From Chaos To Control With Our Black Friday Survival Tips
Black Friday, the busiest shopping day of the year, can be a lucrative opportunity for businesses, but it also comes with challenges, especially in the realm of fulfilment.
To keep your customers happy and ensure a smooth operation, it’s crucial to be aware of common pitfalls and prepare for them. Here are 8 Diamond sized tips on how to protect your business from fulfilment mishaps during Black Friday:
1. Inventory Management
Problem: Running out of stock on popular items.
Losing out on sales and customers because of running out of stock is a double whammy. Getting out ahead of the Black Friday noise will keep you floating in a good space.
Solution: Use historical data to predict demand. Doing this early in your Black Friday planning will enable you to ensure real-time tracking of inventory. When you know your numbers, you can consider overstocking popular products. Happy customers come back to their happy places.
2. Shipping Delays
Problem: Late deliveries lead to customer dissatisfaction.
Customer dissatisfaction can come from all manner of reasons. Where can you look right now with your deliveries that you could tighten?
Solution: Why not partner with reliable shipping carriers? Working with great partners that have an established spider’s web network will allow them to catch the dropped ball before it hits the ground. Mistakes do happen; how quickly you recover from them counts. In addition, if you offer multiple shipping options with clearly communicated cutoff dates for guaranteed delivery, you will enable a smoother time in the Black Friday madness
3. Order Processing Errors
Problem: Mistakes in order fulfilment, like wrong items or quantities.
Ensuring your current system will meet the demands of Black Friday is imperative.
Solution: Implement a robust order management system and double-check orders before shipping. In addition, make sure you have given a clear process for handling returns and exchanges. This is where a good fulfilment house steps in for picking and packing.
4. Insufficient Staffing
Problem: Not having enough personnel to handle the increased workload will put a strain on your existing staff.
Solution: Are we well staffed, or should we draft in some reserves for the Black Friday rush? Ensure this is taken care of well ahead to ensure all staff are well-trained. Or outsource fulfilment to a third-party logistics provider during the holiday season. It’s always worth a conversation to see how Diamond can help. It’s what we do best.
5. Technology Failures
Problem: Crashes with the online store or inventory management system.
Solution: Invest in reliable, scalable technology. Have backup systems in place and a tech support team on standby. These precautions will already be in place when working with a fulfilment partner.
6. Poor Communication
Problem: Lack of communication with customers regarding order status or delays. Even the most advanced systems can crash. What process can you have in place to deal with any eventuality?
Solution: Implement automated email and SMS notifications. Keep customers informed about their orders and any issues that might arise. Set this up at the point of sale. If there is a deeper issue, then a quick call can go a very long way.
7. Inadequate Packaging
Problem: Items getting damaged during transit due to poor packaging. Packaging is a hot spot here at Diamond.
Solution: Invest in sturdy, secure packaging materials—train staff on proper packing techniques to prevent damage. We are as obsessed with packaging as we are with our tracking system! Right on cue, we have a fulfilment packaging guide to give you more help with packaging.
8. Post-Black Friday Analysis
Problem: Not learning from mistakes and successes. Something you heard your elders bleating on about in the background of your life. How exciting that you can make things work better!
Solution: Why not conduct a comprehensive post-mortem analysis? Even if you knocked your Black Friday sale out of the park. Identify what worked and what didn’t. Use this information straight away to strategise for the next Black Friday sale.
By being proactive, prepared, and customer-focused, you can safeguard your business from fulfilment mishaps during the hectic Black Friday period, ensuring a positive experience for both you and your customers. Who doesn’t want to feel like that after a great sale period? Talk to us for further insights on how we can help your business. We are steeped in Black Friday experience!
