{"id":31080,"date":"2016-08-16T08:01:50","date_gmt":"2016-08-16T08:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/how-to-ship-more-auto-parts-with-less-staff\/"},"modified":"2024-04-18T00:12:44","modified_gmt":"2024-04-18T00:12:44","slug":"ship-with-less-staff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.revolutionparts.com\/blog\/ship-with-less-staff\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Ship More Auto Parts with Less Staff"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We understand the struggle. When you\u2019ve only got a handful of guys in your parts department, how do you deal with all the details of eCommerce\u2014namely, shipping?<\/span><\/p>\n

But shipping doesn\u2019t have to be a long, drawn out process, and you definitely don\u2019t have to hire new staff to deal with it. Once your eCommerce parts store takes off, then you might need another set of hands, but you might be surprised how efficient you can be with the people you already have.<\/p>\n

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Figure out a system<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Scientists have proven it\u2014we\u2019re less efficient when we try to multitask<\/a>. If you\u2019re running back to your computer for 5 minutes every time there\u2019s a break in customers, you\u2019ll only end up feeling overwhelmed. Not to mention you won\u2019t be getting as much done as if you focus on one task at a time.<\/p>\n

When you make a sale online, you have to follow a series of tasks. There\u2019s a lot of individual steps, from fulfilling an order, to grabbing it off the shelf, to packaging and labeling it. There\u2019s an additional step if a customer\u2019s order looks like it has a high risk of fraud<\/a>, since you\u2019ll want to call them before moving forward.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Top 5 Red Flags of Fraud<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

So break it up and delegate tasks when you can. This will all depend on how many employees you have available and how many orders you fulfill on a daily or weekly basis.<\/p>\n

You know your brick and mortar parts store better than anyone. Ask yourself a few things: When is my parts store busiest? When is it slowest? How many online orders come in each day?<\/p>\n

Setting a Schedule<\/strong><\/h1>\n

To sum up this entire section in three words: Try Different Things<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Test a bunch of methods for at least a week at a time. As you explore your options, you\u2019ll find a more efficient method of accomplishing something.<\/p>\n

Here are some things you can try:<\/h4>\n

If you find that first thing in the morning, there aren\u2019t many customers, that\u2019s a good time to set aside for online orders. Assign one employee to sit in the back and dedicate himself to processing, fulfilling, and packaging all pending orders. With one focused task to deal with, that employee will finish quickly and can return to the parts counter before long.<\/p>\n

If you find that this works, make it a morning ritual. This is your dedicated once-a-day time to get everything done in a single sitting. Even when orders come in later in the day, save them for the next morning during that time slot you\u2019ve allotted for it.<\/p>\n

With that same idea, you could make it an evening ritual instead of a morning one. You can break it up however you want. Perhaps you get through steps 1-4 in the evening, while steps 5 and 6 are taken care of first thing in the morning.<\/p>\n

On a similar note, you should have a set time to pick up shipping materials. It\u2019s not time efficient to buy a box and packing material each time you get an order. See if you can arrange to buy in bulk every other week or once a month, so you don\u2019t have to make the trip more often than necessary.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re a skeptic about something like this, we understand. But give it an honest try\u2014a trial period of a week or two. We\u2019re confident you\u2019ll feel a difference, but in the end, what\u2019s best for a business changes for everyone.<\/p>\n

Do you need a dedicated eCommerce employee?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Larger\u00a0dealerships\u00a0might benefit from having a dedicated employee for dealing with the entire parts site, but most dealerships won’t\u00a0need more than one.<\/p>\n

A well-organized employee could easily handle all the order processing and fulfillment without outside help. Even on slow weeks, that worker can stay busy with all the necessary marketing and SEO that your parts store needs to stand out.<\/p>\n

Sort out Shipping Carrier Logistics<\/strong><\/h1>\n

We all know about USPS, UPS, and FedEx, but there are SO many smaller shipping carriers available to you. They all have different rates for different sizes and weights and distances, and honestly, it can get a bit complicated.<\/p>\n

So give yourself a load off.<\/p>\n

Pick TWO carriers to work with, and stick with that.<\/p>\n

Juggling all the shipping carriers available might save you a couple dollars from time to time, but added complications will only make your job harder.<\/p>\n

Which shipping carriers should you use?<\/h4>\n

Typically, we recommend USPS + one other carrier. Comparison shopping two carriers (instead of a thousand) will still give you some flexibility with options, but also save you a lot of time. It also reduces your chances of getting mixed up about which packages are going through which carriers.<\/p>\n

Focusing on 1 or 2 carriers might even be able to land you volume discounts. Even if you don\u2019t think your website makes enough sales to make that happen, you won\u2019t know until you try. Call the carrier\u2019s 800 number to see what you can get.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a rundown of the three main carriers (USPS, FedEx, UPS):<\/p>\n