Shipping killing my shop reviews

[Former_Member]

In all my years on etsy this is the first time shipping items are hurting my shop. I recently shipped an item priority only for the item to disappear and the customer not receive it on time. Priority usually takes about 1-3 days when day 5 has arrived and the item shows at a sort facility and then the trail goes cold. I also had this problem right before Christmas. I shipped items first class that usually would take 3-5 days to arrive and items weren't arriving until 10-12 days later. The only person getting hurt is me and my shop and I don't know what to do. Has anyone else experienced this???

[Former_Member]

USPS doesn't guarantee delivery times other than for the Guaranteed delivery options (and then sometimes even those don't make it on time).

I simply tell my customers that their purchases can be expected to arrive within a week and during the busy season they may take even longer.

[CircusOfCelebrations]

I actually had a very good year with USPS. They were scanning things more frequently, up until the couple of weeks before Christmas, when the first scan was at the sort facililty, then at the destination facility. But only one lost package, and it showed up badly damaged, the same day the replacement one arrived anyway. The customer was sweet enough to ship it back and I was able to salvage 1/2 for another order.
If you are using envelopes, maybe they fall off a belt easier or something, and you can check the price of shipping in a small box. I think it's the same for under 1 lb. Maybe the box will be less likely to get lost.
I have also found the smaller post office near me to be more reliable. The ladies there have gotten to know me, and they always scan my items. The only things that have gotten lost or never scanned were in the larger post office near me.

[LeedsRadio]

Elizabeth-
How are you generating your labels and are you using a scan sheet for the pickup or drop off?

[ItsyBitsyPaperCuts]

Elizabeth, I have had the same issue before Christmas. However, I looked at your reviews and they aren't bad. Any regular buyer would see the review and see the date and know it wasn't necessarily the shop's fault.

[Bgenius15]

I also got problems, some packages arrived at last destination before being out for delivery, and got "lost"

[CaliforniaCrownJewel]

Elizabeth,
I tell my customers what to expect up front with a convo when I receive their order...I ship USPS First Class which takes 2-5 days depending on their location. Then I add that I have no control of their order once it goes into the postal system. Then I give them their tracking # so that they can follow it until it arrives. I have had a couple of packages take some crazy long detours with "layovers"(and this is the lighthearted language I use when I message them), but because I track my customers purchases each night before I go to bed, I can see when there is a problem and I message them to let them know that their order is visiting Oklahoma on the way to Texas (or whatever) and again inform them that I'm very sorry for the delay, but I have no control once it leaves my hands. So far, they have been appreciative and delays have not hurt my reviews.
<3 Jewel

[StitchMarkersUSA]

What great info! Thanks for posting this.