Your business is only as good as your ability to get products to customers. If there are any snafus your enterprise will suffer. Consumers have grown accustomed to speedy delivery. They have little tolerance for delayed packages or incorrect items.

That’s why choosing the right fulfillment provider is so important. You need one that is reliable and backs the service it promises to offer. Taking the vendor’s word for it isn’t enough. They should have clear policies on the books that state how they plan to protect you.

Make sure to ask the fulfillment provider if they offer an inventory accuracy and an order accuracy guarantee and what these accuracy guarantees entail. With these guarantees, the vendor agrees to cover the wholesale amount of the product if inventory is damaged or lost. If the service provider doesn’t meet the order terms, the order accuracy guarantee kicks in, paying the shipment and sometimes a fee for the inconvenience.

Pay close attention to the accuracy rate and how the vendor gauges it. A 98% accuracy rate based on boxes shipped could be higher than an accuracy rate based on orders shipped, which includes errors. Furthermore, ask for customer references in order to validate any accuracy claims and to gauge the overall experience of other customers.