The delivery experience is a large aspect of shopping online, and these companies should prioritize improving this part of the shopping process. After all, if a consumer has a poor experience when their order is delivered, this could stop them from shopping with you in the future. With this in mind, it is vital for businesses to look into ways to boost their delivery experience with the help of technology. Technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent years, particularly in the last mile logistics.
This post has outlined three of the best ways that the right technology can boost the delivery experience your business offers.
Optimized Routing
Customers now expect fast deliveries, and the number of online shoppers who are willing to pay for expedited delivery is dwindling. There are some types of software, such as route optimization, that can reduce the time between each delivery. Optimized routing will use algorithms and software to find the most efficient routes for delivery vehicles. This will enable the driver to make multiple stops, while minimizing costs, distance, and travel time.
The business can give customers an accurate estimated time of arrival for their order, which is vital to the overall delivery experience. High-quality route optimization software will even consider delivery time windows, which is essential if delivering to restricted access sites, as well as road and weather conditions.
It can modify routes continuously, ensuring each driver is adequately prepared when changes occur. If you choose a courier to deliver your orders to customers, then you should check they deliver in the areas you require. For example, Couriers Texas deliver parcels all over the state, and this service offers “on-demand routes” as well as custom routes to suit your business. This service uses its expertise in route planning to complete same-day and rush deliveries.
Real-Time Tracking
As more and more customers want the ability to track their delivery in real-time, businesses should utilize real-time tracking software and technology. This type of equipment allows the business and the customer to track the driver’s location in real-time throughout the delivery route. The tracking link that is created for the order can be shared with the customer via email or SMS.
This can be very beneficial to the business and their customers. Not only does this allow the customer to plan their day around the delivery, instead of waiting at home all day for it arrive, the business can pinpoint when issues arise.
Whether this is through delayed deliveries or lost packages, the business can then work to resolve the issue and compensate the customer for any problems they might have experienced.
Proof of Delivery
Lost packages, as previously mentioned, can be an issue for businesses and their customers, but proof of delivery can reduce the risk of this occurring. Electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) can confirm this. It could include electronic signatures, digital photograph confirmations, and time stamps to confirm the delivery was a success. This is possible through these digital tools as well as barcodes and GPS. If the customer is not home, they might have selected a “safe space” during the checkout process, and the package could be left there. With proof of delivery, this can be guaranteed, and it will lower the chances of the company paying for lost orders if the parcel is stolen.
To conclude, technology can be very beneficial when delivering customer orders. If you want to streamline the delivery experience, your business should utilize route optimization, real-time tracking, and ePOD, as listed in this post.
