Why workers are key components to successful e-commerce

Added on 20 July 2022

Tags

An efficient workforce is a cornerstone of a thriving e-commerce operation. As this budding industry continues to grow, more companies are cross-training employees to work in greenhouses and package plants for shipping or hiring dedicated e-commerce personnel. The duties for an e-commerce employee are significantly different from a grower, but equally important for customer satisfaction.

When shipping plants, there must be a sense of trust between the business and the consumers, according to Sid Phelps, Director of E-commerce and Fulfillment for Bonnie Plants. Customers must trust that the employees will ship them a high-quality plant.

"In the e-commerce world, especially direct to consumer, you are the hands and the eyes of the consumer. You have to pay attention to detail and quality," Phelps says. "If you were going to the grocery store to get an avocado, you're going to dig through and find the perfect one for you at home. Our teams must be able to do that for this customer whenever we're packaging their order."

Editor's note: This is the second installment of a three-part series on e-commerce. An article in the June issue of Greenhouse Grower covered shipping solutions. The article in the August issue will cover the value proposition growers offer in online sales.