Find the Best Subscription Box Fulfillment Services Companies

Subscription Fulfillment Services Are a Reflection on Your Company

Everything that goes out of the fulfillment center and into the hands of a customer reflects on your company. At the end of the day, errors negatively impact the overall brand. The customer does not blame the third-party company that shipped the subscription box when their order is wrong. They blame you and your company. While mistakes do happen occasionally, if they recur too often, it will hurt your company’s reputation. Errors hurt your brand. Therefore, superior subscription fulfillment companies realize that accuracy is paramount to success. In fact, as Mr. Bingham emphasizes, “fulfillment companies must eliminate any errors as much as possible. It’s about shipping one order correctly and then doing it 1 million times.” Accurate shipments are a result of many factors, including quality control processes and technology systems that formulate a foundation for success. At the end of the day, performance builds trust.

Without Quality Control There is No Quality with Subscription Box Fulfillment Companies

Because subscription fulfillment programs usually run in large batch shipments, it’s important that the fulfillment provider has a solid and established quality control process that can be easily replicated over thousands of orders. The most frequently seen errors in subscription box fulfillment seem to be either not including every item that is supposed to be in the box (usually there is a card or printed piece in the box that describes all of its contents), or not including all of the packaging in the order. The fulfillment company is responsible and accountable for putting everything in the box.

Human error can never be totally eliminated, but by instituting a strong quality control system, mistakes can be minimized. When selecting a subscription box fulfillment services company, don’t be afraid to ask them to share the feedback they receive from other clients and customers. Question them about their process from the time they “build a box” to the time it leaves their warehouse. Does the company check and double-check each order before it ships? How do they keep track of orders? Do they have a computerized labeling and tracking system?

You also want to know how they resolve complaints from subscribers. Do they have an 800 number or some other means by which a dissatisfied subscriber can easily register a complaint or follow up on an order that did not arrive?

Communication is Key with the Best Subscription Box Fulfillment Services

Another aspect of the quality control process involves communication – especially as it relates to the shipping schedule. For most subscription programs, shipping is done on the same day every month, offering a layer of consistency that tribe members come to expect. Successfully run programs tend to build a labor calendar into the process, allowing them to manage customer projects without any delays and factor for any unforeseen challenges. For fulfillment companies that manage multiple subscription clients, it’s extremely important to routinely communicate the scheduling to its customers – a function that spans the entire organization from sales to operations. In your search for a fulfillment provider, be sure that the potential vendor has a proven track record of appropriately setting timeline expectations, tempered with the flexibility to listen to your needs and adjust as your needs change.

Along the same lines, don’t discount your role in the communication process. The extent to which you communicate about every detail with your chosen company will help determine the success of the program. According to Mr. Bingham at Riley Life Logistics, the most successful subscription companies seem to be the “ones that are most particular in thinking through every detail and communicating that to everyone involved in the process.”

Technology is at the Center of Execution in Subscription Fulfillment

How your subscription orders get to the fulfillment center and how the center provides tracking information to either you or your customers play a vital role in the fulfillment process. These types of outsourced providers can usually receive orders a number of ways – either electronically from your order management system or using other methods such as via Excel or CSV file (which they will ultimately upload into their warehouse management system). In an ideal world, orders would flow automatically from your order management system or shopping cart directly to the fulfillment center, eliminating the chances for error. However, there are many cases when this isn’t possible, such as when the subscription list resides in another database. Because of this, it’s important that you select a company that can successfully receive and process subscription lists from a multitude of channels. Furthermore, if you will be sending over a manual listing, such as an Excel or CSV file, the better providers will also know how to properly configure and organize the file, taking some of the data processing work off of your shoulders.

Similarly, when orders are sent to your customers, there must be a robust way of tracking everyone’s order so that each customer has vision of the movement of the shipment from the warehouse to their doorstep. This is an opportunity to further touch the customer, adding additional value. Your chosen fulfillment company should be able to either send you a file of all of the tracking numbers for the monthly orders or they should be able to send individual tracking emails to your customers – branded with your specific branding and messaging desired. Flexibility is key as you may prefer one methodology instead of another, or your order management systems might prohibit you from easily being able to send the tracking emails yourself. No matter what course is taken, it is imperative to make sure that this vital correspondence is done in the specific language of the tribe, paying close attention to every word of the email being sent.

Targeting your Customers is Mandatory for Subscription Fulfilment

A good subscription box fulfillment services company should have a complete understanding of your customers and the people you are trying to reach. Your company may produce a line of women’s clothing. You may make clothes for teenage girls, young mothers, and career women. While all may wear skirts and shirts, they do not have the same approach to fashion. Each box that is sent out must be targeted to the specific age group of the recipient. A teen may like to see some pictures of Taylor Swift wearing the same sweater as she received in the box, while a 45-year-old businesswoman might appreciate something altogether different.

A True Subscription Box Fulfilment Partner Acts as an Advisor

Superior subscription box fulfillment companies act as an advisor – someone that takes time and invests time to think through everything. Acting as a partner requires both a commitment of time and a set of core values that promote giving. Unfortunately, many companies are inherently selfish, looking out for their own interests. Pay close attention to the tone of the organization as you vet potential providers, watching in particular for team members that not only promise to give your company the valuable commodity of time, but also “walk the walk” in the steps before you become a client. Does the company talk in terms of your business, or are they more focused on theirs? In speaking with their customers and references, does it sound like they really care about their clients and dedicate the necessary time to your program?

Final Thoughts

In an industry where inventiveness and creativity and true commitment to a mutually beneficial relationship are not commonplace, finding a subscription box fulfillment company that can help you think outside of the box can be challenging. While the third party service provider fulfills the orders for subscribers, they are not free to do whatever they want. As a customer who hires a subscription box fulfillment service, you should have great input into the type of things that get sent out each month and the overall methodology. The subscription box company provider may act as an advisor as to the best way to put together the box, but ultimately, you should have the last say before orders are about to ship.

Don’t rush your decision on which subscription box fulfillment company to choose. Take some time to learn how the company operates and ask to talk to some of their other customers. Remember they are working for you, and what they do, good or bad, will reflect on your company brand.

Finally, be careful in simply looking for the lowest priced provider. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. The lowest cost won’t provide the greatest quality in every situation.