That merry period of the year when care, love and affection are exchanged between friends, partners and even colleagues is knocking at the door. The holiday season is synonymous with shopping sprees, with many people buying for the perfect gift to send to their loved ones.
Aside from holiday season, anniversaries, weddings, and birthdays are some of the common gift-sharing occasions. Businesses also ship gifts to clients as an appreciation of their loyalty.
Whatever your reason for shipping gifts, you want to make sure your presents are still in perfect condition when the recipient gets them. If you want to avoid sending damaged, broken or badly-dented gifts, here are some top tips to help you pack and ship like an expert.
Packing
Pick the Right Box
You can never go wrong packing your gifts in a box, but you have to pick the right box. When selecting boxes, ensure they have not been damaged by water and are still sturdy. Also, don’t go for oversized boxes – you don’t want your gifts moving around while in transit. One other thing you should keep in mind is the maximum weight your box can hold. Most boxes have their weight capacity on the makers’ certificate attached to the bottom flap.
Use Enough Cushioning
There’s no two way to it; if you want your gift to be in one piece, you have to use extra cushioning. Wrap each of the gifts separately with newspaper or other cushioning of your choice. Also, ensure that the cushioning is at least two inches thick. Inside the box, there should be at least 2 inches distance between the wall of the box and the gift. This void should also be filled with additional cushioning.
Remove Shipping Labels
While reusing old shipping boxes are an excellent way to save money, you can have a bad experience if you aren’t careful. When using old boxes, always remove all shipping labels before you stick the new one, else, your gifts could end up at the wrong address. As an extra precaution, write the address and phone number of the recipient on a separate label and drop it inside the package.
Tape Like a Pro
Do not use scotch tape, blue tape, paper tape or masking tape. They are simply not strong enough to prevent your package from slipping out of their container. Experts advise taping the flaps and seams in an H-pattern to keep your boxes securely closed.
Shipping
Plan Ahead
It’s all too easy to forget planning your shipping schedule given how connected the world is. Don’t let that fool you. If you don’t make adequate preparation, it could take an extra day before your package gets to its destination, especially if it’s remote. So ask the shipping service for their schedule, holiday delays and other necessary details for a perfect shipping experience.
Use Tracking Services
You don’t have to be in the dark about the location of your gift while in transit. Leverage the free tracking services most shippers like FedEx and UPS offer to know where your package is at any time. With the tracking services, you also get to know when your gift gets to its destination.
