Bianca Barath
The most frustrating part of supply chain for any e-commerce business is the last mile delivery. You not only have zero visibility over the package location once all control is relinquished to your shipping carrier, but also have no idea how your customers cherish the final moment of truth.
When you are up against e-commerce big players such as Amazon who constantly experiment with their logistic strategy, you have to raise the stakes in curating an exceptional customer delivery experience. Added to that is the pressure of an unprecedented growth of on demand customer industry that leaves no room for guessing.
All is not lost in uncertainty clouding your last mile delivery. There are some sure shot redemption techniques to win your customers back:
Some like it hot, some not
Does your customer like his package to be delivered at his residence or he always picks it up on saturday? Does he prefer paying a premium for same day delivery or opts for free 2 day delivery? Knowing these little nuances about your customer’s shipping needs, helps you predict and service your customers better.
Deliver right here, right now
Fulfilling orders are increasingly becoming difficult. Customers want their orders as early as possible. They want it free and they want it now. This formidable combination of demands keeps the retailers on their toes ,always innovating new technology and creative ways to satisfy the growing demands of customers. Close to 25% of the customers are willing to pay a premium price for there parcel to be delivered on the same day. Speed of delivery over price drives the retail industry while competing against their omni channel counterpart. As a small to medium size business even if employing drones to deliver your parcels seems too far fetched , clearly communicating your shipping needs to your shipping carrier would be a plausible solution to your delivery woes. Moreover , revisit your shipping contract to access guaranteed service refunds for delayed deliveries.
See here What is the real cost of delivering packages late to your customers?
Show, don’t tell
Are you receiving calls from anxious customers enquiring about their package? Are you re-routing their calls to your shipping carrier? Do you think your customers will be happy when you absolve of your responsibility of the safe, secure and on time delivery? Absolutely not! As far as the consumers are concerned, final mile delivery falls within the gamut of retail experience. Instead of trying to argue or pass on the blame to your shipping carrier, use a real time shipment tracker to show your customers the exact pin location of your package.
Check out other related blogs:
5 Reasons to Fight Late Delivery
4 smart tricks to offer the best last mile delivery experience to your customer