Order fulfillment companies vying for your business will be legion. It’s therefore important to know exactly what to look for when considering the outsourcing of your fulfillment department to a 3PL company. You can get access to fully vetted Canadian fulfillment companies by filling out the Quote Request form.
Experience – Many 3PL companies will claim to do everything, in order to get your business. Be careful not to end up being the guinea pig with which the company builds experience!
Customer Service – For many smaller companies just starting out, and who are outsourcing their order fulfillment for the first time, excellent customer service can be a sine-qua-non condition. The ability to reach your account manager on the phone, for example to make a last minute change to an order, can be very important.
Location – One of the primary reasons to switch to an order fulfillment service is to save money on shipping. Doing business with a drop-shipping company that has a warehouse geographically near your customers, or within a major transportation hub, can mean further savings for you.
Pricing – The cost of order fulfillment is what everyone looks at first, and with good reason: it’s the dollar amount it’s going to cost you to outsource your shipping and fulfillment department. That being said, while paying a low monetary price is crucial, it’s far from being the only thing you should consider. Location, customer service and experience complete the mix.
Contract – Be very wary of companies that ask you to sign a long-term contract for their services. They almost certainly have something to hide. Good companies with good prices and offering excellent customer service don’t need stranglehold contracts to keep their customers. In most cases, the contracts should specify prices, fees and payment schedules, and other technical matters pertaining to your agreement; it should never be there to lock you into a commitment.