Post-purchase: how to make your customers feel good about their decision

If companies think that they don’t have much to do after their customers have purchased their products, they are far from correct. Many customers have adopted home delivery in recent years, and as such, they have become more demanding regarding delivery service, making it an important element in the buying decision-making process.

In fact, the post-purchase experience has become just as important as the pre-purchase experience.

One thing that differentiates the two is that while the pre-purchase experience aims to influence customers to buy your products, the post-purchase goal is to make them return, and this can be achieved by providing them with outstanding delivery service and customer support.

According to the Georgetown Institute of Consumer Research, 78% of customers will still be looking for information about your brand even after they buy your product. Of those customers, 67% admitted that they were looking for more information to reaffirm their decision.

In this blog, we will discuss the different ways to make your customers' post-purchase experiences pleasant so that they buy from your brand in the future.

How can I provide customers with a seamless experience?

Returning customers make up most of a company's sales, and they will spend more once they have purchased a few times from your brand. But in order for this to happen, they need to trust your company based not only on the quality of your products but also on the delivery experience you provide them with.

#1 Be transparent

Nowadays, people are exposed to ads from companies trying to make them buy their products. This is why many customers have become more vigilant and their experiences might have prevented them from trusting brands.

Therefore, you will have to gain their trust, and the best way to do that is to be as transparent with them as possible. Customers want to know what happens to their package from the time they order it until they receive it. After all, it is only fair as they’ve bought the product, so they are entitled to know what is happening to their order.

When you’re being transparent with your customers, you show them you’ve got nothing to hide. Customers appreciate this, and they are more likely to trust a brand that cares about honesty. It also shows them that their needs are being taken into consideration.

How to be more transparent with your customers

There are simple ways to show more transparency with your customers. Many companies that are looking to improve their delivery service have opted for intelligent delivery software with a delivery tracking feature.

Various delivery software types offer this option, so choose one that will use real-time data and update every few minutes, providing your customers with the most accurate time. Some delivery software will let them know how many stops the driver has to make before theirs, and they will receive notifications if there are any delays.

This will allow customers to track their orders until delivery. Therefore, they can plan their day ahead while making sure they will be there when the driver delivers their package.

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#2 Communication is key

If transparency is essential in providing a seamless delivery experience and relieving customers’ anxiety, communication is just as important. Your customers must feel like they can communicate with you at any time if they need more information or if they have questions about their order.

If they get very good assistance after they request something, they will perceive your company as being available and dedicated to its customers. They will feel that you genuinely want to provide them with a great experience and that they can count on you, which will make ordering online a lot less worrying.

How can I improve communication with customers?

Offer an outstanding customer service. Make sure to hire skilled employees with great social skills and experience in customer service who will be able to answer your customers’ questions. Your staff should be trained to not only answer the most common requests but also provide customers with information regarding their order status.

In order to do this, they should have access to the delivery software dashboard so that they can see the ongoing deliveries or the ones scheduled to let the customers know when they should expect the delivery. Even though real-time delivery tracking will be provided to customers, keep in mind that some people might still call you to ask about the delivery. Therefore, your team should have access to the dashboard.

Some delivery software will allow you to communicate with your drivers so that they can let you know of any disturbance they might encounter during delivery.

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Allow customers to chat with drivers. Customers might have specific requests or instructions regarding delivery. They may have forgotten to mention it before or not have had the opportunity to do so, but it might be precious information that they need to share.

For example, they might not be home when the delivery driver arrives and want to let him know where he should drop the package in order to avoid theft or to protect it from bad weather. Or, their baby might be sleeping, so they will message the driver to not ring the doorbell.

Delivery software will allow your customers to communicate with your drivers when they are on the road, increasing the chances of successful delivery and reducing missed deliveries.

#3 Provide quick solutions

Disturbances and incidents happen during delivery. That might have a negative impact on your customers’ satisfaction. Therefore, it is important to react quickly in order to minimize damage.

What solutions can I offer?

Handle damaged orders right away. No one likes to receive an order that has been damaged, but if you show your customers that you want to offer them solutions, it could make a huge difference.

With the right delivery software, you will be informed immediately of any incident. Let’s say your driver realizes the product is broken or has a few scratches. He or she can take a photo of the damaged item and send it to you.

Then you will be able to communicate right away with the customer to first apologize for the inconvenience and then let them know you will remedy the situation. You might tell them when they should expect to receive the new product, or if it is a minor damage and your customers don’t mind too much, you could offer to refund them without replacing the order.

Seeing that you are willing to provide them with solutions in order to fix the situation and that you’re fast to take action might calm customers’ anger and minimize the negative image they will have of your company.