Imagine you are an art collector and have just won a coveted painting at a competitive auction. It’s very fragile, so placing it safely on a gallery wall can be tricky. Enter white glove delivery.
The auction house will send a team of trained art handlers to package your painting, deliver the painting to a specialized art shipping company, and send the same team of professional art handlers to unbox and hang your painting. paintings. When you notify the Auction House’s Customer Service team that you need to change your delivery date, the Auction House’s Customer Service team will respond and updates will be rigorously tracked. The delivery staff is courteous and careful, and carefully unloads the carefully packaged artwork, moves it into your gallery, and hangs it on your wall.
Does this sound like a level of service that your e-commerce company might benefit from? Read on to learn more about the benefits of white-glove delivery services and how to integrate them into your small business.
What is White Glove Delivery Service?
White glove service refers to premium shipping and delivery options that ensure a high level of care and special attention to transporting fragile and valuable cargo. It typically involves installation and product assembly, personalized customer service, and delivery to the customer’s desired room (as opposed to door-to-door delivery).
For example, furniture and decoration brand Arhaus offers White glove delivery service In addition to shipping, this includes unboxing, assembly, and removal of packaging materials.
What types of businesses need white glove delivery services?
Any business can offer white glove services as a customer journeybut companies that offer this service typically sell high-end, bulky, or delicate items. You may consider offering this service if you provide the following:
- Electronic products: Companies that sell home entertainment systems and other large electronic devices often offer white-glove delivery with installation support to help buyers assemble complex multi-part purchases.
- furniture: furniture Shipping, delivering and assembling items can be cumbersome, and fine furniture and antiques are particularly susceptible to damage. White glove services help furniture stores get products safely into homes, and many services also offer assembly.
- Art galleries and auction houses: Art is particularly fragile and you cannot rely on traditional shipping methods to transport it safely. Museums, galleries and auction houses often rely on professional art delivery services staffed by experts who can both prevent damage in transit and help customers with hanging and installation.
- Medical equipment: Businesses selling fragile and climate-sensitive medical devices and pharmaceuticals can rely on white-glove services to ensure buyers are provided with proper shipping and on-site setup to ensure their products function as expected.
- Luxury goods: Luxury brands selling expensive clothing, accessories and handbags may choose white glove delivery to add an extra high-end touch to the luxury shopping experience.
- Builders and Contractors: Builders ordering expensive custom materials such as marble countertops may turn to white-glove delivery to prevent any damage during shipping, while contractors such as interior designers may rely on these services to ensure timely delivery and correct installation for their customers. these items.
- Fitness equipment: Fitness equipment such as treadmills, stationary bikes, and weight racks are heavy. White glove delivery makes the setup process easier for customers in home studios and commercial gyms.
- collector: If a one-of-a-kind product is damaged during shipping, the seller can’t just send a new product to the customer: businesses and individuals who specialize in buying and selling rare items and antiques may choose specialized services to prevent any damage during shipping and delivery.
- Specialty foods: Bakeries and other businesses that sell specialty foods may need climate-controlled shipping vehicles (and extra careful handling) to ensure their products arrive at their destination intact. These businesses may also provide trained staff to set up food at the destination, ultimately providing personalized service throughout the customer journey.
What does white glove delivery include?
Businesses often use white glove delivery services to get around Frequently Asked Questions about Shipping At the same time, we customize the transportation process according to customers and products, and provide additional support as needed. An effective white glove delivery service can include many different services, such as:
Handled with care by professionals
Companies that offer white-glove services employ experts who are specifically trained in the safe handling of specific types of goods, and these experts may employ different experts to oversee specific stages of the delivery process. For example, an auction house might hire art shipping professionals to package paintings in special trucks and then subcontract art handlers to hang the paintings in customers’ homes.
Thorough inspection
Because white-glove delivery services typically protect the transfer of expensive and fragile items, merchants conduct thorough inspections during order processing to ensure products are in good condition before shipping.
Professional packaging
White glove delivery services often incorporate specialized packaging options such as custom-sized boxes, foam inserts and other protective elements to ensure the product reaches its delivery destination as safely as possible.
Customized transportation
Some products require ultra-specific conditions, such as humidity control (for paintings) or refrigeration (for certain medications). White glove services may use special delivery vehicles to transport these climate-sensitive items.
Fast and flexible delivery
White glove service provided quickly Transport speedand they often accommodate customers’ individual schedules, allowing for expedited, after-hours and weekend deliveries to meet customer needs. Deliveries often include specialized delivery services, such as leaving packages in the customer’s desired room rather than on their doorstep. Additionally, white-glove delivery services accept customer feedback throughout the delivery process, often providing trained professionals to assist with any questions or concerns.
Installation and assembly
White glove services often provide product installation and assembly, whether it’s installing a large flat-screen TV or assembling an expensive dining table made from rare reclaimed wood. They also take away packaging materials and may even pay extra to dispose of old items (such as taking away old equipment when a new version is installed).
How to offer white-glove delivery
- Determine the parameters of your service
- Set fees and communicate them clearly
- Find the right insurance coverage
- Work with shipping partners
- Ensure efficient scheduling and planning
If you’re interested in adding white glove delivery service to your business, follow these steps to get started:
1. Determine the parameters of the service
Before implementing a white glove delivery service, determine what features of a white glove service you want to offer. Do you want inspection, shipping, delivery, personalized customer service and installation included? Or do you want to skip installation? Choose a plan that makes sense based on your products, enterprise resources, and customers.
2. Set fees and communicate them clearly
Once you’ve determined the services you want to offer, it’s time to calculate your white-glove delivery costs. your freight May vary based on product size, product weight, order value and destination.
White glove delivery can be expensive: make sure the cost is clearly communicated on your website and promotional materials to avoid customer shock. For example, if you include additional services such as installation, be sure to clearly state that installation will cost extra.
3. Find the right insurance coverage
Handling expensive and fragile goods is inherently risky, so you need to make sure you find a good transportation insurance A policy that compensates for losses caused by damage during shipping.
4. Work with shipping partners
If you’re implementing a white-glove service for high-end and fragile items, you may need a professional shipping partner that offers services like climate-controlled trucks or professional packaging. Before you start comparing potential shipping partners, determine what special features you need.
5. Ensure efficient scheduling and planning
Work with your shipping partners to try efficient planning routewhich ensures that deliveries reach customers in a timely manner.
White Glove Service FAQs
Which products require white glove delivery?
Products requiring white-glove delivery often include high-end, bulky and fragile items that may be damaged by traditional delivery methods. These include products such as furniture, art, electronics, medical equipment, fitness equipment, specialty luxury goods and antique collectibles.
Is White Glove Delivery Worth It?
For companies selling luxury, heavy-duty or fragile goods, a white-glove delivery service may be worthwhile. White glove service helps ensure safe, damage-free delivery, resulting in a better overall customer experience, leading to repeat purchases and customer loyalty.
What does white glove service mean?
White Glove Delivery Service is a premium shipping and delivery option where a team of trained professionals provide extra care for the shipment of large, delicate or high-value items.
