How to level up your post-purchase CX strategy.

We are all familiar with the impact of parcel delivery failings: increased customer calls or worst still, negative reviews. So, how can you keep customers happy whilst keeping costs low?

It starts with having complete clarity and control of your shipping processes. Why? Because when you’re a high performing business, the effects of an inefficient shipping service are more noticeable. 

To help you improve your services, here’s a guide for why efficient parcel delivery holds the key to customer satisfaction.

People Remember First and Last

It’s well-known that the first and last impressions are the ones customers remember the most. Products that arrive on time and in good condition help create powerful first impressions enhancing the overall unboxing moment. 

A well optimised post-purchase process helps to ensure the delivery of a positive customer experience from the cart to the front door” cites Robin Seymour.

Advanced parcel delivery systems help managers to navigate the complexities in the logistics supply chain effortlessly. These systems enable you to identify weaknesses in your process, as well as optimise your strengths.

A system like SmartConsign, for example, provides real-time data on the performance of carriers. The application allows you to act if performance is below standard or better still exceeding expectations. Not paying attention to the post-purchase experience impacts customer satisfaction and ultimately devalues your brand.

Make Shipping Your USP

More so than ever in today’s health-conscious climate, shipping has never been more critical. Lockdown restrictions across the globe, coupled with Brexit, mean that more and more individuals find limitations an inconvenience.

Central to the issue is the growing importance of shipping to customer satisfaction.  Take extra time and pay extra attention, ensuring that your parcels are delivered quickly, smoothly, and well-packaged. Actions that will instantly leave a positive impression that will keep your customers coming back.

Time to Manage Your Parcel Delivery Systems

A happy customer is a returning customer, and trust is an essential element. Without earning your trust, a customer’s first impression of your brand may well be their last. Ensuring you have the right systems, such as parcel delivery software to power your logistics supply chain can help.

You’ve seen how vital efficient parcel delivery is for maximising customer satisfaction, so check out our parcel delivery system today. Make sure your customers are satisfied!

 

The Importance of Live Parcel Delivery Tracking in Your Customer Service Strategy

By the end of this year, retail analyst predicts that online shopping will represent a 3rd of total retail spend in the UK. An evitable outcome accelerated 4+ years by the pandemic. Of course, this growth is exciting; however, it can add pressure on other parts of the business.

From the complexity of shipping the products to managing customer expectations, the pressure on customer services is more significant than it has ever been.

Thankfully there are several digital solutions designed to help improve retailers customer service output; however, these plus traditional call centre methods are only as good as the data that supports them. In this article, we’ve prepared five clear reasons why parcel delivery tracking should form part of retailers customer service strategy. These benefits go beyond convenience. They’re necessary to avoid building a reputation as an unreliable business.

  1. Peace-of-Mind

Few things are more frustrating to customers than parcels that don’t arrive on time. With the situation worsened when no one seems to know the location of the package. If the item ever does come, you may have already lost the customer.

And yet, that’s only the worst-case scenario. Even before the package is due, customers still like to know where the parcel is, if it’s left the depot, or if there are any delays. Live tracking information not only keeps the customer informed, but it also helps to limit contact with the customer service team – allowing them to focus on more pressing service issues.

  1. Fewer Complaints

Parcel tracking and notification will not eradicate complaints, but it can help reduce the volume of complaints. By accessing live data, the customer service team can determine the problem and proactively support the customer, which can help minimise frustrations. Modern multi-carrier management systems like SmartConsign offer a range of customer-focused features like order and tracking history across couriers, search functionality and much more.

  1. Save Time and Money

Of course, fewer complaints save time and money. In addition to customer-facing features and benefits, SmartConsign offers an advanced support ticket management system that allows users to quickly and efficiently resolve issues such as lost or damaged shipments.

  1. Enhance Brand Reputation

A satisfactory customer experience helps to enhance brand reputation; the more positive experiences delivered, the more likely the chance of winning repeat purchase. Meeting customer expectations by providing live tracking information during the post-purchase experience can do wonders for retailers brand reputation. It helps drive positive net promoter score, which in turn can help to motivate the customer service team.

  1. Turn Complaints Into Compliments

Lastly, we give you the best benefit of all. Parcel delivery tracking can turn your least satisfied customers into your most satisfied customers!

Having the ability to identify the location of a delayed or missing package immediately can help to solve customer issues quickly. It’s well known that when you address your customers’ complaints, they tend to be more loyal to your business than they were before.

