One of the most vital customer experiences is the process of their product being shipped to them. Indeed, a happy customer can easily turn sour if they have to wait longer than expected or receive an item damaged during delivery. The good news is you can follow the guide below to make your shipping process quicker, and more efficient.
By Team Savant
Image: Tobias
Step One: Lay the groundwork with great communication
Beginning before a customer has even made a purchase, showing stock levels, and updated delivery estimates on your site can help manage their expectations at the very start of the process.
Once a product has been ordered, a more accurate estimated time of arrival can be sent to the customer, along with a notification of the order, and a notification of shipping. All of which can be automated, and so will cost you no time or effort at all.
Step Two: Make sure your shipping process is streamlined
The time it takes your own logistics department or the outsourcer you use to get the package to your customer is important. However, you can expedite this by making sure your own processes are optimised.
The particular goal you should be working towards here is the shortest possible time between receiving the order and getting it packed and shipped out to your customer. To do this you will need to make sure that your packing department is notified as soon as an order is received. The good news is that by using WMS Software you can alert specific employees of an order, or any other aspect of crucial data needed for the order, all to their phone. Therefore ensuring they can begin packing the order as soon as possible.
It's also possible to make the process of packing the order faster and more efficient as well. Indeed, there are several tactics you can use here, from keeping your most bought products in a bin closest to the packing station to using RFI tracking to instantly locate any item in your warehouse. Some larger firms even use automated packaging equipment, or robots to save time and person-power.
Although, if you are still doing your packing process by hand, simple hacks like making sure you stay well-stocked on all sizes of boxes, tape, and packing materials can help ensure you get your products out to the customer as fast as possible.
Step Three: Provide constant tracking
Last of all, once the package leaves your location (either with your own logistics team or the outsourcer you are working with), it is essential to give your customer access to real-time tracking. This means at any point in the process they can find out the precise location of their item, and an updated delivery ETA, something that can be done online or even via a tracking app.
Indeed, by providing this service you will inspire trust, ally customer anxiety, and avoid inefficient use of your customer services by clients looking for reassurance. All of which can help make your shipping process far more efficient for everyone concerned.