Warehouse Basics Blog

Why is it so hard to find a good fulfillment partner?  Someone who can pick, pack, and ship my products faster, better, and cheaper than I can myself, or who I have currently fulfilling my orders?

Getting a better understanding of the transportation charges for shipping UPS, FedEX, USPS, or International.  How do incentives work?  Is it cheaper for me to go out and set up a UPS account and have everything 3rd party billed to my own account, or just let the provider who does the pick and pack, ship the products on their account?

Bearly Memories asked Warehouse Basics to provide a quote to do their fulfillment.

Bearly Memories is a producer of Keepsake Boxes, Gift Sets, and accessories and other unique gift giving ideas, shipping throughout the U.S. from their on-line retail store. With customization and personalization of many of their products, there were many questions about the cost viability of outsourcing this function.

 Helping Bearly Memories understand the costs to process an order, manage the inventory, the handling costs from inbound receipts to pick, pack, and shipping charges.  How the communications from order entry to end of day billing for transportation and invoicing for warehousing will be handled.  The use of call tags for returns and extra charges for residential delivery versus business addresses.

Setting crystal clear expectations became very critical to give the customer what they want, when they want it, and for a cost that makes sense.  Keeping the communication clean, and removing as many assumptions as possible helped reduce errors, returns and disappointed customers.

Warehouse Basics, Inc. has been handling the fulfillment for Bearly Memories for several years now.  We put some extra effort upfront to ensure we all understood the unit of measure, how often we felt it necessary to communicate, and most importantly, to fully understand all the costs associated in the supply chain. 

Need fulfillment help?  Give Warehouse Basics, Inc. a call and get a free quote. 

15 years in business...who would've thunk it?

On July 1st...Warehouse Basics, Inc. will be celebrating their official 15th year since incorporating in Georgia.  My how time flys when you are having this much fun.

The last couple of years have been a little tougher as the economy continues to struggle along, however, with the team that continues to gut it out everyday, we are making a difference.

We have had some good years and we have had our share of some lean years, but I would not change a thing.  The learning experience of having some of the best customers you could imagine make getting up each day a pleasure.  Something to look forward to, and getting paid for what you love to to...it just doesn't get much better.

I want to take the time to say thank-you to all our customers...current, past, and hopefully future prospects.  Thanks to our employees, vendors, suppliers, and all who have contributed to the success of Warehouse Basics, Inc.   

In particular, I want to thank Ken Watkins, my partner, and most of all, the glue that has made the company what it is today.  I just recently returned from a two month sabbatical, along with a trip to Alaska.  To be able to do that after 42 years of working is nothing short of phenomenal, knowing the company was in good hands while I was off.  Thanks Ken.

With continuing our push to lower costs, increase revenues through crossdocking, fulfillment, warehousing and distribution, the future looks bright.  Our entire team is hitting on all cylinders, and we seem to have the right people on the bus in the right seats...Hold on, 25 years is just around the corner.

Need any help with warehousing, crossdocks, distribution, fulfillment, inventory management, or other supply chain or logistics solutions....give us a call @ 404 346-1848 or see more info at www.warehousebasics.com

Carriers would all agree that when the wheels are not turning, revenue is not being generated.  The biggest problems facing carriers are distressed loads. Distressed loads can be as small as the driver missed their appointment to as big as the load shifted in transit and the consignee has refused to unload the load.  All of these delays create heart ache for dispatchers and drivers.  In this tough economy delays add up to costly expenses and loss in revenue.

*Refused by consignee                                         **Ready for delivery

The best solution for the dispatcher is that they have a reliable warehouse in the area that can correct the problem.  The warehouse has to be flexible and reliable offering a variety of labor and equipment to complete the work and keep the costs as low as possible.  A great warehouse will ask questions over the phone to determine what the problem is with the load.  If the problem is simply a missed appointment, a great warehouse will charge a fee to handle the product into their warehouse and offer transportation to redeliver the load at the newly scheduled time.  This is usually done as a cross dock service, which elimates the need to charge a storage fee. This service allows the company driver to be on their way to get the next load that is waiting on them.  If the problem is the load has shifted the great warehouse will ask questions over the phone to determine what will be involved.  Once the driver arrives, the warehouse will take pictures and email them to the dispatcher.  The warehouse will then estimate the charges to rework the shifted load and the time to complete so that the dispatcher can make a determination whether to keep the driver on the load or allow the local warehouse to deliver the load.  At the end of the day the warehouse partner you choose should provide a flexible, reliable solution.



Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. It is even more important when providing a service, such as third party logistics.  You can offer promotions and slash prices to bring in as many new customers as you want, but unless you can get some of those customers to come back, your business won’t be profitable for long.

Good customer service is all about bringing customers back. And about sending them away happy – happy enough to pass positive feedback about your business along to others, who may then try the product or service you offer for themselves and in their turn become repeat customers.

Here's a collection of inspirational Customer Service Quotes.

To my customer.
I may not have the answer, but I’ll find it.
I may not have the time, but I’ll make it.
UNKNOWN

If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends.
If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.
JEFF BEZOS

The Customer is King.
UNKNOWN

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.
ROGER STAUBACH

Quality in a service or product is not what you put into it.
It is what the client or customer gets out of it.
PETER DRUCKER

Do what you do so well that they will
want to see it again and bring their friends.
WALT DISNEY

If we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.
UNKNOWN

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify!
HENRY DAVID THOREAU

Customers don’t expect you to be perfect.
They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong.
DONALD PORTER

Give trust, and you'll get it double in return
KEES KAMIES

The quality of our work depends on the quality of our people.
UNKNOWN

One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing
is what we do for others.
LEWIS CAROL

The goal as a company is to have customer service that is
not just the best, but legendary.
SAM WALTON

Mistakes are the portals of discovery.
JAMES JOYCE

Being on par in terms of price and quality only gets you into the game.
Service wins the game.
TONY ALESSANDRA

People expect good service but few are willing to give it.
ROBERT GATELY

Well done is better than well said.
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

To my customer.
I may not have the answer, but I’ll find it.
I may not have the time, but I’ll make it.
UNKNOWN

Here is a simple but powerful rule - always give people
more than what they expect to get.
NELSON BOSWELL

In business you get what you want by giving other people what they want.
ALICE MACDOUGALL

You’ll never have a product or price advantage again.
They can be easily duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.
JERRY FRITZ

Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.
KATE ZABRISKIE

Customer service is not a department, it's an attitude!
UNKNOWN (Submitted by Mandy)

The way to gain a good reputation,
is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.
SOCRATES