what to look for when seeking a winery dtc fulfillment partner
DESCRIPTION
Customer expectations are at an all-time high. Companies like Amazon and Zappos have set the bar for both customer service and speed of delivery, which means that in order to succeed in direct sales, it's important to emulate the experience your customers would receive from these masters of online retail. To do that, you need a fulfillment partner whose primary areas of focus are innovation, technology, speed of delivery and service execution. Based on the challenges of creating a consistent customer experience and the necessary components of a successful operation, WineDirect is an excellent fulfillment partner for wineries looking to expand their DTC sales.TRANSCRIPT
What to look for WHEN SEEKING A WINERY DTC FULFILLMENT PARTNER
CULTURE OF INNOVATION
STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY
SPEED-TO-MARKET
CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SATISFACTION
01
01
02
03
Table of Contents
Customer expectations are at an all-time high. Companies like Amazon and Zappos have set the bar for both customer service and speed of delivery, which means that in order to succeed in direct sales, it's important to emulate the experience your customers would receive from these masters of online retail. To do that, you need a fulfillment partner whose primary areas of focus are innovation, technology, speed of delivery and service execution. Based on the challenges of creating a consistent customer experience and the necessary components of a successful operation, WineDirect is an excellent fulfillment partner for wineries looking to expand their DTC sales.
Culture of innovationIn order to grow and evolve your business, you need a partner that makes innovation a priority. Success in the wine industry hinges on your ability to adapt quickly to change, and for this reason WineDirect focuses on continuous improvements; placing particular focus on increasing accuracy, speed, efficiency and on controlling cost. Working with a partner that shares the same level of commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction that you do creates a strong foundation from which you can build a lasting relationship.
State-of-the-art technologyTechnology has become a game changer for businesses in every industry. To build a solid foundation for your DTC program, it is essential that you select a fulfillment partner that keeps pace with the rapid advancements occurring in technology. You should evaluate both the annual technology investments your fulfillment partner makes and the IT resources available. More importantly, are those resources used to develop innovative new solutions which will help you sell more wine?
Investments in technology benefit wineries in many ways, most notably through visibility and order accuracy.
VISIBILITY: To meet customer expectations, you’ve got to be able to see where your orders are at any given point in time. With WineDirect’s online portal, the critical information you need to service your customers is condensed into one screen, which serves as your customer service dashboard. When a customer buys an item online and wants it shipped the next day, system wide visibility is critical. The right technology and the visibility it provides can lead to better decision making and operational efficiencies.
ACCURACY: If new customers receive an incorrect order the first time they buy, they aren't likely to return. WineDirect maintains the strictest service-level agreements in the industry and has implemented the technology and processes necessary to ensure the right product reaches your customer each and every time.
01
KEY FEATURES INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
• Order validation: With orders coming from several different sources, it can be difficult to keep track of inventory levels and stay on top of all shipping concerns. Your fulfillment partner should be able to verify address information and ensure you aren't mistakenly sending an order to a dry zip code or exceeding quantity limitations. It should also provide automatic alerts when you're running short on inventory.
• Quality assurance: Shipping should be easy! An automated system plus employees who pay attention to detail will help you ensure orders are processed quickly and accurately.
• Business intelligence: A good partner should be able to provide business insight you don't already have. Through connections between ecommerce, point-of-sale, accounting and fulfillment, WineDirect delivers the important customer information you need in order to grow your business.
Speed-to-marketCustomers want to receive their products as quickly as possible, and their expectations have changed radically over the last few years. This can result in service disparities if you're shipping from California to consumers on the East Coast. Choosing a fulfillment partner with strategically located warehouses will help you eliminate these challenges.
Quicker deliveries almost always lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty because you are able to meet and exceed expectations. WineDirect maintains three strategically located warehouses, which allows you to reach 85 percent of customers in one to two business days.
Moving product closer to your customer base leads not only to quicker delivery but to cost savings as well. WineDirect’s strategically located warehouse in the Cleveland metropolitan area allows you to reduce delivery time to East Coast customers by up to three days. This also reduces the need for express shipping and special packaging, saving you and your customers as much as $10 per case. WineDirect ships via refrigerated line-haul to Ohio so that you can rest assured the quality of your wine is maintained.
02
Customer service and satisfactionIn addition to speed to market, one of the most important qualities you should look for in a partner is a willingness to place customers at the center of their strategy. This mentality will accelerate growth at your winery and enable you to take advantage of new opportunities.
As the last people to touch your wine before it goes to customers, members of the WineDirect team consider themselves an extension of your unique brand, and they take this responsibility seriously. WineDirect is committed to making DTC as easy as possible for you and to providing you with complete peace of mind. Their client services representatives will help you accomplish more while expending fewer resources. With state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated team, you will delight your customers with high-quality, integrated service.
Success in DTC revolves around the customer experience. For wineries, that means providing an end-to-end experience that begins with your customer's order: whether in the tasting room, on your website or via mobile. The final—and we would argue the most important—part of that experience is flawless fulfillment.
03
