Worried about your delivery business not being able to capture the market? Well, this line of work is fairly crowded as the stakes are very high; one big mistake and your reputation goes for a toss.
There’s only one thumb rule that can help you thrive over the competition: put your customers your top priority. But this is easier said than done as the flexible nature of the business makes few things out of the management’s control.
Here are a few tips to tide over unforeseen situations that you can face while running a successful delivery business
1. Manpower Crisis
E-commerce firms are always facing a huge shortage of delivery personnel. The situation has worsened due to the Coronavirus pandemic. But regardless of that, delivery of courier, food, or e-commerce items must go on without any hindrance.
So here is what you can do, have a strong backup fleet of delivery agents. Offer incentives and bonuses for performing a task during an emergency situation.
Developing cloud-based delivery management software will keep a track of their assigned tasks, right from picking up the product and delivering it to the customers’ doorstep.
2. KYC-Know Your Competitors
Always stay one step ahead of your competitors by keeping a track of what they are doing. Your strategies and costs can be a principal factor for customers to choose your service over others.
In most cases, customers look for services with minimum shipping charges. Offer multiple pricing packages to your customers based on the availability of the product, size, weight, and delivery speed.
Let’s say a customer wants their product to be delivered within 24 hours, charge a higher amount but make sure it is delivered within the promised time.
This is an effective and fool-proof strategy to draw the attention of customers.
3. Storage
Avoid delays by speeding up communication with your warehouse. Ensure you have enough stock of products that you intend to sell. Use an inventory management system that uses scanning devices to get the latest information on your stocks, automatically updates the list of items on the cloud, and keeps you posted.
4. Delivery Management Software
Customers want their products to be delivered as soon as possible, with a minimum delivery cost. It is therefore important to simplify your internal processes for handling your orders.
Use technologies like route-optimization and real-time tracker to help delivery agents to deliver the products faster and increase the number of consignments in a short span of time.
Delivery-management software is a savior that eases the burden and avoids missing out on any deliveries. Barcodes, RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification), and routing software offer the best in class logistical services.
5. Use Electronic Data Interchange
Replace that long paperwork with electronic data. Use cloud services to keep a track of every little detail including attendance of your delivery agents to the stock of products.
6. Inform your Customere
To elaborate further in simple terms, delivery tracking software can also be used to communicate with the customers about the estimated time of delivery through SMS, Emails, or Messaging Apps.
Customers won’t remain clueless about the delivery agent’s location. Smart routing can be used to make deliveries at the same location, thus reducing fuel and transportation costs and increasing efficiency.
Even if you are not able to speed up the delivery time, at least your customers will rest assured because they know the status of their packages
7. Effective Packaging & Insurance
To stand out in the crowd, your services have to be premium. Each product must be handled with the utmost care and delivered through proper packaging.
But in case of an accident or unexpected outcome resulting in product damage, it is your responsibility to do the damage control.
Give insurance for the damaged product and offer some kind of bonus points or discounts that the customer can redeem while placing an order with your company next time. This way you can avoid negative publicity and enjoy a loyal base of customers.
8. Modernized Packaging
Packaging boxes come in different shapes and sizes and more often than not, fitting them in one vehicle becomes a huge challenge. So use uniform-sized boxes, pack them in such a way that the delivery vehicle can carry a maximum number of boxes. Streamlining packages will allow you to do faster delivery in less time.
9. Overseas Delivery
If you also run an international delivery business, it is important to make the right connections so that you know which services can be relied upon, and which ones to avoid. Have a dedicated list of courier services.
10. Customs Clearance
Save time and tedious paperwork by declaring your goods online, even before they leave the country. Your parcel can then glide through customs and go straight to its destination. This will save you a lot of time.
Bottom Line
The key points behind every successful delivery business is Customer Service, Efficiency, and Quality service. Use the right tools and technology for your business.
Identify your challenges beforehand to ensure seamless delivery and take your business to the next level.
So the big question is; are you ready to turn your worst day in your delivery business into the most productive one?
