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New York, NY—The pandemic has led to a significant increase in the daily volume of packages shipped globally and this influx has resulted in delays for delivery. Shippers have possession of the packages for a much longer time, which increases the opportunity for a loss. This also makes it difficult for the sender to follow up with the recipient to confirm delivery. 

Also, in effort to adhere to social distancing guidelines, many shipping companies have stopped obtaining signatures upon delivery. This has opened opportunities for package theft from doors, plus the lack of accountability on delivery makes it hard to determine who is stealing packages—porch pirates or possibly delivery employees.

Related: Holiday USPS Shipping To Be Slower And More Expensive

Berkley Asset Protection offers jewelers these tips for shipping jewelry this holiday season:

• Establish a new 2021-2022 shipping plan 
• Maintain a shipping log with dedicated staff that handles shipping this includes packing and tracking the shipment and calling the customer to confirm delivery
• Communicate clearly with the customers around shipping terms and delivery dates
• Insure high value packages and follow all safe packaging guidelines
• Send the client the tracking number and ask them to make sure they are home for the delivery
• Identify and report any missing packages as soon as possible, the quicker they are reported the more likely they can be recovered 

Here also is a refresher of standard jewelry shipping tips:

• Secure merchandise in a box or rip-proof envelope that will fit into an outer shipping box
  Wrap the jewelry and use packing material to restrict movement of merchandise. Packages that rattle are more attractive to thieves.
• Double package your shipments Place the small box/envelope inside
  a larger shipping box. Make sure movement is restricted with additional packing material. Double packaging dramatically minimizes theft. The shipping box should be bigger than a pocket! Avoid using shipping envelopes. 
• Avoid jewelry terms on the label Never use jewelry terms such as gold, gems, and jewelry on the label or air bill. Abbreviate company names, leaving out any references to jewelry, gold, or gems. For example,  change Johnson's Gem Shop to Johnson's Shop or just Johnson’s.
• Label the inner box/envelope. Apply a packing label to the inner box or rip-proof envelope, or clearly mark the tracking number, shipper and recipient information on the inner package in case the shipping information on the outer shipping box gets damaged and becomes illegible during transit. 
• Seal the box with tape. Seal all seams or flaps on outer shipping box with clear or non-descriptive shipping tape, in addition to adhesive on the flap. A well-sealed package deters casual thieves. 
• Require a signature at delivery. (Even if the shipper doesn’t comply, you’ve followed the proper procedure.)

While some losses can be prevented, others cannot – the most important thing is to ensure the safety of employees and yourself. That’s why insurance for your inventory and business is so important. For additional Loss Control tips, visit BerkleyAssetPro.com/LossPrevention