10 Ways to Improve Shipping and Delivery Service

Shipping service became an essential part of the customers’ lives. The IBISWorld research shows that the delivery industry experienced growth this year and by 2022, demand for courier and delivery services is expected to strengthen. Demand for high-end and time-sensitive goods will rise. Companies compete to have more customers.

Consumers search for lower prices, convenient and seamless delivery, and a simple procedure of receiving and returning products. However, as seen from consumers’ online reviews, shipping and delivery issues tend to dissatisfy more and more shoppers. They want a new look at traditional parcel delivery.

Another research “Adding Value to Parcel Delivery” expects growth from 9 percent annually to more than $343 billion globally by 2020. The same survey predicts the decline of mail volumes. Companies try to meet consumers’ demands and find ways to improve delivery service. Let’s focus on 10 ways to do it.

The Top Ten Means to Improve Shipping and Delivery Service

1. Reliable and well-equipped vehicle

First, the delivery should be conducted by highly-trained and well-equipped professionals with previous route driving experience and basic knowledge of truck maintenance. Leading shipping companies launch the latest and best technology to protect their on-road employees and the communities they serve.

The vehicle itself should be serviceable. It should start each shipping fully loaded, be ready to deliver fragile items, and keep them protected. To do it, a courier needs some moving blankets. Vehicle drivers should plan routes and take account of fuel availability.

The most common means of shipping are trucks, vans, and cars. Air transport and railways can also be used. According to Car Shipping Carriers, every vehicle should have a tool kit, fire extinguisher, and spare tires. You can also add some extra boxes, packing materials. To enhance the process of delivery, use a GPS unit, as a courier encounters lots of locations around town.

2. Advertising

Let people know about your service. Use all possible ways, both free and paid. Here are some ideas:

• Online ads. You can post free ads about your company on websites like Craigslist and Backpage.
• Social networks. You can find prospective customers there. Write about the company and interact with your customers. According to GetAmbassador, 71% of consumers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others.
• Web site, blog. Present your business, prices, and what differs you from other similar companies. It is good to write a press release about the company and share a success story.
• Conduct promo campaigns. Prizes and discounts can bring more clients. Hand out custom notepads, magnetic signs, and pens to prospective and current customers and they will be the ambassadors of your company. Another way may be free shipping (on birthdays, special events, or every 10th shipping is free).
• Commercials and TV advertising. It is a challenge for a brand manager and an advertiser. The commercial should be memorable and catchy. Humor is the best tool here.

3. Scheduling method and SMS notifications

The key to success is to be organized. You’ll find many complaints connected with late delivery. It is a common problem for most delivery companies, no matter if they are small local businesses or bigger ones that will ship a car to another state for customers. Provide good notification and scheduling services like guaranteed delivery date, email, and SMS notifications. Not only the retailer but the carrier should send the customer an email.

4. Retain and grow your client base

Let’s focus on effective ways to retain and grow the client base:

• Understand your customers’ needs. Conduct questionnaires and surveys and get feedback. Consumers share their thoughts on web sites. And it is better to know what they think of the provided services beforehand.
• Monitor online. To improve delivery service, read what people think about your company. Be ready for bad reviews and respond to comments.
• In case of item damage, offer a refund.
• Train your employees. Teach them to be polite. You may have heard of complaints about a rude, arrogant delivery man. Demand respect and consistent, on-time delivery. Smile and saying “thank you” and “have a nice day” helps a company show appreciation and respect to customers.
• Act extraordinarily. Offer something special to your clients. Most well-known companies invented features which enhanced processes and singled them out from others. As an example, FedEx invented a system that could track packages and provide real-time updates on package location (to help in finding lost packages).

5. Reputation

To build a brand, think of the customer’s perception of your company. It includes:

• Packaging design.
• Website and content marketing.
• Customer service.
• Target audience.
• Your logo.

Know the best companies in the segment. But don’t try to copy them. Reputation should be built among customers, thus it would be helpful to know what they like about your service and what are their most common delivery complaints.

6. A range of delivery time options

Focus on giving consumers a range of delivery times and providing flexibility. For instance, UPS enhances the process by overnight shipping which includes such features as early as 8:00 a.m., by 10:30 a.m., by 3:00 p.m. The shipping should be fast. Follow these steps to improve delivery service and make it quicker:

• Do the packing immediately when an order is placed.
• Have different box sizes.
• Employ easy-to-use packing materials and tape dispensers.
• Use label-specific printers.

7. Online Help Center (tracking information, rates calculator, FAQ)

• An emergency contact phone and round-the-clock help center which includes online chats, emails.
• Information about rates. Price misunderstandings are among the most frequent consumer complaints. It is good to add online time and cost tools. Most companies provide calculators for determining costs but inaccuracies still arise. It would be useful to include the information about extra fees.
• Information section which includes FAQ, “How-to” videos, and articles. Try to be customer-focused. Offer specific services with the client’s account on your web site like creating labels for special shipping, scheduling a pick-up, adding users to the account, etc.
• Tracking information. Consumers want to keep in control of how, when, and where their parcels are delivered. Provide them with each detail.

8. Delivery options

There are many competitors in the delivery industry and choices broaden. Consumers want a broader range of delivery options. The company should offer delivery performance improvement which includes a variety of pickup locations and lockers that enable secure, continuous, round-the-clock, even anonymous delivery options.

9. Review your competitors

Do a quick survey of top delivery companies to see their policies, shipping choices, promotions, special features but don’t try to mimic them. Conduct a competitive analysis for delivery performance improvement:

• Categorize competitors.
• Identify your competitors’ positioning and marketing strategy.
• Compare prices for services and determine reasonable shipping costs.
• Find as many reviews of your competitors as possible.
• Analyze the shipping process and customers’ expectations, the way they handle consumers’ complaints, and provide customer service at all.
• Determine your position in the market.

10. Manage your risk (insurance)

• Carrier Insurance. It is very easy to obtain. In case of a lost or stolen package you, as a carrier, should require the shipper to prove the value of the item via supporting documentation, photos, and/or a physical inspection of the damaged item and sometimes also a repair estimate. USPS, FedEx, and UPS offer this insurance.
• Self-Insurance. In this case, the full responsibility for the package including a refund is on the shipper.
• There is also Auto insurance for delivery drivers with specialty coverage. It depends on the vehicle owner — delivery driver or the employer. Non-owned vehicle liability insurance is a special addition to any personal auto policy where the vehicle owner is a primary in the event of an accident. A commercial auto insurance policy is taken out by the business instead of the delivery driver).

Consumers have many choices and options. But still, there is a niche for another delivery company that will focus on the consumers’ needs and desires and provides successful postal and parcel services.