A product’s journey might start with sales and marketing, but it is quickly in the hands of your warehouse. Ensuring that your customer has a hassle-free, convenient experience goes well beyond the point of sale. A warehouse management system is not just a crucial tool for operating your facility day-to-day. Let’s look at five ways a WMS improves customer service:
INVENTORY TRACKING
There are few things more frustrating as a customer than buying an item and being greeted by the words “backordered”. It is a quick way to lose trust and try your customers patience, and it could jeopardize repeat business.
No business can have every item always in stock. However, you must have a clear picture of what is on hand in the warehouse and what is needed. Communicating the turnaround time between when a customer places their order and when it will be received is vital. Utilizing real-time inventory level data will foster a trust essential to brand loyalty.
A WMS offers sophisticated inventory control systems that allow you to quickly see what items are selling well and what product is sitting on the shelf costing you money. Utilizing a first-in, first-out system, you can avoid products inadvertently sitting on the shelf deteriorating. In monitoring the demand for inventory, your team can receive alerts when stock gets low letting you stay ahead of your customer’s demands.
ORDER FULFILLMENT ACCURACY
Statistics show that a conventional U.S. warehouse receives and ships the wrong item between 1-3% of the time. This can add up to tens of thousands of dollars to undo errors and patch up customer relations.
With a warehouse management system, tools like barcode scanners can ensure your employees are choosing the right items off the shelves. This eliminates costly mistakes in picking and packing that leave your customer with the wrong order.
FASTER ORDER FULFILLMENT
How you organize your warehouse might not seem important to a customer who will never step foot in it, but a disorganized system where employees spend precious time trying to hunt down a product is wasted time between your customer placing the order and receiving it.
In the age where everyone is competing with the eCommerce giants that have trained customers to expect same-day or next-day shipping, minimizing any delays you can control in picking and packing is crucial. With a well-utilized warehouse management system, you ensure that your employees know exactly where to look in your facilities to fulfill every order.
BETTER RETURNS SYSTEM
Even with a WMS reducing shipping errors and the risk of damaging products, returns happen. Human error on the customers end, such as ordering the wrong product, can drive a lot of this. The easier the returns process is, the more likely a customer is to purchase from you again in the future.
Warehouse management systems generate not only packing slips but return slips, letting your team check returns in as they arrive. This process can add returned items to your inventory count, avoiding overstocking issues. If the product is in a condition preventing resale, the system can segregate the inventory at the point of entry to avoid being shipped out again in error.
Data collection through reverse logistics can be vital to protecting your brand’s image. Management can quickly flag any quality issues with merchandise. It also lets customers quickly know the status of their return and when to expect a refund or replacement. This improved communication is another crucial way a WMS improves customer service.
CLEARER COMMUNICATION
Customer service begins and ends with good communication. When your customer reaches out with a question or to change their order, they want quick and clear answers. Being left to wait for support can sour their experience and negatively shape their level of loyalty for your company.
With a warehouse management system, your whole team has the same access to information regardless of whether they’re on the warehouse floor, an office down the hall, or a call center across the country. With all the information at their fingertips, your customer’s point person can leave the buyer feeling in good hands.
While a customer may never know the warehouse management system you have in place, they will experience it through every interaction they have with your company. Investing in a system that increases efficiency, workflow, and communication within your warehouse will filter through to your buyer at every level.