Switching delivery partners can be scary. There’s no question as to why so many merchants put off the task until they no longer have a choice. But when it means staying with a delivery partner who no longer fits your needs, what option do you really have?
Every delivery provider is a little bit different, each with different features, price points, and areas of expertise. But at the bare minimum, your delivery partner should be there to make sure your orders are safe, on time, and accurately delivered. The best-case scenario is one where all of this is met, plus you receive a great price point and time frame that really impresses your customers.
If you’re wondering whether or not there’s a better option out there for you, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s talk about some hidden clues that might mean it’s time to switch to a more supportive delivery partner.
5 Signs You Need to Switch Delivery Partners
Delivery impacts a lot more than just delivery. Delivery affects the workings of the rest of your business as well, and poor delivery services might be hurting you more than you think. Oftentimes, other parts of your business will point out that a better delivery solution might be needed.
Is it time to find a new delivery partner? Let’s find out. If you relate to any of these common seller issues, it might be time for a change.
1. Your on-time delivery rate is slowly decreasing
Is your delivery on-time rate slowly getting worse and worse? Maybe it’s time to think about how important this metric is. Late deliveries can affect your business on more than just the surface.
The number of parcels you can deliver on time impacts your business both directly and indirectly. If your customer’s packages are delivered late, concerns rise. Customers begin to call in and ask when they can expect their delivery. If the items they ordered are necessities, it might force them to make other plans to make up for what they didn’t receive. Directly, late deliveries increase the number of customers who are upset and will likely not order from you again.
Indirectly your business can be affected as well. Customers speak about their experience buying from merchants. If their experience was less than satisfactory, which a late delivery can sometimes cause, the word they spread about your business would not be ideal. Every customer’s experience has an echoing effect that can also impact your future success. Poor deliveries can have a long-lasting effect.
If the number of orders that actually make it to customers on time is decreasing, selecting a new delivery provider might be worthwhile.
2. Cart abandonment rates are increasing
49% of customers abandon carts because of high delivery or tax costs. Hence, if your cart abandonment rates are surprisingly high, there might be a hidden issue.
One of the most common reasons for increased cart abandonment is unexpected shipping or delivery rates at checkout. While customers move onto checkout once they’re happy with the price of their items, high delivery rates can prevent them from completing the purchase. On the other hand, maybe your delivery rates are reasonable, but the delivery time frames are less than satisfactory for customers. Customers might be interested in the products you offer, but they probably don’t want to wait extended lengths of time to receive them. Instead, they’ll look for other merchants that provide better delivery times.
Hence, if your abandoned cart rates are increasing, your current delivery standards might not be meeting expectations. Something is stopping customers from completing their purchases, and quite commonly, this comes down to the final cost (including delivery). Switching delivery providers to find faster or more affordable rates could help you increase completed customer journeys and see fewer carts left untouched.
3. Goods are arriving damaged
Damaged goods are always a cause for concern. To a customer, a damaged delivery item means the proper precautions were not taken to ensure a safe transit process.
If your goods are arriving to customers damaged, there might be a few causes. For example, your packaging might not be suitable for the types of items you’re shipping. Fragile objects need better packaging, and it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s safe to be delivered. But if you’re meeting the proper packaging expectations, and items are still being damaged in the process, this might be a cause for concern.
Delivery providers are responsible for keeping your orders safe while they are in their possession. This means being cautious when moving packages from warehouses to drivers and customers. Damaged goods could be a sign that packages are not being handled carefully, causing your items to end up in worse condition than when they left you.
If this is the case for your deliveries, it might be time to find a new provider who handles your deliveries with greater care. Broken or damaged goods can cost you a lot to repair and redeliver. Plus, they cause unsatisfied customers that might not return after a bad experience. Finding a delivery provider that takes pride in your company and deliveries is a necessity.
4. Your customers are asking for more transparency
The level of transparency most customers want is not available through many delivery partners. If your current provider does not offer it, but your customers are asking for more visibility, this might be worth looking into.
Transparency in delivery has become the focus of more modern delivery providers. Lost orders or unclear delivery time frames are not as standard as they used to be with providers who have created innovative solutions. Simply letting your customers know when their items have left your store is no longer enough to keep them happy.
Customers want true clarity in their orders. For this reason, finding a provider who can offer this can increase your overall customer satisfaction. This might include live tracking, allowing customers to view their delivery driver’s current location on a map. This lets customers know exactly where their items are. It also gives them a clearer idea of when their driver is going to arrive, helping improve delivery success the first time around.
