Quadrupling the Market

“Welcome Home, Apple.”  This is the heart of the brand experience at Henge Docks, which designs and manufactures high-end accessories for the Apple ecosystem. With a design philosophy that balances beauty with effectiveness, Henge Docks is passionate about enhancing the Apple user experience. “We want customers to know they belong here,” said Kristin Junk, Operations Manager. “The relationship should just feel right. And that’s exactly what we were seeking when we began to look for a 3PL that’s built to help us grow.”

When Henge Docks first launched, the innovator was using a large third-party logistics provider (3PL) to fulfill orders. But Henge Docks quickly discovered that this 3PL’s customer service was falling short of expectations. “When we had an issue, we couldn’t talk to a live person,” Junk said. “It would take two or three days to get a reply, which is not good if you’re striving for same-day fulfillment.” Plus, the 3PL’s systems weren’t intuitive and didn’t integrate well with the Henge Docks website. So the company began to search for a new 3PL.

“TAGG Gives us the extra level of support that a start-up needs. This isn’t a service you buy; this is a true partnership.”

Kristin Junk
Operations Manager
Henge Docks

“We were a start-up company and needed a 3PL who was willing to go the extra mile to help us grow,” Junk said. The Henge Docks team visited the TAGG Fulfillment Center in Reno, Nevada—discussed their needs with TAGG’s principals—and realized that they had found the 3PL solution for their growing business.

“TAGG was very willing to teach us how to succeed with same-day fulfillment and create customized solutions. For us, TAGG is the 3PL expert.” She explained that—unlike her previous 3PL—she’s always able to talk directly with the right person. “No one’s out of reach. TAGG has outstanding customer service,” she said.

At Henge Docks, the brand mantra is “Simplicity with Potential.” This unique philosophy aligns seamlessly with the expectations of Apple users, who are very brand conscious and demand simple, intuitive solutions. Every detail matters. “Take the unboxing experience, for example,” Junk explains. “When Apple users take our product out of the box, it fits perfectly with the relationship they have with their Apple products.” In much the same way, TAGG is the right fit for Henge Docks. “Working with TAGG is simple, easy and intuitive. They support our brand experience well.”

Henge Docks and TAGG collaborate to create a stronger brand experience across four points of customer engagement, called TAGG Touchpoints. TAGG began by helping to improve the original online shopping experience—and then expanded into three other key sales channel opportunities:

1. Shopify online shopping cart: As Henge Docks online sales increased, the manual processes they used to fulfill orders became more and more cumbersome. Most of all, they were preventing the same-day fulfillment that customers wanted. The reason was simple: Henge Docks was sending TAGG one comprehensive list of product orders at the end of each day. There just wasn’t time to fulfill and ship orders that same day.

The answer was to automate order processing via Shopify. The benefits are making a tremendous impact on the online ordering experience—while streamlining Henge Docks’ operations. “Now, we ship orders much faster,” Junk said. “And by eliminating manual processes, we save a least 30 minutes a day. Plus, there’s no possibility for human error entering order data. Best of all, TAGG completely customized the Shopify experience for us.”

That was key, because Henge Docks gives customers a one-hour window to cancel orders. So sending each order in real time to the warehouse for fulfillment wouldn’t work. Instead, TAGG designed a system that would batch and send orders for fulfillment four times a day. That way, Henge Docks’ order cancellation pledge could be honored, without impacting fulfillment speed.

Plus, TAGG synchronizes order volume with warehouse inventory every 15 minutes. “That way, we know we’re never overselling,” Junk said.

2. Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime: Offering products on Amazon opens a new sales channel with access to millions of new, potential customers—and Amazon Prime is the elite, high sales volume segment of this market. Henge Docks wanted to access this lucrative market, but the service barrier to entry is high. “To qualify, we needed to meet the fulfillment promise of Amazon,” Junk said. For orders received by 10 am, that meant shipping the same day.

“To make that work, we knew TAGG would need to be a big part of it,” she said. “And they are, partnering with us to meet all of Amazon’s service metrics.” The result: Henge Docks has a new, lucrative digital marketplace to share its high-end Apple accessories. And TAGG is there at every sale, ensuring same-day fulfillment and delivering on Amazon’s service commitment to Prime customers.

3. Business-to-business sales: In addition to its expanding consumer base, Henge Docks also serves a robust commercial market as well. TAGG supports the high expectations of these customers by packing and shipping orders the same day. “TAGG is extremely efficient with larger orders,” Junk said. “In our experience, there’s no other 3PL that can match TAGG’s service to businesses.”

4. International sales: Products as desirable as Henge Docks appeal to a global audience, but there’s a challenge. International orders are processed via a separate Shopify system than the one used for domestic orders. So it’s essential that the two systems be integrated from an inventory perspective, so TAGG’s warehouse doesn’t run out of product. “TAGG synchronizes our US and international orders seamlessly, so we can ensure the Henge Docks brand experience for all of our customers, no matter where they are,” Junk said.

Another key to the Henge Docks philosophy is constant improvement. So when the company is ready to update its ordering, fulfillment and shipping processes, TAGG is ready to deliver. “It’s refreshing, after our first 3PL,” Junk said. “TAGG is always super responsive, even over holidays.”

TAGG shares Henge Docks’ commitment to seeking new ways to meet customer expectations in a challenging omnichannel world. “When we say Your Business Everywhere™, we mean it,” said Tod Yazdi, TAGG principal. “As Henge Docks continues to grow, we’ll be here to support them every step of the way.”