The world is more connected than ever when it comes to buying and selling goods. In a matter of minutes, you can easily purchase an item from someone who’s in another continent. It only takes a series of clicks on the shopping site and other multiple clicks on your mobile banking app.
The struggle only comes during the waiting game. For sure, everyone has experienced the combination of anticipation and frustration while waiting for the item to arrive. The logistics behind the shipping process is rarely talked about when discussing the topic of online shopping. It’s understandable because one of the perks of online shopping is convenience. As the buyer, whatever happens to the item you purchase during the shipping period shouldn’t be your problem. It’s part of the customer service.
The same can not be said for businesses that source their materials from another country. People are more familiar with the consumer’s definition of shipping— the mode of transport that leads your online purchase to your location. However, on a larger scale, the liability of the shipment does not fall right away onto the seller’s shoulders. When a business decides on selling through FOB (Free on Board) instead of CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight), the contract relieves the seller of responsibility towards the shipment.
On the consumer level, shipping is crucial in today’s businesses. It allows them to reach a bigger market without the cost of establishing a physical store. Because of the high demand, the quality courier service has improved throughout the years. Here is a list of benefits that people are enjoying nowadays:
You can receive the item based on the given schedule, sometimes even earlier.
As mentioned earlier, the waiting game is frustrating. However, you no longer have to wonder if you’ll be able to use the item in time for an occasion. Trust the date given by the website on how long it will take for your order to arrive. They are always on time, as they should be.
You can track your orders online.
Not knowing the location of your order can cause you anxiety. Now, you can see where your package is, through the tracking number given to you. Couriers have a website where you can type in the code to see the progress of your order.
You can receive updates through text.
Another form of an update is from the courier. You’ll receive alerts through texts from the time the warehouse has received the product in your behalf up to the time you have received the items.
You can have an item from another country shipped to you.
The world has gotten smaller through global connectivity. As stated, buying an item from a different country can easily be shipped to your location. This way, you will not only be supporting big businesses, but also the local artisans and craft smiths from the other parts of the world.
You can communicate with the seller and courier.
Customer service is topnotch as you can directly communicate your requests to sellers and couriers. From changing the size of your purchase to requesting for a different drop-off point, asking for changes and confirmation will no longer be a problem.
The world has been enjoying the perks of living during technology’s period of success. The what-ifs are now today’s realities.