Continuity program fulfillment
A strong continuity program can provide a steady, highly profitable income stream that, properly managed, can continue for months or even years. So it is hardly surprising that continuity programs that have been successful in the USA are now being replicated in the UK too.
BTB Mailflight offers continuity program marketers with a simple continuity fulfillment solution including:
- Processing order data received from you, websites etc.
- Inventory control - being certain the appropriate merchandise is currently in stock.
- Pick and pack
- Shipping - low cost UK & international postal and courier services.
- Returns handling
- Customer service centre
BTB Mailflight fulfills thousands of continuity product orders a week for UK and overseas continuity marketers, with many of these continuity product companies based in the USA and looking to expand internationally.
Products are stored and packed at our Order Fulfilment Centre in Bedford (Just 50 miles north of London) and we provide a wide range of low cost mailing and courier services to distribute the products to customers in the UK, Europe, and worldwide.
Our complete continuity order fulfilment solution can be summarised by the diagram below.
Receiving continuity program orders
We can receive your continuity order data in several ways:
- Website integration (real time and scheduled acquisition).
- Data file downloads.
- Via email, postal, and telephone contact at our Contact Centre.
When receiving your data feeds we will agree data formats and layouts in advance and test the system thoroughly before we go live.
Find out more >>
Receiving your continuity program products
We take in deliveries from your suppliers, check them, and allocate the product stock to your storage and picking areas in our warehouse. We will update the stock management system and of course report any discrepancies to you so you can liaise with your suppliers.
If you are sending us products from overseas we can provide advice regarding import duties and VAT and have links to banks, solicitors, import agents etc.
Stock management
We can store your products in bulk storage, paletised and racked storage, and pigeon hole type picking faces as well as extra-secure storage and fulfillment areas. We operate strict stock management procedures and transparent inventory reporting.
Pick and pack
Product stock can be called off for single orders, small consignments, or bulk shipments. The continuity fulfilment processes are covered by our ISO90001:2008 quality system so procedures are in place to ensure accurate picking of your product orders, and audit trails are available.
Order distribution: UK and worldwide
We are able to offer a range of postal services and packet and parcel services including signed-for and trackable options in order to distribute your supplements to customers across the UK and overseas.
Our postage prices are often what makes our overall continuity fulfillment solution the most cost effective, as postage is typically one of the most costly parts of running a mail order business. Find out more >>
Returns handling
Any returned supplement orders will be processed with care to identify the reason for return and the best resolution based on your returns procedure.
Order tracking and reporting
We utilise Microsoft's SQL Server Reporting Services for providing and maintaining flexible reports for our order fulfillment clients. These reports can be made available online so you can login securely and view important information such as:
- Stock reports
- fulfillment reports
- Goods received reports
- Consumables used reports
- Tracking numbers for courier deliveries
- Returns reports
Find out more about reports >>
Definition of continuity marketing
Continuity marketing is a method of providing goods or services to consumers that relies on direct marketing and continues into perpetuity. Also known as auto-replenishment, this relationship continues until the customer decides to end it by notifying the marketer.
Overview of continuity marketing
The general concept is that a customer places an original order, typically through a mail order offer or online. This original offering is usually discounted and acts as a loss leader. Within a prescribed period of time, a subsequent shipment will be delivered to the customer. Thereafter, additional shipments will continue to be sent at regular intervals. This continues until the customer notifies the supplier of their choices or their desire to discontinue the service.
This has been a primary distribution method for well known bookclubs such as Doubleday and Harlequin and music clubs such as Columbia House. International Masters Publisher has distributed millions of recipe cards internationally in this fashion.
BTB Mailflight provides continuity fulfilment services (auto-replenishment) to professional continuity marketers who use clear and deliberate language, repeated several times and located prominently to explain their program. However a small percentage of customers will always fail to, or refuse to, understand the continuous nature of the offer. While excited to receive the deep original discount or free sample, the opportunity to review the terms and conditions is often missed. When the next shipment arrives with an invoice, these consumers become agitated and resentful. We try to help our clients ensure these customer service issues are managed effectively to reduce the wasted resources, including customer service calls, returns and lost goodwill.