There is no question that customer feedback is one of the pillars of any long-term successful business. Understanding customers through their wants and their needs, can allow any company a prime opportunity to foster a deeper and longer-lasting customer relationship with their product and service.

In today’s blog post, we’ll be looking at five ways you can improve customer experience with your company’s deliveries.

Be Honest with Estimated Delivery Times

The first step in this process starts with estimated delivery dates at the point of sale so that the customer has realistic expectations on when they place an order themselves. 

Providing continuous updates of real-time events such as the following can make all the difference for customers:

  • Vehicle queue issues 
  • Traffic delays 
  • Weather updates
  • Damaged goods

By providing important updates, your customers will be able to make the necessary adjustments with both their expectations of the actual arrival time against the estimated delivery time updates they’re receiving via text message, email, or phone call.

Driver and Vehicle Monitoring is Necessary

It’s universally known that no worker really enjoys being monitored. But as you may suspect, the truth of the matter is that you’re in the business of providing stellar delivery service for paying customers that have hopes that your delivery to them will arrive on time and as expected.

Holding your drivers accountable, by placing reasonable business expectations on them, can help improve urgency in delivery times. By having driver and vehicle monitoring, you can change the tide and see some worthwhile results. Some of the beneficial effects can include any of the following:

  • Route optimization + fuel efficiency = more savings
  • Ensure drivers follow highway safety rules.
  • On-time deliveries = happier customers
  • Drivers take their job more seriously when monitored

Speed Matters. Efficiency Matters More.

Having quick turnaround times built into your fleet of trucks can certainly help alleviate unexpected downturns in the industry that may arise later on. if you had to choose between sustainability or efficiency; efficiency might win the race in the end.

Here are some of the top reasons why efficiency is so critical to running a smooth operation:

Being consistent with adjustments and changes in the industry will ultimately help you stay ahead of your competitors. After all, who won the race? The hare or the tortoise? Exactly.

Revamp Your Customer Service Team

Revamping your customer service team should be any company’s top priority. Here are some ways to make the customer service team become more engaged in their work:

  • Establishing a genuine coaching and team-oriented company culture.
  • Set individual and team goals to make it fun!
  • Streamline manual processes to reduce employee turnover.
  • Provide a supportive customer service department environment.

There are other things you can do to increase customer service team’s efficiency, like using an omnichannel customer service strategy or setting up a framework to measure your team’s performance. 

Overall, true employee satisfaction and engagement starts with the department’s internal support system. If it is lacking in transparency or relatability, then how can you expect your customer service team members to invest their time and energy to provide outstanding service to your business’ customers?

Request Feedback and Have Follow-Up

Additional advancements for future delivery logistics include vehicle improvements and an accessible feedback system for customers to voice their thoughts or requests.

Receiving feedback, and making the necessary adjustments soon thereafter, is a key component of customer churn prevention. Qualitative feedback from existing customers, delivered at the right time will not only contribute to identifying and solving problems on a timely basis but also serve as ambassadors to attract new customers.

Here are some beneficial aftereffects of receiving customer feedback:

  • Higher customer retention rates
  • More business referrals = more positive cash flow!
  • Quicker resolution turnaround times
  • Improved processes for handling customer disputes

Conclusion

Happy customers should be the ultimate goal for any business – after all, that’s why most businesses are even in existence today. That’s why so many companies are always looking for new ways of improving the overall customer experience and accelerating the delivery process wherever possible in their operations.

At Elder Logistics, we can help you with your business needs.

If you’re looking to transition to a new freight provider, we at Elder Logistics can help discuss an action plan to help you transport your goods safely. Reach out to us here to communicate with one of our customer service representatives. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out to any of our management team members here, and we’ll be more than happy to help you find the best transportation solutions for your business needs.

 

References:

“15 Best Strategies to Improve Your Customer Service Performance in 2022.” Kaizo, Kaizo, 17 Feb. 2022, https://kaizo.com/blog/13-essential-strategies-to-improve-customer-service-performance/

Aleixo, Catarina. “4 Great Ways to Improve Delivery Service.” Circuit, Circuit, 10 Feb. 2022, https://getcircuit.com/teams/blog/how-to-improve-delivery-service

Commendatore, Cristina. “Finding the Efficiency Sweet Spot in Trucking | Fleetowner.” Fleet Owner, Endeavor Business Media, LLC, 14 Mar. 2022, https://www.fleetowner.com/equipment/article/21216777/finding-the-efficiency-sweet-spot-in-trucking

“Council Post: 11 Ways to Improve Customer Satisfaction during the Delivery Phase.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 4 Mar. 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/03/03/11-ways-to-improve-customer-satisfaction-during-the-delivery-phase/?sh=12c747f537bc

“How to Improve Delivery Experience for Your Customers in 2022.” Route Optimization Blog, Route4Me, Inc, 18 May 2022, https://blog.route4me.com/improve-delivery-experience/

“How to Improve Your Delivery Experience.” Qualtrics, Qualtrics, 15 Apr. 2022, https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/customer/delivery-experience/

“Improving Customer Experience with a Great Delivery Strategy: DHL Express.” Improving Customer Experience With A Great Delivery Strategy | DHL Express, DHL, 13 May 2022, https://www.dhl.com/discover/en-au/e-commerce/customer-service/Improving-customer-experience-with-a-great-delivery-strategy

“What Makes a Great Delivery Experience?” OptimoRoute, OptimoRoute Inc, 2 May 2022, https://optimoroute.com/delivery-experience/

Wolf, Kaity. “What Does Fuel Efficient Mean?” FreightWaves Ratings, FreightWaves, Inc, 13 June 2022, https://ratings.freightwaves.com/what-does-fuel-efficient-mean/#:~:text=The%20more%20energy%20that%20vehicle,prevent%20wear%20on%20your%20truck