𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝟰, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀.
Q4 is always a high-pressure period for enterprise and e-commerce shippers. Volumes surge, timelines shrink, and expectations rise. Every year, we support clients through this season, and we consistently see the same five problems causing the most disruption.
• 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Brands chase last-minute sales, but this often leaves too little time to pack and ship orders. The result is missed pickups and delayed deliveries. This can be avoided by setting internal cutoffs before carrier deadlines and leaving enough room for labeling and processing.
• 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿𝘀. Carriers don’t have time to correct bad addresses during peak. One wrong number or a missing apartment detail is all it takes to cause a failed delivery. We always recommend automated address validation at checkout and minimal manual entry.
• 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. Returns spike in January, but they’re rarely planned for. Without a straightforward process, customer service backlogs and avoidable costs pile up. A simple, traceable return workflow helps keep this under control, especially when support teams are already stretched.
• 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. Teams often rely on fragmented systems or delayed updates. That leads to late responses, rising refund rates, and missed opportunities to fix problems early. A central view of order status and exceptions makes a measurable difference.
• 𝗡𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁. Even strong partners hit capacity limits or restrict services during peak. When this happens, you need experts who can chase down exceptions, secure delivery credits, and keep operations informed.
In our work with clients, we focus on helping them avoid these issues before the season starts. The most expensive mistakes are usually the most preventable.
If you’re preparing for peak and want a second set of eyes on your shipping operations, we’re happy to share what we’ve seen work.
