Not All 3PLs Are Created Equal — Why Customer Service Is the Dealbreaker, Dave Gulas EZDC3PL

Why Customer Service Is Important In Choosing A 3PL

When your fulfillment partner is responsible for every shipment that leaves your brand’s hands, you’re not just outsourcing logistics—you’re choosing a teammate. And according to Dave Gulas, founder of EZDC3PL, customer service is the one thing too many brands overlook until it’s too late.

“You really see who your 3PL is when something goes wrong,” Dave told Racklify. “That’s when you find out if they’re a true partner—or just another vendor.”

The Real Cost of Bad Fulfillment

We’ve all heard the stories:

• Slow or missed shipments
• Days without hearing back from your warehouse
• Inaccurate inventory
• Retail chargebacks and angry customer reviews

Many brands fall into the trap of choosing a 3PL based on price or name recognition. But as Dave points out, the damage from bad service can spiral quickly—especially when you’re scaling or selling across multiple channels.

What to Ask Before You Sign

Dave laid out a simple checklist every merchant should walk through before choosing a 3PL:

• What’s their on-time shipping rate?
• Do they have a modern WMS—and does it integrate with your tech stack (like Shopify)?
• Who is your point of contact, and what’s the process when something breaks?
• Can they walk you through a real-life example of solving a fulfillment issue?

He also stressed the importance of getting to know the team—not just the sales deck. Schedule a site visit, hop on a Zoom call, ask to see the warehouse live. The more visibility you have into your provider’s operation, the fewer surprises down the road.

“This isn’t Airbnb,” Dave said. “You’re not picking a place to stay for the weekend. You’re choosing someone to represent your business. Get to know the team.”

The Human and the System

Great customer service is more than a friendly email. It’s a mix of people and process— part art, part science.

“You need someone who can deliver the message with empathy,” he said. “But you also need the systems, the SLAs, and the data to back it up.”

About EZDC3PL

At EZDC3PL, based in Kentucky (a location well-positioned for fast national delivery), that philosophy is built into everything—from how they onboard new brands to how they handle shipping errors, integrate systems, and support long-term growth.

Dave also hosts the Beyond Fulfillment Podcast, where he discusses fulfillment trends, strategy, and how to build better logistics partnerships.