Your holiday season was busy—but was it smooth?

When the stakes are high, like during the holidays, your logistics provider either rises to the occasion or exposes cracks in your supply chain. The question is: did your 3PL deliver?

If you’ve experienced any of these five warning signs, it might be time to evaluate whether your current 3PL is holding your business back—and how to fix it.

1. Missed Delivery Timelines or Order Inaccuracies

Your 3PL’s first job is to get products where they need to be when they need to be there. But if you spent your busy season fielding customer complaints about late shipments or incorrect orders, it’s a clear sign something isn’t working. Your customers don’t forgive mistakes during peak seasons—and neither should you.

Your customers expect their packages to arrive on time, every time, especially during the holidays. A single missed delivery or inaccurate shipment can lead to frustrated customers, negative reviews, and lost revenue.

Here’s how to fix it if your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations:

• Demand transparency from your 3PL with real-time shipment tracking and regular performance updates.
• Implement service level agreements (SLAs) with penalties for missed delivery or accuracy benchmarks.
• Learn how to avoid the most common pitfalls in “4 Common Holiday Logistics Pitfalls & How to Avoid Them.”

2. Lack of Scalability During Seasonal Surges

Your business doesn’t stay the same size all year—and your 3PL needs to adapt. Your busy season brings a predictable surge in orders, and a reliable logistics partner should scale effortlessly to handle the increased demand. If your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations, it’s time to reconsider its capacity to support your growth.

Holiday demand isn’t a surprise. If your 3PL wasn’t prepared for the rush—whether it was delays, bottlenecks, or running out of space—it could mean they’re not equipped to handle your growth.

Here’s how to fix it if your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations:

• Discuss peak season planning with your 3PL well in advance. If they don’t have solutions for increased staffing, space, and resources, it’s time to look elsewhere.
• Look for a provider with flexible storage options and a history of handling seasonal surges for businesses of your size.
• Understand why you might be having issues by reviewing “Why Your 3PL Holiday Logistics Might Fail & How To Avoid It.”

3. Poor Communication and Problem-Solving

When things go wrong, how your 3PL responds can make or break your holiday season. Delays, disruptions, and unexpected challenges are inevitable during peak times, but your logistics partner should step in with solutions—not excuses. If you were left in the dark or scrambling to fix problems yourself, something needs to change.

Did your 3PL proactively solve problems or leave you scrambling to put out fires? When issues arose, did they communicate clearly and offer solutions, or were you left in the dark?

Here’s how to fix it if your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations:

• Schedule regular review meetings with your 3PL to assess performance and address potential issues before they escalate.
• Test their responsiveness by presenting hypothetical problems and evaluating their approach.
• Download our free logistics checklist to ensure every step of your operations is accounted for.

4. Inefficient Returns Processing

Returns are an unavoidable part of doing business, especially after the holidays. Customers expect returns to be quick and painless, but if your 3PL stumbled during this critical time, it could damage your reputation. A smooth returns process isn’t just a customer service win—it’s a logistics necessity.

The holiday season doesn’t end with the last shipment—it extends into January with a surge in returns. Was your 3PL prepared to handle the influx quickly and accurately, or did your returns process create more headaches than it solved?

Here’s how to fix it if your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations:

• Work with a 3PL that offers robust returns management, including clear disposition rules, quick processing times, and customer-friendly policies.
• Explore how your returns process can become a competitive advantage in “How To Turn Your Returns Management Into a Strategic Asset.”

5. Lack of Real-Time Insights and Reporting

Information is power—especially during the busiest time of year. Without visibility into your supply chain, you’re operating blind. A 3PL that can’t provide real-time insights is leaving you at a disadvantage, making it harder to make informed decisions and adapt to challenges.

Did you have the visibility you needed during the holiday crunch? Could you track inventory, shipments, and performance metrics in real-time, or were you left guessing?

Here’s how to fix it if your 3PL didn’t meet your expectations:

• Invest in a 3PL that offers an integrated technology platform with real-time inventory tracking and reporting capabilities.
• Learn how to optimize your inventory management with “Proven Inventory Strategies Every Business Needs to Know.”

If these signs sound familiar, you’re not alone. Many businesses stick with underperforming 3PLs because they assume switching is too difficult. But staying with a logistics partner who can’t meet your needs costs you more in the long run—like lost sales, unhappy customers, and missed growth opportunities.

Your holiday season shouldn’t be an exercise in damage control. It should be the time when your logistics partner shines, driving customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. If your 3PL didn’t deliver, it’s time to evaluate your options and take control of your supply chain.

Take the First Step Toward Better Logistics

Your logistics partner should be an engine for growth, not a source of frustration. If your busy season exposed gaps in your supply chain, now is the time to fix it—before it costs you more lost trust and unhappy customers.

Our RFP template is the ultimate tool to help you:

• Identify what your business truly needs in a logistics partner.
• Ask the right questions to avoid underperforming providers.
• Find a 3PL that delivers on performance, scalability, and reliability.

Don’t wait until the next busy season to make a change. Download the RFP template today and start building a logistics partnership that sets you up for long-term success.