Many factors can impact delivery delays, but how merchants address this issue truly makes the difference between leaving a positive or negative impression on the customer's purchasing journey.
Fortunately, the most common delivery problems can be solved with simple solutions. eCommerce managers overseeing online stores that deliver products to customers should consider the scenarios discussed in the following analysis and define clear procedures to minimise the impact on their results.
1.Incorrect Address
One of the most common yet easily solvable delivery issues is an incorrect customer address. Manual data entry, allowing users to input any characters or formatting, can cause massive headaches for delivery companies. Online merchants cannot rely on customers to input their addresses in the format required by the courier service, therefor it's important to have a system that can verify address formatting according to necessary standards.
Communicating via phone often resolves this issue, but an even better solution is for the webshop to utilise a specialised address tool in the delivery data entry fields on the website. This significantly reduces the time the courier service spends "tracking" down the customer during delivery.
2. Delivery Delays
Delivery delays pose a problem for both the recipient and the sender. Customers don't want to wait longer than agreed upon for delivery, and merchants don't want a spoiled reputation because they can't deliver products on schedule. Customers might have plans around the delivery time provided by the courier, so they'll be frustrated and inconvenienced should that slot be missed.
One way to combat this is to research the reputation of the courier service.
Additionally, introducing the option for parcel pickup at a parcel locker can allow customers to collect their shipments at a location and time that suits them, thereby making it easier for them to organise their time. You can read about how parcel lockers increase delivery efficiency in our blog post on the topic.
3. Damaged Packages
Online retailers want to be sure their goods will arrive at the customer's location in the same condition they were sent.
Merchants don't want customers contacting them to report that items are unusable due to damage. If this happens, the merchant must certainly send a replacement. The courier must ensure the safe delivery of goods within their capabilities, but if this doesn't happen, it affects both the business and the merchant's reputation.
To avoid your goods arriving at their destination in an unacceptable condition, the best course of action is to work with a reputable courier service that can offer advice on safely packaging your products. Consider also the option of "in-store pickup" (click & collect) to ensure that customers leave the store satisfied.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
