Who will Customers Blame for Missed Deliveries? You.

Every time a courier fails to deliver at first attempt, the courier’s company takes a financial hit. The loss of a missed deliveries is counted in gasoline, transportation, manpower, customer service, and lost space on the delivery van, and amounts to an estimated $15. 

That figure may seem doable if it happened once, but that’s not exactly the case.  There are an astounding one billion redelivery attempts in North America each year and courier companies are not the only ones paying a steep price.

The fact is many customers don’t even fault the courier for the delay, they put the blame squarely on you, the retailer. Take a look at these statistics from a study by Voxware of 500 consumers:

• 69% of respondents are much less or less likely to return to an online retailer if an item is not delivered within two days of the date promised.
• 52% of respondents will never make another purchase from an online retailer if an incorrect item arrives two or three times; 16% of respondents are even less patient and will not tolerate more than one incorrect delivery before they cut ties with the retailer in question.
• 54% of respondents will wave bye-bye to the retailer for good if they receive a late delivery two or three times while 14% will jump ship if it happened at all.
• 86% of respondents noted that their expectations for correct and on-time delivery are higher during the holiday shopping season.

The findings underscore the importance of having an outstanding shipping strategy. Late deliveries, fulfillment errors, and lost items are total no-nos for any retailer.

Growing Less Patient

Although most of us have at some point experienced the disappointment of seeing a “Sorry, we missed you” note on the front door, we would likely grow less understanding if it happened over and over again.

If the customer also has paid extra for the package to arrive on that day and is forced to either wait for a second delivery attempt the following day or go on a goose chase to the post office to pick it up, guess who will be blamed?

Paying Steep Price

If the mistakes accumulate, you could pay a severe price in loss of brand loyalty and customers. By contrast, speedy and on-target deliveries are just what make the day of your customers and entice them to come back for more.

Do you need help to find the best courier for your needs? eShipper is at your service. Click here to learn more about us or contact us for more information.