VeriShip, A Shipping Expense Optimization Platform

Etailers know that shipping charges are complicated and confusing. Between various fees and surcharges, it’s hard to know what shipping really costs on a per-order basis without a lot of leg work. Very often, etailers just ignore the details and move on.

Yet reviewing and reconciling the monthly carrier charges can be very good for your bottom line. Carriers make mistakes all the time, and over the course of a month or a quarter a handful of bogus fees can add up to real money. Of course, if you’re an ecommerce company with a lean headcount, you probably don’t have the staff you need to check your costs….which brings us to VeriShip.

Today, we’re speaking with George Meier, Chief Revenue Officer at VeriShip, about the company’s shipping expense optimization platform.

Can you describe your product/service as if I knew nothing about it or the market?

VeriShip helps companies save money on shipping and fulfillment. The first way we do this is by auditing the major carriers including FedEx, UPS, and Amazon. The carriers are large, complex organizations that are prone to making mistakes. When there’s no proof of delivery or they incorrectly add a surcharge to your bill, for example, we catch those errors and ensure that you are refunded. We go beyond the audit by helping our clients negotiate new contracts and correctly time payments to maximize opportunities for savings.

What’s your standard ‘elevator pitch’ for your company?

VeriShip is straightforward — we help your company reduce shipping expenses so you can increase your bottom line. Our auditing, bill pay, and contract engineering solutions have helped over 5,000 businesses across 400 industries get the money they’re owed so they can get the most out of their carrier relationship.

What are the most common misconceptions people have about your business?

Many prospects believe we are a 3PL, a broker, or a reseller of rates. We are not. We work with your existing carrier and 3PL relationships to make sure you’re getting what you signed up for.

What is your favorite part about your job?

The best part of my job is that it’s so rewarding. We pride ourselves on the fact that our solutions are saving clients money and making their lives easier, and when you are providing real value to your clients, that makes your job a whole lot more fun!

How do you quantify the value of the services you offer? Is there a good way for auto parts retailers to estimate ROI?

We can save clients up to 30% of their annual parcel spend, depending on their shipping profile. You can find our cost savings calculator on our home page to calculate what that means for you. Our fees are directly correlated with the savings we generate, and there are no out-of-pocket costs when working with us!

When you’re talking to potential customers, what are the 3 most important things you want them to know?

1. Our proprietary technology gives clients the data, visibility, and expertise to capture erroneous charges and maximize future savings.
2. The refunds are just the tip of the iceberg. A typical carrier contract has over 500 negotiable components. Our platform provides insight as to how a rate increase will not only impact your business but will also give you the information so you can negotiate better terms.
3. If we don’t save you money, you don’t pay us.

What do you attribute to VeriShip’s success?

VeriShip has been successful because we’ve helped our clients be successful. For 14 years, our solutions have generated valuable ROI for our clients. The success naturally follows.

Where do you see the market for your product/service moving over the next 5 years?

One sector that we are very bullish on is eCommerce. eCommerce is a multi-trillion dollar industry today and is rapidly taking share from brick-and-mortar retail. With that comes a host of shipping challenges and furthers the need for shippers to gain better insights to their operations to drive both efficiencies and a great customer experience. We only see this need increasing with the impact of COVID-19 and we are excited about the problems we can solve now and in the future.

Anything else you’d like to share with Spork’s readers?

We are very proud of our five-star Capterra rating and all the feedback our clients provide us as we continue to develop new solutions!

Takeaways

Shipping is a huge expense for ecommerce retailers. Spork has always encouraged our readers to negotiate carrier charges, but not all small businesses have the bandwidth to deal with the negotiation process and monthly audit of all shipping charges. A solution like Veriship may save you time and money. Learn more about Veriship here.