Keep college shippers moving and revenue flowing

Start training your employees ASAP. Go over packing how-to guides and run through some roleplaying to help your team feel confident. If you need to hire more staff, don’t wait until the last minute.

“There will be a lot of customers coming through your door,” Clark said. “Make sure you have the right people there to handle the rush.”

Have plenty of boxes, cushioning, and other packaging ready for your customers. College students are shipping everything from school supplies to bedding, so stock up accordingly.

“When you have durable materials, students are happier and more comfortable,” Matthew said. “And the more prepared they are, the faster things flow. We pre-roll 10-foot rolls of bubble wrap for people to purchase. They can prepare their items before bringing them to us.”

While some customers are happy to pack their own boxes, many will appreciate assistance. You’re not just providing friendly service—you’re giving shipments a better chance of arriving undamaged and on time.

“We ask permission to help customers pack their shipments so they arrive in good condition,” Clark said.

Consider having separate areas for shipping and printing to manage store traffic. And to reduce wait times, multitask as much as possible.

“I might have one staff member walking through the line to measure and weigh boxes,” Matthew said. “Once it’s that customer’s turn, we have all their information. We just hit print, put the label on, and they’re on their way.”

Be sure to keep store hours updated online and in-store so customers know what to expect.

Look for ways to help customers balance cost and speed with FedEx® services.

“A customer will come in and say, ‘I want this there in two days,’” Matthew said. “But FedEx standard service will probably get it there in two to three days—and is less expensive than two-day.”

“We had parents come in to ship boxes for their daughter,” Clark said. “They brought in nicely packed boxes, but some were over 50 lbs., so they’d have to pay additional fees.” He suggested redistributing some items so all boxes were under 50 lbs., saving the customers around $85.