Businesses that fail to meet their customers’ expectations of affordability and efficiency of delivery cannot remain competitive.
If customers see that a competitor in your market can offer the same product with a more convenient delivery option, your paying customer numbers will dwindle. You can adopt delivery strategies to make your supply chain a strong point and boost your customer satisfaction.
Deciding on a courier
Quit waiting in line at the post office to send your parcels and take advantage of technology. MyPost Business will allow you to print postage labels and arrange for next day pickup for a small additional charge. Independent couriers may also be an option but make sure you research their reputation and average wait time before partnering with them.
Meet your delivery date
Issue a clear delivery deadline and make sure you meet it for every order. Give your customer access to track the order for their piece of mind. You should also have a tracking system so you can recover the package or damages should it go missing in the delivery process. If your package is not delivered on time, respond quickly, provide an apology or an explanation and consider offering a credit or discount to minimise damage to your reputation.
Setting free delivery
Increasingly e-commerce retailers are offering free delivery. Consider the following strategies to meet market expectations without your profit margins suffering significant losses:
– Charge for shipping in the price of the good or service
– Set a minimum spend to get free delivery
– Limit the locations for free delivery
– Give free shipping for membership sign ups
Offer options
Delivery information must be clearly set out. You might charge for express delivery and assess how they would like to pick up their package. Disclose any risk the customer incurs, for example, if they want the package left at their front door, to cover your liability.
State your return policy
A vague return policy can deter the customer from giving you their business. State your policy clearly and be upfront with any return charges that will be suffered. Consider whether a more lenient returns policy will be worth the costs of processing returns if it will secure you more customers.