From the moment they visit an online store to the time they receive their order, today’s consumers expect a smooth, friction-free shopping journey. By ensuring a satisfactory end-to-end delivery experience, retailers can address factors that may prove off-putting, such as a complicated returns process or unexpected delivery costs.
It’s something we’ve looked at in one of our recent guides, ‘Strengthening customer relationships at each stage of the delivery journey’.
The ultimate end-to-end delivery experience
In the guide, we look at the elements required to offer the ultimate delivery experience focusing on three major elements:
1. Deliver better: give customers the experience they want
The delivery process is increasingly important to the overall customer experience. Getting it wrong can prove costly. According to McKinsey, almost half of consumers will shop elsewhere if they consider delivery times to be too long. But it’s not just about speed. For countless consumers, choice is an essential component of a good delivery experience. It’s important that retailers ensure they offer delivery options that suit their customers. Regardless of whether their priority is speed, cost, or convenience.
2. Build stronger relationships: build trust through reliability and communication
Delivery is the only part of the experience in which a customer physically interacts with an online retailer or brand. As such, it’s a huge opportunity to shape a customer’s perception, and establish or build a relationship. Strong relationships, based on a mutual understanding – of a customer’s needs, and how a retailer can meet them – can create trust. And trust, in turn, will help to increase sales and customer retention. Where possible, retailers should take ownership of the delivery process. This will allow retailers to more directly serve their customers, and this can result in greater loyalty.
3. Get to know your customer better
Data is key to understanding customers, their likes, dislikes, and general shopping behavior. Taking ownership of deliveries data will furnish retailers with the insight they need to join all the dots in the customer journey and deliver the smoothest possible experience. And with insight into a customer’s shopping history, a retailer can make recommendations on future purchases. Owning the delivery management will provide the retailer with real data on carrier performance which has benefits ranging from increasing efficiency in the supply chain to improving brand perception and customer relationships.
Own the delivery experience
Owning the entire delivery experience, from checkout to returns, enables retailers to take charge of the customer experience. This leads to a better experience, greater trust and more in-depth knowledge of the customer. From warehouse to doorstop, nShift gives online retailers complete control over their delivery management experience and provides meaningful data to improve performance.
Please get in touch with us for a conversation about how we can help.
