Question
Hi, I'm curious to hear seller's opinion on the cost benefit of shipping USPS Priority vs Ground service from another service. Ground service tends to be less expensive as the weight increases, but tends up being slower than USPS Priority. Do you think it matters?
Do you answer more questions about your package when shipping via Ground? Ground service does offer better tracking than the post office, so it makes me wonder if the tracking would minimize customer inquiries. Does the slower shipping create disappointed customers?
Answer
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Ground service tends to be less expensive as the weight increases, but tends up being slower than USPS Priority. Do you think it matters?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
It comes down to what do your customers expect.
Our customers are fine with UPS ground, but I do comunicate with them. I email them when the item ships, UPS emails them the tracking number with the expected day of arrival. We get virtually no questions as to "where is my package".
My feedback is filled with fast shipping comments.
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> UPS emails them the tracking number
> with the expected day of arrival.
Do you have an automated system for this part?
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It is part of UPS worldship software called quantum view notify.
All you have to do is enter the email address. There is no extra charge for this service. They will also fax, but I have never done that.
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I use FedEx as most of my items are over 2 pounds. This saves my customers money on shipping, provides accurate online tracking, Emails my customer arrival date and tracking info. I do all this online including printing my labels on my inkjet printer. I drop off my packages at a local shipping center (retail store) at no charge. I used UPS for years till they dropped the online rates. I have been with FedEx over one year and have had 3 claims and they were setteled in a matter of days. Claims have been so easy I just send refund same day and file online claim without a worry.
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makes me wonder if the tracking would minimize customer inquiries.
Yes. Even when I get "where's my package" (seldom, because the tracking # is emailed by UPS), I can tell them EXACTLY where their package is. Telling them that "your package is in St. Louis" is better than USPS's "I don't know, but isn't showing as delivered".
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evan better than telling then where the package is you can email them a link to the tracking info right from the fed ex tracking page.
we use fedex ground for anything over 2 lbs and have been pleased with it.
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> email them a link
Long URLs break in e-mails. If you send email as HTML, it ends up not passing a lot of spam filters. But anyway...
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right on the fedex track site
you fill in their email address and fedex sends them the link