3PL Culture and Fulfillment Experience
Welcome to this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, recorded live from Manifest 2026. Kevin chats with Michelle Harris, a leader at Our Serviceworks (OSW), a Dallas-based 3PL providing outsourced customer care and fulfillment services.
With roots going back to 1988, OSW has evolved alongside its customers, expanding from customer care into fulfillment while keeping culture and experience front and center. In this conversation, Harris shares how carrier strategy, operational discipline, and people-first hiring shape the fulfillment experience brands and customers actually feel.
Carrier Strategy Built Around Experience
Carrier diversification has changed dramatically over the last decade. Harris notes how regional carriers have expanded and reshaped delivery options, creating opportunities to improve the end-customer experience. But more choice does not mean careless expansion. As she explains, “adding a new carrier is something that we just don’t do overnight, and we don’t take it lightly.”
Carrier evaluation at OSW goes far beyond transit times. Harris explains, “We take a deep dive into not only their stats but what their customers say. We talk to some competitors and someone who might use that carrier, and then we start talking about them operationally.” The team examines operational reliability, pickup flexibility, claims processes, and system integrations.
Rather than overwhelming brands with options, Our Serviceworks positions itself as the expert. The goal is not maximum choice, but the right fit. “You don’t need 10 carriers on your line, but you need the right 10 carriers based upon your brands,” Harris explains. For a business where roughly 85% of shipments weigh under ten pounds, those decisions directly shape speed, cost, and consistency.
The OSW Way on the Warehouse Floor
Technology and process only go so far without alignment on the floor. Harris emphasizes that fulfillment quality is delivered by people who execute the daily details. “You have to have processes in place, and you have to have a management team, but it’s the people on the floor who are actually executing and delivering that experience,” she says.
At Our Serviceworks, that execution is guided by the “OSW Way.” It defines how boxes are packed, how labels are applied, and how products are presented when customers open a shipment. Harris describes it simply as “the simple things,” but those details create consistency across brands and orders.
Buy-in matters as much as documentation. Harris explains that 3PL culture must serve everyone involved, stating, “it has to be a win for our brand, and it has to be a win for our team.” That mindset shows up in daily floor engagement, recognition programs, and team activities that reinforce shared standards and pride in execution.
Hiring for 3PL Culture Fit, Not Just Skill
Sustaining fulfillment quality starts long before an order is picked. Harris credits long employee tenure to a hiring philosophy focused on character over experience. “We are no longer going to hire based upon a skillset, we’re gonna hire based upon a characteristic,” she explains.
Those characteristics are captured in the Wet Co framework: warmth, empathy, teamwork, conscientiousness, and optimism. Empathy, in particular, shapes how team members view their work. Harris explains that packers are taught to think about the end customer and ask whether they would want to receive a damaged product.
The results stand out in an industry known for turnover. Harris shares that average floor tenure at Our Serviceworks is nearing two years, calling it “pretty unheard of.” Visitors notice the difference immediately. “Ninety percent of the time they say, ‘wow, everyone is smiling,’” Harris says. That 3PL culture becomes part of the fulfillment experience customers never see but always feel.
Key Takeaways on 3PL Culture
- Our Serviceworks evaluates carriers based on operations, technology integration, and customer support, not just delivery speed.
- Approximately 85% of shipments weigh under 10 pounds, shaping carrier and packaging strategies.
- The OSW Way standardizes fulfillment details to create a consistent customer experience.
- Hiring focuses on character traits through the Wet Co framework rather than on prior skill sets.
- Average warehouse floor tenure is nearing two years, which is uncommon in fulfillment operations.
- 3PL Culture is treated as a competitive advantage that directly impacts fulfillment quality.
Listen to the episode below and leave your thoughts in the comments.
Guest Information
For more information on Our Serviceworks, click here.
To connect with Michelle Harris on LinkedIn, click here.
For more information about 3PL culture and fulfillment, check out the podcasts below.
Warehouse Continuous Improvement at Atomix: Culture and Data
Holman Logistics on Longevity, Loyalty, and a People-First Approach
