It’s the most wonderful time of the year! People all over the world have begun to fill their online shopping carts with gifts for family, friends, and loved ones. As package deliveries surge during the peak holiday season, so do the incidents of packages being damaged, lost, or swiped from doorsteps.

Whether you are an e-commerce business with your own website, a marketplace seller, or offer shipping in any other capacity, it’s important to familiarize yourself with some of the most common threats to a successful package delivery to ensure that your customers’ families get that present they have been waiting for all year. We have put together a few tips and tricks to help you keep track of your packages, whether it’s for the remainder of the holiday season or year-round.

• Know the important holiday shipping dates for your carriers to avoid extra costs associated with last minute holiday deliveries.
• Adding shipping insurance to your packages by a third-party provider will protect you against loss and damage while also covering your postage costs – this can easily be integrated into your shipping platform.
• Know the expectations of your customers – consider offering efficient shipping methods that may include free shipping and as well as some flexible delivery options to avoid the risk of a “porch pirate” grabbing expensive gifts.
• Allow your customers to pass on any delivery instructions for the carriers that will assist in successful delivery of their package.
• Remind customers to consider using an alternate shipping address if they are on vacation, such as the address of a neighbor or their work/office.
• Require a signature delivery on high-value items to prevent them from being left unattended on a porch or outside of a front door.

Keeping these important tips in mind this holiday season will help you cater to your customers’ expectations and ensure that their packages will arrive in time for the holidays. Taking these steps will significantly minimize the chances of something bad happening to your packages and prevent a bad situation from arriving at your doorstep!

Michele Marasca is the Director of Marketing at U-PIC Insurance Services and is recognized as a shipping expert. She has over a decade of experience in the shipping industry. She works with small companies and Fortune 500 companies to build cost-effective shipping insurance solutions to maximize their savings and minimize their risk exposure.