Package theft has become a grave concern for both businesses and customers. Thousands of boxes are regularly snatched up by thieves, plundered, and discarded. Clients lose their goods and you lose revenue if you replace lost or stolen shipments. But there are ways to protect your packages long after they leave your shipping dock. Here’s how businesses can protect customers from package theft.

Make Your Boxes Boring

Packages allow all sorts of branding opportunities, and it’s smart to mark your boxes with text and imagery that announce the arrival of your products. Still, tone down the messages that let thieves know there’s something extra expensive inside (especially if you deal in high-end and luxury products.) Bright colors and markings make a package a target, so subdue the colors and shiny parts. Customers may even pay for the extra safety of a plain brown box. Bubble envelope packaging is less tempting to a thief. Envelopes can be neatly tucked out of sight in the customer’s mailbox.

Safer Addressing

When you’re considering how businesses can protect customers from package theft, ask customers to provide an address where they know packages will be protected. Encourage them to provide work addresses or mailboxes where packages can be held inside and protected by the post office or mail room personnel. Some delivery companies provide lockers and pick-up services where packages aren’t left out and exposed. Customers should also be able to note whether they’d like a package left with a neighbor or someone else if they’re not at home.

Provide Tracking Services

Whether by email, text, or phone, most carrier companies can provide a means of alerting a recipient to the status of their package. Customers can also track the package’s route online and see exactly where it is at any given moment. Another option is adding a disposable GPS tracker in the package, it can get tracked down even if it gets stolen.

Insist on Signatures

One of the most reliable ways of making sure a package gets delivered is ensuring it doesn’t get left without a signature from the designated recipient. Most delivery companies provide this service, attempting delivery with a signature three times before returning the package to the sender. Provide a means for customers to indicate they must sign for a package (or have their neighbor or building manager sign for it) before it’s delivered. Thieves can’t steal a package that’s not there, and they won’t want to deal with the hassle and exposure involved in providing a fake signature.