Customer Service
Why retailers need to up the delivery experience
At a time when inflation is soaring, competition is high and brand loyalty can be fragile if not actively managed, going the extra mile on customer engagement is key.
February 9, 2023 | Carmen Carey, CEO, Sorted
It's fair to say retailers are a resilient crew. Right off the back of COVID, with the cost-of-living crisis, retail sales are suffering again. But unlike during the pandemic, which saw consumers shifting their shopping from in-store to online, the cost-of-living crisis has caused consumers to not only spend less but also to be more selective in their purchases.
In fact, our recent survey showed that 82% of shoppers admitted to being more money-conscious now due to inflation and 63% said they were spending less — in shops and online — compared to a year ago. Brands, however, need to see this as an opportunity to reassess and realign.
Therefore, offering five-star delivery and returns experiences is more important than ever. If brands aren't already doing so, preparation and investment now will help future proof and strengthen resilience for the time ahead.
Brands who adopt technology that can deliver clear, branded delivery communications, tracking and positive returns processes will be the winners. So, how can brands drive a seamless delivery experience?
Clear branded delivery tracking
The cost-of-living crisis has caused some cautiousness in shopping, meaning — more than ever — consumers want to get value for their money. Despite this, 56% of consumers say they experience customer service problems for purchases and /or deliveries today.
This is worrying, especially when our survey 63% say poor delivery service would stop them purchasing from a company again.
Through branded tracking, brands have the perfect opportunity to connect and build a long-lasting relationship with their customers in the post-purchase journey. Retailers will be able to deflect customer contacts with automated proactive updates for customers. It also provides more scope for personalization, as brands are able to provide customers with self-serve tracking in the channel of their choice.
Proactive alerts mean retailers are able to act before customers ever realize that there is an issue. The entire process can be monitored giving brands a better understanding of their performance, and also allows customer service teams to have access to all the delivery and returns data they need when 'where is my order' (WISMO) queries come in.
Ultimately, retailers are able to significantly reduce their operational costs, reduce WISMO queries and better serve their customers.
Another positive impact of branded tracking is it can be used as a hook, meaning retailers can cut through the noise and get customers to stay sticky on site, or interact with owned apps. Once your customers are engaged with your tracking, you've also got the perfect opportunity to catch their attention with ads.
Giving customers the option to self-serve delivery and return updates through branded tracking can lead to higher customer satisfaction as well as reducing WISMO queries by up to 63%.
Positive returns process
Returns represent a big issue for brands, costing U.K. retailers an estimated £5.2 billion (U.S. $6.3 billion) a year on average. Not only that, ease of returns also has an impact on conversion (with 89% of consumers putting ease of returns as top priority when purchasing online) and loyalty (with 81% saying they would not order from an online retailer if they saw issues with their return process).
Adding to that is the fact that, for 77% of customers, getting timely updates on the progress of their return, refund, or exchange would make them more likely to purchase again.
Brands that have a clear and easy returns process can turn a refund into an exchange. In fact, 61% of consumers say they would be more likely to exchange a product bought online than get a refund if exchanging was made simpler. With the end goal to keep revenue high, having an efficient exchange and returns process in place means you are not losing a sale and still making a profit.
With the backing of a robust returns process, dealing with returns should be seen as an opportunity rather than a challenge, that can help retailers stay ahead of the competition and turn returns into a finance-friendly process.
The bottom line
Ensuring proactive measures are in place, including regular customer communications regarding delivery status, will provide a strong line of defense in preserving a positive DX. At a time when inflation is soaring, competition is high and brand loyalty can be fragile if not actively managed, going the extra mile on customer engagement is key.
