delivering the goods - electronic commerce and inventory management

Black Enterprise, June, 2001 by Holly Aguirre

DHL Connect (www.dhl.com) works with your Windows-based address book or other contact manager and is a good choice if you are going to be shipping products overseas. The software can directly email a customer; but it's up to you to cut and paste the air bill code into an e-mail template containing a link to the tracking utility at the DHL Website.

Airborne Express' service (www .airborneexpress.com) works much like DHL's, but it's for U.S. shippers only. Also Windows based, Airborne Express will estimate shipping charges, determine delivery times, and schedule pickups; however, it does not integrate directly with your e-mail application. Again, you must cut and paste your customer's shipment tracking code into an e-mail template that includes a link to Airborne's online tracking utility.

SHOP AROUND

If you don't know which of the big four is right for you, consider an all-in-one solution that helps you find the right fit. Two that fill the bill are TanData (www.tandata.com) and iShip (home.iship.com). TanData's ConnectShip uses Java-based software that simultaneously shops several vendors for the most efficient way to ship a package. Once the order is sent, TanData can automatically e-mail your customer with the shipping vendor's tracking code "and a link to the vendor's online tracking utility, so they can monitor their order's progress.

iShip, now part of Stamps.com, is a Web-based solution for pricing the major carriers simultaneously. And it's easy to use: You don't need to purchase, download, install, or maintain any software, iShip also lets you manage and track your shipping activities.

Before you begin to ship your products, however, take these steps to ensure your business is ready to support e-commerce:

* Configure a shopping cart on your Website.

* Establish a merchant services' account to allow credit card transactions along with procedures for collecting sales tax.

* Establish order processing procedures to help your employees track packages and issue refunds.

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS KEY

When you do business online, quite often the most important part of the sale isn't offering lower prices or free delivery, it's hands-on customer service. As a small business on the Web (where competition can be fierce), the quality of service you provide can make or break a deal. Donna J. Hall, president of the Bight Answer (www.therightanswer.com), wants to make sure businesses don't forget that.

Hall operates a consulting firm that trains customer-service professionals to deal with daily challenges. Her seminars and workbooks are in great demand, providing both instruction and inspiration to clients. She has been helping businesses learn to satisfy their customers for 20 years.

"E-commerce customers must be treated in the same manner one would treat face-to-face customers," says Hall. "The customer shouldn't notice any difference." She offers these five tips to keep customers happy:

1. Make sure orders arrive on time.

2. Think safety. Let customers know that their credit card purchases are secure, and that you won't sell their information to third parties.