Other features that can help customers be more updated with their orders are real-time notifications. And no, not just a notification telling them their order is “on its way.” In-depth, live notifications letting them know when the order has been picked up from the merchant, when it’s been given to the delivery driver, and when that driver is on their way to their house are what help. These types of services are becoming more and more expected by customers.
If your customers are unhappy with the visibility (or lack thereof) of your current provider, it might be time to find a better option that takes your customers’ needs into consideration. Delivery is one way to increase order satisfaction, and offering the highest delivery standards can show your customers you care about their experience.
5. Customer support is not keeping up
Are your customer’s concerns heard? If left unsolved, this can quickly turn into a bigger problem.
Customer support is essential throughout all parts of online shopping. Most customers expect various ways to connect with support agents. But when it comes to delivery, customer support can be vital. Without a capable, knowledgeable customer support team to take care of concerns and questions, your customer satisfaction levels can severely drop.
If your customers have questions about their delivery, like the ETA, they expect someone to be able to manage it. Support throughout the delivery process can affect how happy customers are to receive their orders, and a lack of support can lead to plenty of upset customers. If your delivery provider isn’t taking care of your customer’s concerns, this means they either fall into your lap or are not dealt with at all. Neither of these options are preferential.
Instead, work with a delivery partner who cares about and manages your customer’s concerns to increase customer satisfaction rates.
Who to Partner with Next
If you’ve decided that it’s time to switch to a new delivery partner, how do you decide where to go from here? It can be difficult to find a new service to work with, but breaking it down can simplify the process.
These are all attributes that will play into your final decision. Based on how well your needs fit the offerings of a potential partner, you can easily rule potential providers in or out.
Capacity
You should have an understanding of approximately how many orders you ship out every day, week, or month. You need to find a provider who can manage your current volume, and also help you scale quickly and efficiently for when your business grows.
Price
How much are you currently paying, and how much are you willing to pay? We assume you want to pay as little as possible without compromising on quality to help maintain happy customers and healthy revenue. What provider will meet your needs on both? Plus, some providers charge peak season fees, meaning you’ll have to pay higher fees during the holiday season when orders are at their highest. Keep this in mind when choosing who to work with.
How you sell
What integrations does the provider offer? For example, if you sell using Amazon, you’re likely also using Amazon to manage and fulfill your orders. But if you sell using an eCommerce platform like Shopify, you’ll need a provider who can easily integrate to your website to reduce the manual work associated with delivery. If you have a smaller number of orders every day, this might not be as important, but for larger sellers, it can mean another free hour every day.
Experience
Every business is a little bit different. eCommerce brands need a delivery solution that knows how to handle their intricacies, and the same goes for grocery delivery services. It’s important to find a provider who knows how to handle your specific needs.
Location
Depending on where your customer base is, you’ll need to find a provider that covers that area.
Features
The ideal partner should be able to provide you with every feature you need to please your customers. Live tracking, parcel insurance, fast delivery, and others should be considered before picking a partner.
Time frames
Although it might seem obvious, understanding how fast orders can be completed will affect who you choose to work with. Customers care about fast deliveries and offering it could help your business stand out from others.
Failed deliveries
You might overlook this one. If a delivery can’t be completed, how is it going to make its way back to you? You’ll need to find out what their return process is to understand if it works for you. The ideal delivery provider will have plans in place to successfully deal with failed deliveries.
Late or damaged shipments
What happens if an order is lost or damaged? Seeing how they deal with these types of problems can give you some insight into how capable they are of solving issues that might arise.
There’s a lot on this list. But each factor holds some importance in identifying the delivery partner that will help you the most. After considering all of these, you’ll have a much better idea of who you need to work with to get the results you want.
Working with FlashBox
There’s a lot to think about when it comes to finding the provider that seamlessly fits your needs. But dealing with a poor delivery partner can cause more long-lasting problems for you to deal with, so there is no better time than now.
When it comes to finding the delivery provider that suits your needs, you need to consider the overall effect on your customers. Offering exactly what customers want, like live tracking options, affordable rates, and fast turnaround times, can help increase the number of orders you receive.
Working with FlashBox means having a tailored delivery solution made for your business. FlashBox takes care of merchants and customers by offering state-of-the-art tracking options, a professional customer support team, and extremely fast delivery times. FlashBox delivery is fast, cost-effective, and highly reliable. Merchants can place orders for same-day delivery from as low as $6 per parcel, no matter how many deliveries you have a day. To keep customers happy and to stand out from competitors, offer FlashBox same-day delivery.
Learn more about same-day delivery solutions today.
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