Often, when people think about the supply chain, their mind steers toward the route that starts at the manufacturer and ends with the customer or retailer. However, supply chain logistics is not merely a one-way street – sometimes those deliveries need to go backward. For shippers, reverse logistics is a crucial component of the supply chain, an often complicated process that can play a prominent part in their customers’ perception of them. 

The complex, customer-centric nature of reverse logistics makes it a particularly noteworthy candidate for the help of a third-party logistics provider. At Star Distribution Systems, Florida’s premier 3PL, we provide reverse logistics as part of our warehousing solutions for our clients. 

Here are three big reasons you should consider Star Distribution for your reverse logistics needs.

Range of returns

Customers – whether individuals or retailers – return items for a range of reasons, and each of those reasons requires its own unique response. Damaged goods, product recalls, warranty returns or just the wrong size are among the many reasons for returns. A 3PL such as Star Distribution, which has years of experience handling returns for a variety of types of businesses and goods, understands the intricacies of all kinds of returns and how to tackle them. A 3PL with that level of expertise can guide your reverse logistics to help ensure that you can recoup the value of your products as much as possible through the process of reselling, recycling or disposing of them.

Scalability

Return volume can vary depending on a host of factors, and when you are handling reverse logistics in-house a surge of customer returns can make a prompt response difficult to manage. However, a 3PL has the staff and resources in place to deal with unexpected uptakes in returns, ensuring that returns are handled as promptly and smoothly as during the slower periods. Returns can require packaging, transportation, repurposing and disposal of goods, and an experienced, accomplished 3PL such as Star Distribution has the resources to handle them all. Also, when you use a 3PL that handles your deliveries to also handle your reverse logistics, it ensures an integrated unity in your supply chain operation that helps identify efficiencies and eliminate waste. They can make sure your reverse logistics fit appropriately into your larger supply chain strategy. For instance, the 3PL can help evaluate returns and narrow in on patterns and problem areas that should be addressed.

Customer-first focus

At Star Distribution, we know that your customers are our customers, and we treat them accordingly. Customer service in the management of returns is of the utmost importance for retaining them for the long term. When returns go well, customers feel more comfortable buying from you in the future because they know they won’t get stuck with something they don’t want. In fact, the ease of the returns process can bolster your brand, helping to associate you with efficiency and service in the minds of customers.  When returns don’t go well, however, it clouds their entire view of you and makes it less likely that you will buy from you in the future. 

For more than 90 years, Star Distribution Systems has built long-term relationships with our clients through strategic partnerships that are designed to endure. We emphasize a strong, collaborative approach to our partnerships and an unrelenting determination to provide our partners with the highest level of customer service, coupled with award-winning logistics services, every day. Star can streamline your supply chain by integrating a full-service logistics solution, saving you time, money and manpower. For more information, contact us.