There’s a reason why full-service logistics companies are rightly so in demand. Truly, navigating the delivery journey to your customers is a game of precision and unfortunately, it’s much too easy to fumble somewhere along the way. Take last-mile delivery for example – where your product goes from the distribution center to your customer’s front door. It sounds simple enough, but it’s one of the common things losing businesses their customers. How?
Here are 3 things to think about and take seriously.
Inefficient Routing
Choosing less-than-optimal routes can really rack up fuel costs and drag out delivery times, and that’s not something you want for your business.
So, you want to do things like equip your delivery system with route optimization software, tech that taps into live traffic updates, delivery constraints, and smart sequencing of stops. The result? Less time on the road, less gas burned, and more money saved.
Say a shoe delivery van has a bunch of stops. Inefficient routing might send it zigzagging all over and yet, with the right tech, the quickest route is found at each turn so that delivery efficiency is greatly optimized.
Missed Delivery Windows
Missing the delivery time slot your customers prefer can be a real bummer for them and thus for you. People often have specific time slots in mind, and if you mess that up, it’s not really a win for anyone.
Luckily, there are ways to handle this part of the delivery process for mostly favorable outcomes. Primarily, you want to give your customers options and let them pick delivery times that work for them, be it specific hours, evenings, or weekends.
Think of a formal clothing e-commerce platform. Professionals especially often want to be able to pick delivery window times that fit into their schedule, instead of working their schedule around your time. It’s all about making the delivery fit into their plans, not the other way around.
Communication Gaps
Uncertainty about delivery status is a real stressor for customers and by extension you. Nobody really likes being in the dark about where their stuff is so let’s keep them in the loop.
It’s a good idea to set up an automated communication system that shoots out real-time updates, with notifications via SMS or email when the package is on the move, running late, or safely delivered. In fact, you want to have clear instructions on how to track orders.
Say a delivery hits a snag, and an automated message pops up, saying, “Hey there! Sorry for the delay, here’s why it happened, and here’s the new ETA.” Chances are the customer appreciates the heads up and doesn’t leave an incensed review.
The biggest part of running any business is securing customer loyalty and making it hard for competitors to get your business. So really consider these tips when it comes to delivery.
