With the onset of ecommerce and multiple shipping options, consumers placing an order online want it quick. They want the order to arrive at their doorstep within two or three days. Logically then, next-day delivery options get an even bigger pat on the back.
Same-day delivery has become very important to consumers. A survey by Retail Touchpoint states that 88% of people are willing to pay more for same-day delivery. According to a study by Invesp, around 51% of retailers offer same-day delivery, which you are up against. If you are running an online store, you must have your supply chain in top shape to ensure no delivery delay.
There are a few things to keep in mind, though, and once you have a firm grip on the detail, you will have your customers returning for more. Let's dive deep into it then!
Causes of Delivery Delay
There are multiple package delivery problems that businesses and customers come across on a daily basis. These problems can contribute negatively to a business’s customer service. Similarly, there can be. Multiple reasons for the delivery delay. Let us first examine the cause of delayed delivery. After all, if we know the problem, only then can we solve it!
1. Current Events
This is the one we are most familiar with these days. Current events, political events, and social circumstances all contribute towards a delayed delivery. Take the COVID pandemic as an example. Companies had to lay off workers, reduce the number of workers working in their warehouses, and reduce the shipping volume. All this means delayed deliveries for a few days.
2. Holiday Season
Generally, the holiday season brings about a whole host of sales and a remarkable increase in shipping volume. With this seasonal increase in packages, warehouses and sorting centers can get clogged and have trouble catering to this influx.
3. Weather Conditions
Snow, hail, rain, or just a good old-fashioned hurricane, all these weather events can cause mayhem. This is out of our control, though, so all you can do is look out for the weather forecasts and plan in advance.
4. Data Entry Errors
You will often see these with your orders. Misspelled addresses or just wrong ZIP codes entered by the customer are far too common. Sometimes, there can also be an error from the shipping agent or operator. This can make it difficult for the shipping company to send the package to the correct address, resulting in delayed delivery.
5. Technical Glitches
This is something we all dread, a technology breakdown. When your shipping software breaks down or the website has a glitch, all your shipping operations can come to a screeching halt. Unfortunately, this is something which gives the wrong impression to the customer and is better to avoid.
6. Inadequate Logistics
If you have a logistics setup that is insufficient for the product demand, you will get delays. Your warehouse simply can't process the volume, and the orders will lag by days. This is something that most companies overlook, but perhaps it is the essential factor of all.
How to Solve Delayed Delivery?
With the causes sorted out, now it's time to look for solutions to delivery delays.
Automate Your Warehouse Management Software
To give your customer the best service, you need the best yourself. Introduce automation within your warehouse so that a computer does maximum work. This not only reduces the chances of error but also speeds up the process. Mailroom by PackageX is the ultimate solution to your problem. Its OCR-enabled app processes up to 50 packages in one go. Faster processing means your package is sent out to the customer almost as soon as the order comes.
Moreover, a digital warehouse system gives you a real-time picture of your operations. This allows you to keep a real-time track of your deliveries.
Keep Track of Your Inventory
Some products of yours might be selling like hotcakes, while others may be a bit mellow. Be sure to regularly update your inventory, almost in real-time, so that you have an accurate picture of how much you can sell. It will be a great disappointment if a customer orders an item that is out of stock in your inventory. This would mean only one thing, a delivery delay.
You can plan for such a scenario. As soon as your stock is getting low, you can replenish it before it entirely runs out.
Go For a Fulfillment Service
This tip might only be for high-volume shippers. If your shipping quantity is large enough and across a vast area, you could use a fulfillment service. This means that you can use their warehouses located across a particular region, enabling you to get to the customer faster.
For example, if you sell in the US and have your main warehouse in New York, you can have a fulfillment service for your delivery. They can have a center in the southwest, northwest, and eastern coastline. This way, if there is an order from California, the southwest fulfillment center can send out the order rather than coming from New York.
By employing this method, you have reduced the chances of a delivery delay!
Plan in Advance
Planning is key to a lot of things, and that rings true here as well. If you have a holiday season coming up or a big sale lined up, plan for it. Keep your inventory levels high, place your product across your selling regions, and have your technical systems be ready for the influx of orders.
Reduce Delayed Delivery, Keep the Customer Happy!
You have to provide your customers the service they want. Only then can you take the top spot in the market and make a name for yourself. Reducing delivery delays is one method to do just that and an effective one. Keep the above points in mind while auditing your delivery process and remove any possible loopholes. Happy shipping!
