Hello everyone, Johnny here again with another holiday related tip for all you eTailers out there.
Last week I discussed having a returns policy in place for the orders made over the holiday season. This week I'm going to touch on holiday order deadlines and the importance of making sure your customers are aware of the last possible day they can make an order and have it arrive in time for Christmas morning.
Every year the major carriers - UPS, FedEx and USPS, post their holiday shipping deadlines. This date is the last possible day an individual can ship a package and still have it arrive in time for Christmas. For example UPS Ground's deadline may be December 18, while UPS 3-Day Server may be December 21 (These aren't actual dates for this year, just examples). So what do these dates mean to you? Well, if it takes you two days to process, package, and walk your order down to the UPS office, you better make sure that your customers are aware that the last day you accept orders for arrival in time for Christmas is 2 days before UPS holiday shipping deadline.
Since the big carriers typically post their holiday shipping deadlines mid November-ish you’ll want to check their website around that time. Once you have these dates, adjust them to account for your order processing time (maybe tack on an extra day just in case) and then make a note in a highly visible place on your website that lets site visitors know the last day you will be able to accept an order and have it arrive in time for Christmas. For example, if the holiday shipping deadline for UPS Ground is December 18, and it takes you two days to process your order, you may want to say, "Any orders received before December 16 can be guaranteed delivery for Christmas using UPS Ground".
By informing your customers about your holiday order deadlines, they won't be disappointed or angry if they order something after the deadline and have it arrive after Christmas. Instead, they'll know ahead of time when to order so they ensure their gift arrives on time. Your customers will appreciate the level of service provided and will be more likely to become return customers.
Happy selling everyone!
Johnny
It is always advisable to inform clients the possible outcome for their holiday orders.
Posted by: Primary Work at Home | October 29, 2009 at 09:08 AM