLs with a reliable order management system can help businesses toward this goal by optimizing inventory, helping with order fulfillment coming from multiple sources, and more. This allows brands to offer flexible and customer-centric services like buy online and pick-up in-store or order online from store.
Greater visibility and order accuracy
3PL companies typically use robust 3PL warehouse management software, allowing for better product inventory visibility and order accuracy. This helps a lot because when customers shop online, they typically want to see whether the products they plan to buy are available either in-store or online and how long it would take to get them.
Per statistics, 80% of customers don’t even bother to visit physical stores when they don’t see information about current product availability on a retailer’s website. 3PLs can help by providing accurate and real-time information about inventory, as well as provide a reliable estimate on order shipping.
Affordable and fast deliveries
Modern customers in the age of online shopping want their products delivered quickly and cost-effectively, making perks like free shipping a strong incentive when checking out.
They also expect fast delivery, but this can be challenging without a 3PL provider that can process orders efficiently in a fast and affordable way. 3PLs can help with this aspect because they typically have strategically located facilities that can help expedite shipping while keeping costs low.
Personalization
Customization can also help drive up sales, especially during holidays, where you could offer engraving, gift wrapping, embroidery, and the like. However, these can be labor-intensive if you’re not using a 3PL, as doing all of this in-house would be a challenge.
3PL companies usually have a wide variety of value-added services that can help you expand your offerings without needing to carry additional inventory. They have the resources to provide space and labor, so customization arrangements are definitely possible.
Responsiveness
Responsive customer service is definitely a plus and a strong driver of customer satisfaction. 3PL companies can offer their resources to help you handle an increased order volume, especially during peak sales periods like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and holidays.
Call centers via 3PLs can help you handle customer issues faster, and 3PL warehouse management software can help streamline returns and other logistics. These services can be incredibly beneficial, especially if you’re not keen on investing extra time and resources to do these on your own, but want to provide your customers with a positive experience.