Understanding Discreet Shipping and Its Importance
It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to remain private and discreet nowadays. Personal information is being shared online left, and right; shady companies (mis)use client’s personal data to make a quick buck, and you can even learn a lot about someone with just a quick Google search.
And in such times, where protecting personal privacy seems more difficult than ever, businesses that offer their customers to purchase products and have them delivered discreetly may make a world of difference.
With discreet shipping, businesses can offer their customers that added level of protection and security by ensuring that not every curious eye can easily spot what their neighbours have ordered online. What’s more, since parcel theft is also on the rise, this could potentially be discouraged with discreet shipping meaning that the potential parcel thieves would need to actually commit theft in order to determine if the items inside are worth it or not.
How to Make Shipments More Discreet?
The easiest way to make your shipments look more discreet is to package them in discreet packaging. But what is discreet packaging?
Simply put, discreet packaging refers to packaging products in plain, ambiguous packaging that won’t give off its contents straight away. This offers consumers the opportunity to order anything online without having to worry about others knowing what they’ve ordered.
By concealing an order’s origin and contents throughout the shipping process, businesses offer greater levels of privacy to their customers, which not only encourages the customers to actually make a purchase but also offers them peace of mind, thus contributing to greater customer satisfaction.
When Is Discreet Shipping Used?
Ideally, discreet shipping should be used throughout the entire shipping logistics process and be an integral part of all ship operations. That way, the contents of the order remain hidden right from the get-go, which is precisely what the person ordering it is hoping for.
And although the first industry that comes to mind is the adult industry, the fact of the matter is that discreet shipping has become a common practice in many other industries.
Medical industry
Considering the fact that medical files and history should always be kept confidential, it’s no secret that the medical industry is most commonly using discreet packaging. Namely, anything and everything regarding a person’s health is only their and their doctor’s concern. So, items such as:
- Medication
- Test results
- Diagnosis results
- Medical supplies and equipment
should always be shipped discreetly.
High-value items
With the number of porch pirates on the rise, any high-value items should also be shipped discreetly to prevent or, at least, try to deter such behaviour. These items can include jewellery, electronics, expensive foods and beverages, and anything that has to do with the recipient’s personal information, such as documents, contracts and similar sensitive paperwork.
Home security industry
The home security industry also relies on discreet packaging, especially when it comes to home security technology and gadgets. By keeping the contents of this type of delivery secret, the home security industry offers their customers an additional layer of protection.
Adult industry
Even though things are getting progressively more liberal, sex talk is still considered taboo in many parts of the world. And, besides, even if it weren’t, nobody - aside from your customer - needs to know what they enjoy and like to play around with.
So, if your business is operating within the adult industry, discreet packaging is simply a must to ensure that your customers stay satisfied and even encourage them to keep ordering from you in the future.
Surprise orders and items that are meant to be gifted
Finally, secret and surprise orders - and especially during the holiday season - should always be packaged in ambiguous packaging to prevent spoiling the surprise. Of course, you can’t ensure that the package - once delivered - won’t be opened by the “wrong” person (i.e. the receiver of the gift) but you can at least do your part to ensure that the surprise is not ruined from the get-go.
Is Using Discreet Packaging the Only Way to Ship Discreetly?
Although it may sound like discreet packaging is the only way to offer discreet shipping, there are other ways customers can receive their products quietly.
For starters, there is an option to deliver your products to PO boxes and shipping lockers, but this doesn’t always guarantee complete privacy, especially if you use branded packaging.
Next, you can opt for direct delivery using the services of individual carriers, such as UPS and FedEx, so that you can ensure that the parcels will be delivered straight to the person who ordered them instead of being left to sit on their doorstep unattended.
What’s more, using services like USPS can even help your business save up on shipping smaller parcels, as they offer one of the cheapest international shipping rates for smaller packages.
How to Make Discreet Shipping a Part of Your Business
If offering discreet shipping is not already a part of your common business practices, you should consider including it, as it will offer additional value to your customers.
Needless to say, the more value you offer to your customers, the happier they’ll be. It will not only lead to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty, but it will also bring more traffic - and, thus, profit - to your business.
So, if you’re looking to add discreet shipping to your offer, you first need to make sure you include the option to make the order discrete. You can include this option on your products pages or make it a part of the checkout.
You will also need to consider what to do in case a customer places a large order, but only wants some of the products to be delivered discreetly. Here, you can either send the entire order quietly, or you can choose to package those items separately, in their own discreet packaging and make them a part of the large order.
Whichever option you decide on, make sure your customers have the option to choose and always - ALWAYS - make sure you avoid making mistakes. A single discreet delivery mistake can easily cause customer dissatisfaction and make your business look unprofessional and unreliable.
How Bezos Can Help with Discreet Shipping
After everything mentioned previously, it may seem like shipping packages discreetly internationally is not really possible, as online sellers will usually need to declare what’s inside the package, provide its full value, and meet other customs requirements. Luckily, by partnering up with Bezos, you can put all of these worries aside.
Thanks to our network of fulfilment centres, we can easily ship your items to one of our distribution centres and only then package them discreetly. This way, we offer to alleviate any customs concerns while still respecting the wishes of your customers and ensuring their products reach them in a discreet fashion.
What’s more, we offer our partners to completely personalise our services to their business needs, offering a tailored solution that fully aligns with their objectives.
So, if you wish to learn how your business can become a part of our satisfied customer network, request a quote today to get started and let us help you grow your business.
Conclusion
By now, it’s clear that discreet shipping has become very important to consumers looking to retain at least some privacy in a world that’s becoming increasingly transparent by the moment. So, companies that make discreet packaging and thoughtful delivery a part of their regular business model can really stand to gain a lot by not only enhancing customer satisfaction but also by encouraging trust and loyalty.
What’s more, adopting this practice won’t just offer businesses better customer loyalty but it will also provide them with a competitive advantage over their competitors, which is something any business can greatly benefit from.
Questions fréquemment posées
What is discreet shipping?
Discreet shipping is a process of packaging customers’ orders in ambiguous packaging, so that the content of the parcel is not obvious at a single glance. This ensures that nobody - save for the customer - knows what’s inside the package or where the package came from.
How much does discreet shipping cost?
The price of discreet shipping shouldn’t be any different from the price of the regular shipping, as most businesses offer this service for free. So, how much you end up paying for discreet shipping will depend on how many items you’ve ordered, the total weight of the order, as well as the destination you’ve ordered it from.
What is discreet standard shipping?
Standard discreet shipping involves using plain, unbranded mailing packaging, that in no way indicates what’s inside the packaging. Most commonly, even the shipping labels won’t provide any details regarding the sender or the contents of the package.
Does DHL do discreet shipping?
DHL offers personal delivery options that ensure that the recipient receives the goods directly, thus preventing any breach of privacy. This service is called Named Person Only service and it ensures that the parcels are delivered either only to the recipient or to the authorised person and no one else.
