How I Process Orders in My Small Business (And Why This System Saves Me Headaches)
Running a small business means wearing every hat — maker, picker, packer, customer service, admin, and occasionally, detective when a parcel goes wandering. Especially at this time of year (Christmas), when deliveries really matter.
Over the years I’ve developed a simple but reliable packaging system that keeps me organised and drastically reduces mistakes or 'did I do that?' moments.
It’s nothing fancy, just a routine that works and it might help other small business owners who struggle with lost items, packing errors, or customer queries. I go the extra mile for my customers benefit and my own piece of mind.
Christmas is when my system really shines but it also adds to my workload. Is it worth it do you think? Read on and see.
A Pet Peeve of Mine
This might ring true for you, but there’s nothing worse than placing an order, getting the automatic confirmation… and then hearing absolutely nothing.
Did you see my order? Are you actually processing it? Am I in a queue?
How long will it take to ship, especially with your current workload? When you do say dispatched, is it stuck in a bin in your warehouse or actually with a courier?
These are the questions every customer thinks about after they click “Buy Now.” Yet so many businesses — big and small — treat this stage with a very casual, almost careless attitude. It’s as if they’ve never shopped online themselves.
That has always bothered me, so I’ve built a better, more personal process at David Condon Woodcraft. If you follow the link, you’ll see on my Shipping page that I probably go overboard explaining how I process orders but it’s written by a real person who understands the questions customers actually want answered.
This idea of respecting the customer experience is the same reason I eventually removed ads from my websites altogether — something I wrote about in Why I Removed Ads From My Website — And Why You Probably Should Too.
Here’s how I do my orders from start to finish.
1. Start With a Clear Picking List
As soon as an order comes in, I print the picking list and clip it to an A4 clipboard. I pick and lay out all the items on the packing table and, before touching anything, I take a quick photo of everything exactly as it appears, sometimes with the picking list visible, sometimes just the products.
Why? Because it gives me a visual record of what is supposed to go into the package. If something looks off — a missing variation, wrong size, wrong colour — I spot it before packing, not after.
On complicated or large orders, I double-check the list against the physical items before moving on.
Having a photo to refer back to later is invaluable when things get busy. Those little “Did I definitely include that?” doubts disappear the moment you check the image and can see everything laid out clearly.
2. Double Check Before It Goes in the Box
Some orders are straightforward. Others involve multiple colours, sizes, bundles, or similar-looking items that are easy to mix up.
If an order has any chance of confusion, I do a second or even a triple check:
● Count everything: Sometimes items fall off the table, always check!It takes an extra 30 seconds to do those little things but saves hours of back-and-forth if something were to go wrong or an item be left out of the box.
3. Add a Personal Touch — A Hand-Written Note
I always include a simple handwritten thank-you note on the picking sheet. It’s nothing dramatic, just:
“Thank you *enter customer's name — David”
People appreciate it. It doesn’t cost anything, but it adds warmth and personality, something big companies can’t replicate and an ink stamp doesn't convey. A human being packed your order, not a robot.
I also add a ‘Thanks for Supporting My Small Business’ sticker or card inside every parcel. Over time I’ve found that customers really value these tiny touches.
4. Photograph the Packed Contents Before Sealing the Box
I don't have to do this all the time, just for larger or more expensive orders. Before wrapping the items inside for transit and closing the box, I take a clear photo of the contents laid exactly as they are going in.
This one habit has saved me more stress than anything else I do.
If a customer ever says something is missing, I can pull up the image and check immediately.
Most of the time, the photo settles the question instantly, either I can see the item or I know it wasn’t included and can fix the error.
No guesswork. No memory games. Just evidence.
And things happen. A small item can get lost in packing paper, fall off a table during unboxing, or roll somewhere unexpected. I’ve seen tins of wax vanish under a couch. Having a photo to refer back to puts your mind at ease and removes all uncertainty.
When you rely on third-party couriers, having clear photographic records matters, something I’ve touched on in my post Are Couriers Failing Small Businesses?.
5. Add the Customer’s Own Address Details — Not Just the Courier Label
Sometimes the postal address supplied by my customer doesn’t match the courier’s auto-generated Eircode system.
To protect both sides, I include:
● The customer’s exact address as they typed it● The courier label
This means if anything goes wrong, the local courier driver can use the customer supplied details and not the Eircode system. Helpful for drivers who were couriers prior to the Eircode launch.
It also helps solve disputes if someone accidentally uses an old address on their account, you’d be surprised how often that happens.
6. Seal the Box and Photograph the Exterior With the Label Attached
Once the box is sealed and labelled, I take one more photo — the outside of the parcel with the shipping label clearly visible.
This acts as proof that:
● The order was packed● The shipping label was created correctly
If a box goes missing, arrives damaged, or gets delayed, this image is extremely useful for dealing with couriers.
Some couriers move faster when you can say, “Here is the package you collected at 2:10pm on Tuesday.” Also, ''here is a picture of the same package with label clearly visible!''
7. Email the Customer Once the Order Is Packed (Not Just When Collected)
I send customers a quick email message once the parcel is ready for pickup or at the weekend to say I will pack it Monday morning and it will be collected in the afternoon. This is where all the expectations of the shipment are laid out crystal clear:
● Confirmation the order is packed● Estimated pickup time
● Estimated delivery time
It reassures customers and creates a timed record of when I fulfilled the order.
Most people really appreciate the extra communication.
I’ve also written before about how vague shipping messages can frustrate customers, especially in my post Delivery in X Business Days? Here’s What That Really Means.
If you run a small business and have dealt with missing items or customer queries, maybe parts of this process will help reduce stress and uncertainty. And if you’re a customer of mine, hopefully this gives you a better sense of the care and checks that go into every order.
Sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference.
Thanks for Reading,
David
More Titles for You to Read:
The Customer Isn’t Always Right – And That’s OKLearning Irish the Wrong Way Leaves All Irish People Embarrassed
Useful Amazon Tools and Gadgets Every Maker or Handyman Should Have
About the Author
I’m David Condon, a small business owner and blog writer based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. Running my own woodcraft business means I’ve seen first-hand how much confusion there can be around shipping times, delivery dates, and what “business days” actually mean. That’s why I wrote this post — to share a bit of what I’ve learned and hopefully save you some frustration.
Every so often I step outside the workshop to write about wider business topics like this one. If you’d like to know more, you can follow the link in the Note from the Author section below.
Every so often I step outside the workshop to write about wider business topics like this one. If you’d like to know more, you can follow the link in the Note from the Author section below or visit my About Me page to learn more.
💬 Note from the Author
This post was written specially for David Condon Finds. If you enjoyed it, you might also like my other projects:
Phoenix DVD Blog – where I write about DVDs, Blu-rays, and life as a collector
David Condon Woodcraft – my main site focused on woodturning and handmade Irish pieces
If you’d like to support my writing, you can do so through the Buy Me a Coffee button below. It helps keep these side projects going — thank you!
Like what you're reading? You can buy me a coffee — sure it’s cheaper than a pint!
Original content © David Condon Finds — Written by David Condon. Please credit and link if shared.
Comments
Post a Comment