Wine shipping and order fulfillment is a logistics game. And while the word “logistics” might conjure images of order picking, shipping tables, and trucks hitting the highway, it is often much, much more. The human element is what makes the difference between a frustrating brand experience, and an excellent one.

A large part of that human element is what we call white glove service. If you haven’t experienced this kind of service from your 3PL or logistics partner, it might be time to consider a different way forward.

What Is White Glove Service in the Wine Logistics Industry?

White glove service is simply a company-wide commitment to providing customers with extraordinary service that is without parallel in the industry.

What makes white glove service different from everyday customer service?

• It is not accidental or random (i.e. it is a conscious decision).
• It is not due to one or a handful of employees, but is an attitude that everyone shares.
• It is not an occasional experience—it happens routinely and is baked into the culture.
• It is reflected in the decisions and practices of the organization.
• It requires a high degree of responsiveness and care
• It nurtures a keen attention to detail—attention beyond what might seem justified by “the bottom line.”

Some Big Name Examples of White Glove Service

There are some big name companies whose business model has become synonymous with white glove service:

• Four Seasons Hotels And Resorts, which makes customer service a linchpin in their employee training and development.
• Trader Joe’s wins die-hard fans through its service efforts.
• MINI keeps customers happy through a number of perks.
• Chick-fil-A elevates their fast food offerings through customer experience.

We discuss these case studies and more in our white paper, “White Glove Service: 9 Case Studies That Reveal the Keys to Building True Customer-Oriented Organizations.” These larger companies serve as great examples of the ways in which brands can build reputation and win business using a white-glove service mentality.

So why does this approach matter for wine shipping? And how can wineries take advantage?

White Glove Service from Us Leads to White Glove Service for Your Customers

When it comes to wine shipping and logistics, there are two customers to keep in mind: The end customer, and the winery whose products are being packed and shipped.

Here at Copper Peak, we aim to provide white glove service to both. By treating you and your wines with the utmost care, we help you create a better experience for your customers. And happy customers are repeat customers.

For example, we pride ourselves on:

• An Engaged Workforce. Good service starts with good people. We work hard to hire the right people and to keep them engaged and happy. Our employees love working here, and have a smile even when lifting heavy boxes or putting in extra hours to get holiday shipments out.
• A Culture of Service. Everyone is taught the “Copper Peak way,” from our top leadership to our staff doing the picking and packing in the warehouse. The expectation is that great service is everyone’s job.
• Honesty with Expectations. If we can help in some way, we will offer it. But if something is impossible, or prohibitively expensive, or just beyond our capabilities, we will tell you up front. We don’t believe in over-promising and under delivering.
• Responsiveness. Our Client Services team usually responds to our clients within 5-10 minutes, if not sooner. You can reach your dedicated contact directly – no ticketing systems or being passed around. Many times, we can answer your question or solve your problem right away. And if the question or problem requires a little more work, we will still get back to you in a timely fashion with our plan so you know when you can anticipate an answer or resolution.
• Serious Investment in Infrastructure. Does that sound strange when we’re talking about people and relationships? Not at all! Our facilities and technology infrastructure helps us ship orders quickly, accurately, and dependably all year round. With smooth running operations we have the time to focus on answering questions, being proactive,and actually serve our clients.
• Trained and Knowledgeable Team Members. Knowledge also makes a huge difference when it comes to running a business like clockwork. We have our processes down to a science, meaning that we can take more of the management off your hands.
• We Will Be There for the Key Decisions. We want to be good stewards of your wines, and your business. We can help you look at your data to make sound decisions and stay within budget.

Sure, anyone can claim to be dedicated to these things. Anyone can claim that they hire good people, train their staff, and communicate well. But it soon becomes clear to winery clients when this isn’t the case. There is only so long that a DTC sales manager or club manager can deal with long response times, late shipments, costly mistakes, and a lack of transparency.

Are you at a decision point, and eager to see what white glove service is really like? We want to hear from you.