A brand considering a 3PL is not primarily worried about pence per pick. They are worried that for two weeks during the move, orders will not ship, customers will complain and the business they built will wobble.
Onboarding is what they are really buying, and most 3PL websites do not mention it.
Step 1: publish the timeline
The stages from signed contract to first shipment: integration setup, product data load, packaging supply, inbound booking, test orders and go live. With realistic durations. A brand that can see the plan can plan around it.
Step 2: explain the integration
Which platforms connect, what the setup involves, who does the configuration and what the brand needs to provide. Integration is the step brands fear most and understand least.
Step 3: explain the stock transfer
Whether stock arrives in one delivery or phased, how it is booked in, how long checking takes and what happens to orders in the meantime. Phasing, with the old arrangement still shipping, is the answer brands want to hear.
Step 4: set out what you need from them
Product data with dimensions and weights, barcodes, packaging preferences, channel access, expected volumes and any special handling. Publishing this list lets a brand prepare before signing, which shortens onboarding dramatically.
Step 5: agree service expectations
Order cut-off times, dispatch targets, how exceptions are handled and how the brand raises issues. Agreeing this at onboarding prevents the disputes that end 3PL relationships in month three.
Step 6: capture it in conversation
SpideyChat for logistics providers answers onboarding questions at any hour and captures what the team needs to scope a transition.
Brand: How long would it take to move to you, and would orders stop? Assistant: The onboarding page sets out the stages and typical timeline from agreement to first shipment, and explains the phased stock transfer that keeps orders shipping throughout. Could you tell me which platform your store runs on, roughly how many SKUs you hold and when you would want to go live?
Step 7: name a person
Brands want to know who they will deal with during onboarding and afterwards. A named contact, and what happens when they are away, is worth more than any feature list.
Returns and exceptions
Brands want to know how returns are processed, how quickly stock is put back on sale and what happens to damaged items. Returns handling is often an afterthought in a proposal and a daily frustration afterwards, so explaining the process during onboarding sets expectations properly and prevents disputes over stock that appears to have vanished.
The first peak
A brand that onboards in September is heading straight into peak. Being honest about whether that is wise, and what it requires, is the kind of advice that wins long relationships.
Pricing sits alongside
The commercial conversation is covered in pallet storage and pick rate questions for 3PL warehouses, and the initial enquiry patterns in warehousing enquiries from growing online brands.
Onboarding as a discipline
Structured onboarding is what separates suppliers who keep clients from those who churn them, as described in onboarding new agency clients without endless emails and how financial advisors use chatbots to answer client questions.
Getting started
Publish your onboarding timeline, integration list and what you need from clients, then capture enquiries at any hour. Try SpideyChat on your own site, or read about capture on the features page.