 

They’re now aware that if they ever have a problem with you, they can trust you to solve it. Just like that, parcel delivery tracking builds you a good reputation instead of a bad one. Below image is a customised page from SmartConsign carrier management system that helps you protect your brand integrity.

Parcel Notification example

Even better, parcel tracking can solve so many of these scenarios before they happen. That is, customers checking on the status of their deliveries will call to warn you that a package is headed for the wrong address before it’s delivered.

Parcel Delivery Tracking Is Essential to Your Customer Service Strategy

Do you offer live parcel delivery tracking? If not, you now know what you’re missing.

Get all these benefits and more with SmartConsign all-inclusive live parcel tracking system. Contact us here to get started.

 

This is how Parcel Delivery Systems Can Help Boost Brand Reputation

In the world of parcel delivery getting from A to B is fraught with challenges that could make or break a brand’s reputation. At the heart of the process is the need to meet customer expectations and meet them fast. Why? Because brand reputation is dependent on a growing number of factors and failing to deliver the shipping promise can be just as damaging as faulty products. In this article, we highlight how parcel delivery systems like SmartConsign can help all managers stay connected with customers and protect their brand reputation.

Control What Happens to Your Brand

In the daily running of a business, it can be easy to overlook the value of brand reputation management and its impact on the bottom line. In truth most brands focus on the pre-sale brand experience, yet increasingly customer’s 2nd interaction with a brand is the unboxing moment. Lead up to that moment is critical, and with customers having access to data at multiple touchpoints – poor post-check-out experience can negatively impact a brand’s reputation even before the package arrives. 

Parcel delivery systems offer a wealth of data that are designed to add clarity in the package delivery process, benefitting managers beyond the warehouse or depot. Here are our top 3 reasons why all managers should be using these systems: 

  1. Ensure customers are kept informed at key stages of the package’s journey- with some systems you can even send marketing messages. The image below is an example of the type of notification you can expect to see in a modern parcel delivery system.Parcel Notification example
  2. Empower customer success teams to proactively manage customer queries and respond efficiently to issues.
  3. Stay in control of the operation, spot inefficiencies in the process and address requirements on the fly. 

Stay in control of the operation, spot inefficiencies in the process and address requirements on the fly 

Understanding and responding efficiently to post check-out factors that can impact brand reputation helps to ensure the delivery of positive customer experience from the cart to the front door. Choose a parcel delivery system that gives all managers in the business access to data at vulnerable stages of the customer journey, and get managing your brand reputation the right way. 

How Consumers are Secretly Driving Logistics Management

Arguably, no other company has disrupted logistics management quite like Amazon–customers can choose same day shipping and receive their packages as quickly as the next day. Last year, Amazon, tested the first drone delivery in England, and with the advent of self-driving cars, same day delivery will likely become the norm. This has vastly changed customer expectations, and those without the right booking portal stand to lose out.

Why do retailers need to keep up? A recent Retail Week survey of 2000 shoppers said that 75% of consumers see delivery as a key factor influencing their choice of retailer and 64% said they’d shop online more if they had control over their delivery options. On the flip side, 68% of shoppers have been discouraged in some way due to the delivery options on offer.

Clearly, there’s a huge incentive to get the shipping operations part of the e-commerce equation right. Here are a few tips from our shipping logistics management experts to help you move towards same-day shipping capability:

Take advantage of multiple carriers

It might sound counterintuitive for logistics managers to increase the number of carriers they work with, but this is actually an efficient way to control costs, quality, and performance. Increasing your transportation base can only increase the likelihood that a vehicle will be available to transport your goods. It also gives operations managers the data to compare various carriers and choose the best one for a particular shipment, whether the focus is on cost, speed or reputation.

View the entire shipping chain

At every step of the supply chain process, there should be real time updates on the shipments and where they’re located. Having this kind of insight allows you to respond to any unexpected occurrences before they become serious problems. And don’t forget end users expect to be able to track their shipment too!

Shift to a 2017 shipping solution that’s web-based

Years ago, logistics management involved installing and configuring software on your PCs in order to track shipments. Obviously, that’s not how the world works anymore. Web-based solutions are becoming the standard, and for good reason. They allow you 24/7 access to real-time data, as well as access historical data. Ideally, they also enable you to speed up the administrative process. The faster you can generate consignments and create labels, the faster you’ll be able to get the shipment out the door. Ultimately, little improvements like that can go a long way.

Here at SmartConsign, we’re constantly thinking about ways to help our clients streamline their operations. If you’re ready to scale up your shipping, give us a call. We’re happy to help.