You would be surprised to learn that, no matter the purchase, a basic home product or the first granddaughter’s 18th birthday present, what really matters is how it arrives. Shoppers are now used to buying products online, they do it naturally and know what to order, the expectations build-up when waiting for them.
The delivery path becomes one of the most strategic levers, the one that can meet or smash customers’ satisfaction and the one people will talk and/or write about especially if something goes wrong.
Negative reviews can seriously impact a business. Every time a bad review pops up on Google searches, the risk of losing customers is very high.
According to a recent study published on review42.com, 86% of customers hesitate to purchase from companies with negative reviews.
So what makes customers write reviews, good or bad? Speed and quality of delivery come as the top elements of the shopping journey, people are eager to talk about.
Almost three-quarters of customers (72.5%) say poor deliveries would cause them to stop recommending a retailer. Delivery tracking and real-time communication with the retailers are also on top of the list to gain customers’ trust and positive reviews.
Life routines are changing, people are spending more time out of home returning to the office and going back to pre-pandemic habits and deliveries need to adapt to the change and offer solutions that will match the new lifestyle.
Flexible time slots need to be available so that the customer can choose a time when they know they will be at home or in the office and next day delivery might not be the preferred option anymore when the possibility for a slower but sustainable slot is given and can translate in cost savings and ethical approach both for the customer and retailers.
Clear ways to communicate parcel location, ETA (estimated time of arrival) and safe place could also work well not to let customers down, to keep them informed and ultimately happy.
Organisations need to look at their deliveries very carefully, prioritising the last mile as a strategic component of the business. It is not going to take too long or be too complicated, it is going to be necessary for shopper retention. Customers are not prepared to forgive any mistakes and even a single bad experience will translate immediately into negative reviews. Read Public MediaMarkt’s success story to find out how an omnichannel approach connecting physical and digital stores enabled to manage the delivery process with a strong customer focus, even during critical times.
