Last month, we started a two-part blogpost series on customer service and why it’s so tricky for fulfillment providers. As a 3PL provider, Spectra puts a high priority on customer service and makes sure it’s at the forefront of everything we do for our clients. 

In the first post of the series, we discussed an important question: who exactly is the customer when you’re talking about third-party fulfillment? You can read all about our answer to that question and how it guides the way we build our solutions in that blogpost. Continuing to build on that foundation, in this post we’ll describe some of the concrete ways that Spectra gives the customer (whoever that might be in the specific context) service that meets and often exceeds their expectations.

Hassle-Free Ordering

First let’s talk about the end user. That is, for instance, in a B2B fulfillment setting, the one at the end of the chain who orders, receives, and uses the products and materials being shipped. In a unique sense, the best way for Spectra to give this end user a great customer experience is to be invisible.

Some clients have the Spectra team build and manage an online storefront that their end users access to place their orders. Even though Spectra is the company maintaining the storefront and keeping it updated, as well as processing the orders as they come in, the end user doesn’t recognize that. Instead, that storefront is fully branded for the client, meaning that from the end user’s perspective, they are simply logging onto the company’s online ordering portal and ordering from them. 

Spectra then acts as the client’s fulfillment department, quickly and accurately getting the ordered items out to the end user. The end user’s customer experience is positive, and the Spectra client “gets all the credit” for it. That’s okay with us!

Complex Fulfillment Topics

Occasionally, a B2B fulfillment plan needs to include unusual features. For instance, some of our national clients need to make seasonal marketing materials available to their end users, then allow the end users to ship the materials back for storage once campaigns end. Spectra sets up these “reverse logistics” plans and makes it just as easy for end users to send materials back as it is to order them. Spectra’s team then ensures that the materials are clean, ready for use in the future, logged back into the client’s inventory, and stored in our warehouse until the next time an order for them is placed.

Accommodating Special Requests

3PL providers in the United States vary widely in their ability to work with clients on special requests. Sometimes this is due to limitations of warehouse space, staff size, or equipment on hand. Other times, a 3PL company is laser-focused on one goal: moving as much inventory as possible into the facility and back out, as quickly as possible. Any additional stipulations about handling materials in a certain way or packing them with a process that is out of the ordinary tend to slow that process down.

Spectra is at the other end of that spectrum (no pun intended!). One of our specialties is building a fully customized fulfillment contract that includes all the services needed in order to accomplish the client’s goals. At any given moment, there is inventory in our warehouse from multiple clients that require specific services, from climate control to pest prevention to spot testing for precise quality criteria. 

Some clients also have specific needs for packaging when their materials are kitted and shipped to end users. Those needs range from reinforced boxes to federally regulated placards to the avoidance of certain plastics or synthetic materials in packaging.

As an example, one client requires pallets of their product to be wrapped in opaque covering, since the nature of the product places it at particular risk of theft during transport. Spectra was able and happy to include this specification in the contract, giving the client assurance that their fulfillment is taking place in full alignment with their preferences and values, just as if an in-house fulfillment division were handling the project.

Great Customer Service In Fulfillment Equals Powerful Results

The outcomes of great customer service by your 3PL provider check all the boxes when it comes to what you want for your company’s relationship with B2B end users.

• Increased trust. B2B end users who consistently have great experiences ordering and using materials from you will keep coming back and incorporate your materials into more and more of their campaigns.
• Expanded capacity for campaigns. Our clients are often very surprised to learn just how much the Spectra team is capable of. By utilizing our fulfillment capabilities to their full potential, your organization can reach more end users around the country and offer them more options than you thought possible.
• More activity for less capital. Reducing mistakes through great quality control mechanisms saves money for your organization. Likewise, when you integrate Spectra’s print services with your fulfillment system to produce and kit print collateral with your products, the efficiencies that are created result in massive cost savings.
• Fulfillment becomes a driver of growth rather than a drag on resources. Having Spectra’s expert team on your side means that fulfillment becomes incredibly efficient, versatile, and powerful. New opportunities present themselves for your organization, and Spectra’s project managers are there to advise you and provide you with the tools to take advantage of those opportunities.

How are your relationships with your B2B end users? The best way to solidify and grow those relationships is by treating your end users like valued customers. Spectra has the ability to help you give incredible customer service during fulfillment and make each of those end users feel cared for and supported.

Want to learn more about the huge range of possible advantages that you can gain by partnering with Spectra? Give us a call and we will set up a consultation right away to discuss what we can do together.