Published on August 12th, 2019 | by Sunit Nandi

The real cost of poor packaging and product breakages

Is the condition of a shipping material or box an issue for customers when they receive their ordered products within the stated time?

Yes, it is. The poor packaging can leave negative impact the relationship with patrons. Your customers will start going away from your brand, leading you to have loss in your business due to a decrease in sales.

Here are some usual packaging fails:

Too small packaging

Sometimes a product is packed in a wrapper or container that is very small. It happens when a retailer offers free shipping or a patron choose e-commerce shipping to receive their delivery fast.

You know it is difficult to take out the product from the pack, which is too small. Besides, the product might get broken or damaged while taking it out from the box. The product would tear or rip, leading to exposure of the external atmosphere if it is wrapped with shipping paper.

Too large packaging

Sometimes, the products are shipped in the packaging boxes that are larger than the items. This makes customers get annoyed. Usually, patrons hate large containers or packaging boxes for their ordered small products. They avoid receiving the shipping package due to which a courier boy/company has to forcibly make unnecessary trip. Besides, placing a small product inside the oversized box shows a customer that the fulfillment center of an online store is careless. This kills credibility and leaves bad impacts on the perception of a brand.

Damaged packaging

There might be one or two ways in which the packaging get damaged. The ways are as follows:

The product gets damaged during the process of fulfillment.
Packaging is made for the wrong product. Products should have their own individual packaging depending on the materials they’re made of. For example, custom packaging for electronics has different requirements from custom packaging for glass products.
The shipping courier can cause the damage while transporting the product from the fulfillment center to the shipping address.

Buyers don’t like any excuses for the product damage when sending a parcel to the UK. They wish to have their ordered products in good conditions from inside as well as outside. Damaged and ripped packaging reveal the poor care of the item during the fulfillment and shipping to the customer. It is surely a turn-off for buyers, and the broken/torn packaging takes the brand down.

The real cost of poor packaging

If instant delivery is crucial for patrons, there is no sense of it for customers to receive their orders in damaged packs. Usually, customers return the products to the store or do not receive their orders when they see their products in the poor/damaged condition. It costs bigger for online retailers when they have to process returns to buyers.

A manufacturer or retailer supplying goods has to pay back the amount or receive angry calls from shoppers who spent their money. The customers experience anxiety and frustration when they need to return their ordered products. Further, processing the returns costs to customers. They have to do the packaging of the product for its return to the company. The company has bear this amount too. Furthermore, the angry customers disclose their experience with a particular online store to their friends, relatives, co-workers, and acquaintances that lead online store loose customers in a large number.

Have a look at what an anonymous e-store owner has shared about poor packaging:

I didn’t give priority to packaging in my online business. I started keeping the packaging on the level priority list when I had to face several returns back to back. Once, my fulfillment center packed an item in an unusual box. The product got totally damaged when it reached to its shipping address. I had to face angry calls of the customer and bear all the costs incurred in the entire session.

Now, I value packaging a lot, and it has helped me to create a base of repeat customers.

Points to consider for a better packaging

While sustainability and strength are essential points, you (e-commerce owners) need to spend some of his valuable time on the selection of the right packaging solutions. As the proper packaging takes time, so it can impact the speed of processing orders apart from the workforce. Here are some points that you must keep in your mind:

Always choose the best packaging material. Whether it is a container or box, the packaging must be of optimum quality.
Think to personalize the packaging. You can use custom label for personalizing your pack. You can leave a personal note or message in the form of labels. Besides, you can insert free gifts and discount offers inside the pack. You can also contact professionals like iCustomLabel for personalizing the product packaging.
Have a close eye on your fulfillment center. Inspect it regularly and direct professionals to take proper care of the product while processing an order.
Keep the packaging size appropriate. It should not be too large or too small. The packaging sheet or box should be large enough to keep the product intact, and the product can easily be taken out of the box. No damage should take place during packaging and shipping.
Always be ready to offer positive customer care services to leave a good impact on the perceptions of your brand.

Conclusion

You should do nothing that can lead you to have poor packaging of products while processing an order. Be always ready to take the appropriate steps to avoid any miss dealings with product packaging. Your proper care will help you avoid the cost that you can spend from poor packaging.

Tags: breakages, logistics, packaging, poor packaging, product, real cost

About the Author

Sunit Nandi I'm the leader of Techno FAQ. Also an engineering college student with immense interest in science and technology. Other interests include literature, coin collecting, gardening and photography. Always wish to live life like there's no tomorrow.