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How to minimize incidents with shipments, returns and pickups during peak season (Spain)

Raquel
  • Updated

Purpose: Read about the main shipping issues during the peak season and our tips to try to minimize them.

đź’ˇRead our blog about the Peak Season 2023 Campaign to read 11 tips that will help you increase your online sales, optimize your processes and delight your customers.
Note: Please note that Sendcloud only acts as an intermediary between carriers and merchants. This means that we are dependent on the carriers: we cannot avoid delays, losses or damages; we cannot speed up claim processing times of carriers; we cannot prevent a scheduled pickup from not being carried out, etc. We will do our best to help you find the best solution.

Most common issues during peak season

During peak season, online sales skyrocket, resulting in many more shipments than the rest of the year. This translates into a huge volume of shipments, which poses a challenge for carriers.

Carriers activate mechanisms to try to ensure the best possible service during the peak. Even so, it is normal for complications to arise during these dates related to pickups, shipments and returns. Below we list the most common inconveniences, which in turn represent the main reasons for contacting Sendcloud, and our practical tips to minimize disruptions and optimize your processes.

Pickups

Due to a peak in shipments, there may be delays in pickups. There may also be missed pickups. To try to avoid inconvenience, we recommend that you:

  • Request any occasional pickups at least one business day in advance.
  • Request regular pickups from the Sendcloud panel as soon as possible (especially with SEUR).
  • Switch to fixed pickups rather than occasional pickups if you expect your order volume to grow considerably.
  • Ask for the delivery person's phone number to manage schedule changes or last minute incidents.
  • Note that even if you have indicated a time slot in your pickup request, it depends on the availability of the carrier and the route assigned to the delivery person.

For more information on pickups, we invite you to read our articles on the Pickup conditions in Spain and on How to request a parcel pickup.

Outgoing shipments

Delayed shipments

During peak season, the main Spanish carriers such as Correos, Correos Express, CTT Express and SEUR, do not guarantee delivery times. As a result, the delivery time of 24-48 hours may be extended to 48-72 hours.

We recommend that you:

  • Offer several carriers to your customers, especially for shipments to coastal areas or islands.
  • Use UPS Express for really urgent shipments, as this method guarantees delivery within 24 hours.
  • Inform your customers of possible delays and avoid promising 24-hour delivery to avoid creating false expectations.
  • In the case of international shipments, keep in mind that customs clearance times are very long and do not depend exclusively on the carriers. Customs clearance processes in the Canary Islands can take more than a week.

Parcels that are stuck in transit

To avoid that an order has a problem and remains stuck, we recommend you:

  • Use an address validation system in the checkout of your online store to avoid problems due to errors in the delivery address or zip code.
  • Offer delivery at service points.
  • Include all necessary documentation when shipping internationally. Remember that if you ship with Correos Express or CTT Express you will need to attach a dual-use letter in addition to the generic documentation.

Shipments that are not scanned

Due to the high volumes, there can be delays in scanning shipments, sometimes of more than 24 hours. In many cases, shipments are delivered without a system update.

We invite you to:

  • Contact Sendcloud support only if the delay in updating the order tracking exceeds 24 hours.
  • Always print the pickup report and have the carrier sign it when picking up the packages. This way we will have a proof to be able to complain in case of an incident.

Returns

To avoid problems with pickup returns, we recommend that you:

  • Encourage your customers to drop off their returns at the post office or service point.
  • Warn your customers that the carrier will only make one pickup attempt per request, so it is necessary that they are at home.

More information in the article Pickup returns.

How to get support from Sendcloud

Remember that we can only help you with claims on orders you have shipped with Sendcloud's rates. If you ship with your own shipping contracts, we encourage you to contact the carrier directly.

For urgent matters, such as a change in the delivery address of an order, we recommend that you contact us via chat.

To open a complaint about an shipment, create a ticket directly from your Sendcloud panel.

More information in the article How do I start an investigation or file a complaint about my parcel?

Related resources 

→ How to get support from Sendcloud

→ How do I start an investigation or file a claim for my parcel?

→ How do I create a support ticket?

→ Sendcloud Status page