Operations — Fulfillment, Returns, Customer Service
Date: June 19, 2026 Purpose: Document the operational model for the launch.
Fulfillment options
Option 1 — Self-fulfilled from home (recommended for launch)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup | Sarah's spare room / garage. Shelving. Picking area. |
| Capacity | Up to ~30 orders/day solo |
| Cost | Gs 0 (existing space) + Gs 200K–500K initial packaging supplies |
| Pros | Zero fixed cost, full control, easy to start |
| Cons | Not scalable past ~50 orders/day, no business address, harder to insure |
| Best for | Months 0–6 |
Option 2 — 3PL warehouse in Asunción
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup | Contract with 3PL provider |
| Capacity | Unlimited (within 3PL's space) |
| Cost | Gs 300K–1M/month base + Gs 5K–10K per pick-pack |
| Pros | Scalable, business address, professional image, easier insurance |
| Cons | Higher fixed cost, less control, 3PL may not specialize in discreet handling |
| Best for | Months 6+ when revenue justifies |
Option 3 — MercadoLibre fulfillment (FULL)
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setup | List on MercadoLibre PY, opt into Mercado Envíos |
| Capacity | MercadoLibre's warehouses |
| Cost | Commission (~15%) + fulfillment fee |
| Pros | Built-in traffic, trust, logistics |
| Cons | MercadoLibre restricts adult content; products may be delisted; less brand control |
| Best for | Not recommended for intimate products |
Pack-ship SOP (recommended for self-fulfilled)
1. Receive order via WhatsApp (with payment receipt)
2. Confirm receipt in writing ("Recibido, te llega en 2-3 días")
3. Pick from shelf (FIFO — first in, first out)
4. Inspect product (no damage, no leaks, within expiration)
5. Place product in plain outer carton (no Sexitive branding visible)
6. Add thank-you card (small, brand-stamped, with WA QR for reorder)
7. Add any free samples (if running a sampling program)
8. Seal with branded tape (or plain if no branded tape yet)
9. Print shipping label (recipient name + address only, no product description)
10. Hand off to carrier
11. Send tracking number to customer via WhatsApp
Total time per order: 5–10 minutes once practiced.
Returns policy — intimate products
| Principle | Application |
|---|---|
| No returns on opened products (hygiene) | Standard across all competitors |
| Sealed products can be exchanged | Within 7 days, customer pays return shipping |
| Damaged in transit | Full replacement or refund, Sarah pays shipping |
| Wrong SKU shipped | Full replacement + Sarah pays return shipping |
| Customer changed mind (sealed) | Store credit, customer pays return shipping |
| Customer changed mind (opened) | No return |
Document the policy on the site footer + WhatsApp auto-reply.
Customer service via WhatsApp
| Channel | Hours | Response time SLA |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp Business | Mon–Sat 9:00–20:00 PY | < 1 hour during hours, < 12 hours outside |
| Instagram DM | Same hours | < 4 hours |
| Email (later) | 24/7 | < 24 hours |
First 90 days: Sarah handles all WA directly. After that, consider an AI agent for first-line triage (product questions, order status, hours).
Inventory tracking
For the first 6 months, a Google Sheet is enough. Schema:
| SKU | Name | On hand | Reorder point | Last restock | Unit cost | Sale price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WET04 | Wet Ice Fresh 75ml | 25 | 10 | 2026-06-15 | Gs X | Gs Y |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
When monthly revenue crosses Gs 10M, migrate to a real tool (Sortly, inFlow, or a simple Notion database).
Privacy / data handling (Ley 7.593/2025)
Sarah will collect: - Customer name (required for shipping) - Customer phone (required for WhatsApp / shipping) - Customer address (required for shipping) - Optional: email, birthday (for promotions)
Required:
- Privacy policy on site (template in 09_TEMPLATES/)
- Customer data stored securely (encrypted sheet or proper DB)
- Customer can request data deletion at any time
- Customer data not shared with third parties (except shipping carrier, which needs name + address)
Sarah's AI agent (if deployed) must: - Not log customer data to training - Not retain conversations longer than X days - Honor data deletion requests