Delivering items to customers definitely has its own set of challenges that drivers experience every day. From unexpected traffic to missed deliveries, drivers have to deal with a number of elements on their delivery route that might cost you time and money.
With technology, most of these struggles can now be avoided as some delivery software offers features to improve your drivers’ deliveries and also your customers’ experience with your brand. Below are the six most common struggles delivery drivers face every day and the tools to overcome them.
#1 Traffic
It is not easy to predict what will happen when a delivery is on its way. Drivers begin their routes without knowing if they will be able to deliver all of their packages on time. They often have to deal with unexpected traffic that will make them late for their deliveries. If they miss the delivery window, customers will sometimes call them to ask where they are. Your drivers might spend a lot of time answering those calls, making them later than they were already.
How can I reduce road time for my drivers?
The most effective way to reduce road time and avoid traffic as much as possible is to use a delivery software that includes a powerful route builder. This tool will allow you to create complex routes using real-time data in order for your drivers to take the fastest routes to deliver their packages. Additionally, it will greatly reduce the time spent on route planning as you will be able to create the routes in just a few seconds.
#2 No one is there to receive the package
How often do your drivers miss customers when they deliver packages? Probably every day. It may cost you money if they have to attempt a second and third delivery each time. Besides, customers prefer to receive packages from the driver. They don’t like it when packages are left at their doorstep, knowing they can be stolen at any time, or when they have to go pick them up at a post office.
Sometimes customers are home, but since they don’t know when the delivery driver will be there, they might be in the garden or taking a shower and not hear the doorbell. Drivers might not ring, or the doorbell might be broken. As you have gathered, many things can happen during deliveries.
Later, you might hear complaints from customers that didn’t get their package despite being home. If the package was left at the doorstep, it might have been damaged by an animal or stolen, and you will likely receive complaints because of this as well.
How can you make sure your customers are home to receive their packages?
In order for your customers to be there when your drivers arrive (and believe us, they want to be there as much as you want them to), you have to let them know precisely when your driver is going to arrive at their place. This is why some delivery software offers live tracking so that your customers can track their deliveries in real-time. They will be informed of how many deliveries are left before theirs and when the driver will be there.
This gives them a lot more freedom as they can plan their day and do what they have to do but be there to receive their packages. This will save your drivers some time as they won’t have to attempt a second delivery the following day.
Also, customers will be able to give the driver instructions about the delivery via SMS/email if necessary. This might save some of your workers from angry pets or non-functional doorbells.
#3 No proof of delivery
Have you ever been caught between what your driver tells you and what your customer tells you? It is not always easy to know who to believe as they might be saying the opposite of one another.
This is why many eCommerce businesses request proof of delivery as they know how important it is to keep track of deliveries, and they might need to use it to prove a package has been delivered. It allows you to see how many missed deliveries you have had and make sure the customer gets their package.
How can I confirm that a package has been delivered?
Delivery management software will usually allow you to get proof of delivery that will be directly recorded in the app. Drivers will just need to get a signature on their phone from the customers and can even take a photo for additional proof.
#4 Bad-quality photos of damaged products
Some packages may get damaged on the way or when drivers onboard them. Accidents happen, especially in the furniture industry, where heavy or fragile items are more likely to be damaged. This will usually upset your customers and it is important to quickly find a solution for them.
Drivers will typically take photos of the damaged products, but those photos are not always of good quality. Since you need to see clearly what happened to the item, high-quality photos are necessary.
How can I make sure drivers take good-quality photos?
Some delivery software allows you to take high-quality photos and save them in the app so they can be stored in the customer’s profile. That way, you won’t be missing any information and can see precisely the damage caused to the item in order to take action quickly. Therefore, when looking for delivery software, you should ask for a demonstration of the camera to make sure the quality is good enough.
#5 Areas with no data
Sometimes your drivers are in a location where there is no data and they aren’t able to use their delivery app. They can’t take photos and load them directly in the app, can’t use the route builder, and can’t access customers’ information. In other words, they can’t do anything with the app.
How do I avoid downtime?
This is why it is important to choose a delivery software that offers a full offline mode. With this feature, your drivers will still be able to use the app. They can enter the information about the client, take photos, get proof of delivery, etc. They will receive your messages once they’re in an area with WiFi, and all the information they saved while in a no WiFi area will be uploaded.
#6 No tips due to customers’ lack of cash
People rarely keep cash on them these days. However, even though people are fans of digital payments, cash is usually necessary to tip delivery drivers when they have transported heavy furniture. Customers will usually want to reward them for their hard work but feel bad if they don’t have any cash. Besides, tips used to make up an important portion of delivery drivers’ salaries, usually more than 50%, but with people not having cash on them, drivers’ salaries have been impacted substantially.
How can I hire more drivers and retain the ones I have?
You have probably noticed that finding delivery drivers is becoming harder as fewer people are willing to do it. At CIGO, we have noticed this issue and have come up with a new solution for your drivers. We have just launched Cigo Pay, a platform that allows your customers to give tips to your drivers virtually. This will motivate your drivers and will also allow you to recruit new drivers more easily.
Meet CIGO
Cigo's delivery platform allows companies to offer the best delivery experience to their customers but also to automate their delivery process. Its intelligent route builder can create and optimize routes in a few seconds and dispatch orders efficiently.
We are always working on improving the platform in order to meet the needs of our different customers to make their daily operations easier.
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