Most eCommerce companies will receive a negative review or complaint from a customer who experienced bad delivery service, and bad experiences can have a significant impact on customers’ retention and the company's image.
This is why many companies are using delivery software to prevent those bad experiences.
In order to address the ways companies can deal with bad customer experience, we need to understand what causes them and why it is so important to pay attention to them.
What can cause a bad delivery experience?
#1 Damaged items
While your drivers might be very careful, accidents happen, and packages may get damaged during delivery. For example, your driver might damage a piece of furniture or even the customer’s property while moving it into the house or installing it.
No one likes to unpack an order only to see it has been damaged. Therefore, customers might be upset, and it is very likely that they will not purchase anything from your brand again as they won’t trust your delivery service.
#2 Stolen package
Customers might come home to find out their package that had been left at the doorstep is not there. In 2020, one out of three customers had a package stolen.
This significant number scares customers and makes them hesitant to purchase an item online. Imagine how frustrated they will be if their fear becomes a reality. Not only will they be reluctant to shop online again, but they will also most likely see you as responsible for this.
#3 Rude drivers
Let’s be honest, not everyone in this world has been raised to be polite. However, being professional is a must for delivery drivers as they represent your company in front of the customers. Therefore, it is essential that they make a good impression.
Some drivers are careless and may haphazardly throw packages in front of the door. If your customers see this, chances are they will perceive your company as unreliable and will think your staff are neither professional nor respectful.
Delivery drivers can sometimes be rude when they talk to customers. As we said, drivers represent your brand, so customers will not only be mad at them for their bad behavior, but they will also be mad at your company as they will think you don’t hire professional drivers.
How can a bad customer delivery experience impact your business?
We all know that companies need to keep their customers happy in order to be successful. The main reason behind it is that happy customers are more likely to buy from your brand again if they were satisfied with their first delivery experience.
Returning customers are essential to businesses, and 82% of companies agree that retention is cheaper than acquisition, according to a recent survey. The probability of selling to an existing customer is about 60-70%, which clearly shows the importance of building customers’ loyalty.
People usually experience a bit of anxiety when ordering online, and once they’ve seen that you did a good job of delivering their order, they are more likely to trust you.
They are also more likely to talk positively about your brand to other people, and word-of-mouth is usually the best marketing a brand can get.
Getting customers to trust you is not a piece of cake. It requires an irreproachable delivery service. However, offering a great delivery experience is not so simple, and companies can face many challenges with their delivery operations. While delivery incidents happen to many companies, the most successful ones are those that react quickly and offer solutions to fix the situation.
Try to understand your customers
Unhappy customers are more likely to leave bad reviews than happy customers, and bad reviews can significantly impact your company’s image. Many shoppers will look at reviews before purchasing a product when shopping online, as they are not able to touch the product.
The best way customers can reassure themselves is to look at online reviews. This is why it is important for companies to collect positive reviews. But what do you think customers will do if they see that other customers had bad delivery experiences with your brand? They will probably not buy from you. However, there are different ways to deal with negative reviews.
Provide a great delivery experience. The best way to minimize bad reviews is to offer an irreproachable service. But what can even bring you positive reviews is surprising your customers by providing them with an extra plus. As a matter of fact, 56% of customers stay loyal to brands that “get them.”
What do customers want nowadays? Fast delivery and package status information.
If you can provide them with both, you will most likely offer them a great delivery experience. Combining those criteria is not even difficult thanks to some powerful delivery management software that allows you to create complex routes in seconds, optimize them in real-time and also offer real-time delivery tracking to your customers.
Faster deliveries. Automated dispatching will minimize errors and will considerably reduce road planning; therefore, drivers will be ready to take the road faster. As the delivery routes are optimized in real-time, you can be sure that drivers will always be on the fastest route.
Package visibility. Real-time delivery tracking is also a must because customers want to know when to be home to receive their parcel. They will be able to plan their day ahead according to the time the delivery driver will arrive. Notifying customers of when they should expect the driver and letting them track your driver during the last miles is a great way to show transparency. It will show customers that you are a trustworthy brand and that you are well organized.
This will prevent package theft and therefore bad customer delivery experiences.
Fix the issue as quickly as you can. While providing a great customer experience is essential, it is not always easy to avoid bad experiences. Orders or customers’ property can get damaged during delivery, or items left at the door can get stolen.
While it is only human if your team makes mistakes at some point, customers are usually unhappy about those incidents. This is why you need to be informed as soon as possible of any inconvenience that has happened during a delivery in order to speak with customers and offer them solutions.
Some delivery software offers a live chat with your drivers so that they can inform you of incidents right away. They can either send you a picture of a damaged package or text you to let you know what the problem is so that you can contact the customer to let them know what you intend to do to fix it.
You could let customers know that you have scheduled another delivery with a new item if the other one has been damaged. You will be able to apologize and give them details about the next delivery scheduled. You could also offer to refund them if they prefer it.
Seeing that you actually care and want to find a solution for them shows your professionalism and might reduce their negative impression of your brand. They will see that you are on their side and that you genuinely want to provide them with the best service. Showing devotion is a great way to build a good relationship with your customers. Chances are, if they see how willing you are to fix the mistake and make the experience better for them, their dissatisfaction will decrease, if not evaporate.
Keep proof of your deliveries. Make sure to collect proof of delivery once the items have been delivered. That way you will be able to see which customers have been delivered and which deliveries are not yet complete. They will just have to sign in on the delivery driver's app and the signature will be recorded in your delivery software.
If your drivers left the package at the doorstep, you could ask them to take a photo as proof and also to show your customers where the package was left.
You could also ask them to take a photo of the customer’s door if customers are not there and they are not allowed to leave the parcel. That way, you will have proof that your team was at their place, and customers won’t be able to contradict you.
Meet CIGO Tracker
If you'd like to enhance your customers' delivery experience, you would be in good hands with Cigo's delivery software. With more than 100 features, it provides a seamless delivery experience.
Allow your customers to keep track of their package thanks to its real-time delivery tracking feature, notify them of any delay, get their feedback, get notified of any incident right away.
If you'd like to see how Cigo can enhance your customers' delivery experience, request a demo today.
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