Sashank RavindranathThe Importance of On-time Delivery
On-time deliveries are a business’ best practice. Yet they do not captivate customers like same-day delivery or free shipping promises do. However, failing to make on-time deliveries gives you a bad reputation.
But..but…keeping deliveries on time is not so easy, given that on-time delivery is in the hands of your shipping partner.
In such situations, it is natural to ensure a better performance from the shipping carrier that you’re using.
To do that, we’ll have to first understand the role shipping carriers in ensuring on-time deliveries.
The Role of Shipping Carriers in Ensuring On-time Deliveries
Once the package has been handed over to the shipping carrier, they take control of your customers’ post-purchase experiences as well.
Despite carriers’ efforts to deliver your customers’ parcels on time, delays occur daily, largely because of carriers straining their capacity to meet on-time deliveries.
That’s not all! 7 out of 10 common causes of delays are because of the shipping carrier — ranging from poor warehouse management to failed delivery attempts.
And the worst part about these delays is the fact that the responsibility falls on you rather than the shipping carrier.
Customers who have faced a delay on packages that are most valuable to them will definitely not shop with you again. And if that’s not enough, frustrated former customers also end up posting negative reviews on social media and deter potential customers from choosing your business.
Thus, it is clear that your shipping carriers’ performance has a significant effect on your customer experience (and wallet!).
That said, you can make use of a solution such as LateShipment.com that helps you deliver phenomenal post-purchase CX and measurable results such as a better quality of service and an on-time delivery guarantee from your shipping partner.
How E-commerce Businessses Can Ensure On-time Deliveries and Better Performance from Shipping Carriers
1. Collect delivery feedback from customers to identify areas of improvement
Your customers are the ultimate end users when it comes to order deliveries.
If they are not satisfied with the delivery experience provided, they would not only show their frustration at the carrier but also at the business that is making use of the carrier as well. Therefore, it is wise to understand what they think of the delivery experiences they receive.
Collect your customers’ feedback on delivery experiences to know whether all that time, money, and effort you spent is working in your favor. You can then use this valuable data to make the right decisions when it comes to shipping and identify areas of improvement such as delivering on time.
With the help of LateShipment.com’s Delivery Experience Management (DEM) platform, you can:
- Capture your customers’ Delivery Satisfaction (DSAT) rating after every order delivery and
- Monitor the average DSAT scores of customers to optimize the shipping & delivery process
Consistently improving your customers’ post-purchase can help you promote your brand’s credibility.
2. Review carrier performance scores via comparison reports
Shipping takes a lot of effort, time, and most importantly money. It is only smart that you review and evaluate your choices and decisions with the help of good data
LateShipment.com provides you a detailed assessment of how your carrier’s delivery performance fares against service-specific delivery standards in the form of intuitive reports.
With this data at hand, you can get a single consolidated view of delivery performance metrics across carriers, services, and geographies. You can then dig deeper to uncover gaps in carrier performance and know where you’re seeing profits and review areas where you’re not.
That’s not all! You can now make informed decisions and efficient last-mile carrier choices that can inevitably increase the odds of on-time deliveries.
3. Hold your carriers accountable by regularly collecting refunds for their service failures
About one-third of customers won’t repurchase from a merchant after a late delivery.
So, why bear the brunt of delivery issues?
It’s only fair to hold your carriers accountable for their mistakes. And you can do that by regularly auditing your shipping invoices and claiming refunds.
Each package shipped through major carriers comes with a service guarantee. It’s an assurance that the package will be delivered within a committed time, failing which they offer a complete refund of the shipping cost.
There are more than 50 service failures, overcharges, and discrepancies that are eligible for refunds. When unclaimed, this money that you’re entitled to be just left on the table.
Keeping a close watch on delivery issues and claiming refunds where due, also ensures better service quality by your shipping carriers.
Bottom Line
Apart from helping you ensure a better performance from your shipping carriers, LateShipment.com also helps you do bigger things with your post-purchase by combining stellar delivery experiences with easy, seamless returns and not to forget, recovering eligible refunds from your carriers.
Try LateShipment.com for free now and grow your fanbase, savings, and business. We’re ready when you are. Ready to get started?
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