For some time now, the price and quality of products and services have not been the most important factors for the customer. A new player has entered the field and taken the place as the key brand differentiator.

By now, it is safe to say that great Customer experience (Cx) has become the most valued quality that a company can provide. And this doesn’t seem to change anytime soon.

Post summary:

• Why you should focus on providing a great customer experience
• Customer experience in last-mile delivery
• What is last-mile delivery software?
• How last-mile delivery software can help boost customer experience

What is a great customer experience and why it is so important

Customer experience is the perception a customer has of a brand. As discussed before, it has become the most important factor to affect business performance.

Keeping up with the ever-changing customer demands is not an easy job. Unfortunately, this is just the thing modern supply chain and logistics enterprises have to thrive for.

An article published by The CX Lead pointed out that as much as 52% of buyers will pay more for products and services when they believe that the CX with that company will be fast and efficient. So, while providing top-notch CX requires constant work, it doesn’t take much to scare away customers.

One of three buyers says that they would easily give up a brand they used to love after just one bad experience. As people are likely to share their experiences with friends and family, this will have a big effect on the company’s overall performance.

But what distinguishes a good CX from a bad one? Personalization is the keyword to keep in mind.

People want customer service that is fast, reliable, convenient, and has a human touch to it. Companies that have invested in the latest technology and the amazing design will not succeed when the most meaningful aspects of customer experience have been left aside.

Great customer experience in last-mile delivery

The way businesses execute their last-mile deliveries can make the difference between good and bad Cx.

Customers are becoming more demanding and want to have more control over when or where to receive their parcels. In simpler words, how dynamic and transparent the last mile fulfillment is can be the differentiator between two competitors.

According to statistics, 83% of people say that knowing the delivery time of their parcel is the number one service an online brand can provide.  Providing real-time visibility about the order status increases transparency and helps to build trust with customers.

As modern customers are mostly on the go, there is a good chance that they might not be available to receive their delivery at a particular time. That’s why delivery flexibility is another important factor to consider for last-mile delivery businesses.

Fortunately, technology has evolved with increasing customer demands and a well-integrated last mile solution can help enterprises deliver customers the experience they are looking for.

In addition to enhancing shipment visibility, technology introduction will also help companies to:

• boost operational efficiency
• include last-minute requests
• be more proactive
• deal with on-demand requests better
• easily communicate any changes to both the customer and on-field employee
• prevent delays
• prevent customer anxiety with real-time tracking option

What is last-mile delivery software?

The last mile is the most important, but also the most time consuming and expensive element in the shipping process. Its’ prime objective is to get the parcel to the customer as fast as possible.

Last-mile is also considered to be the key to customer satisfaction. Done correctly, it can save companies a lot of money and make their business more efficient.

Last-mile delivery software is a solution with numerous features that help businesses make their last-mile delivery more profitable. It will help boost customer loyalty and benefit overall business operations.

For companies that want to improve their customer experience, last-mile delivery software is the solution to go for.

The most common features of last-mile delivery software are:

• route optimization
• task management and assignment (auto-dispatch)
• real-time status updates, notifications
• electronic proof of delivery
• fleet reports and analytics
• real-time tracking

Last-mile delivery software for great Customer experience

According to Gartner, more than two-thirds of companies now compete primarily based on CX. So, to stand out, businesses have to invest in providing the best experience for their customers.

Professional last-mile delivery software can boost CX in multiple ways:

Real-time visibility of delivery status

Last-mile software makes the delivery process more transparent and allows customers to be up-to-date with the order status.

Real-time notifications provide information about the location of their parcel when it will be delivered and by whom. Giving customers a head-up about any delays that might occur is also important to reduce the risk of bad CX.

Some software even allows to send a tracking link to the customer, so they can see exactly where the courier is and when they can expect their package to arrive at their location.

This helps customers feel appreciated and special, thus boosting their trust and creating a better customer experience.

Flexibility of delivery

Modern-day customers, especially millennials, are always on the go. They might not be available at a certain time or might even want to change the delivery location. Providing a flexible and customizable delivery will certainly give businesses an advantage.

Last-mile delivery software allows customers to contact the delivery person by chatting with them online or even giving them a call. Customers might want to change the delivery time, location or just give better instructions about where exactly to leave the package.

Allowing the customers to feel that everything is at their fingertips positively impacts their trust and increases the chance of great feedback from them.

Speed of delivery

Inefficient routes cause poorly managed time and often cause delays for the customer.

With e-commerce giants like Amazon constantly raising customer expectations, same-day deliveries have become a norm. According to PwC’s Global Consumer Insights Survey, as much as 41% of consumers are willing to pay an extra fee for same-day delivery.

Last-mile delivery software allows companies to use route optimization algorithms that ensure that drivers complete most deliveries in the least amount of time.

Taking different variables like delivery windows, driver availability, location proximity, etc. into consideration, allows deliveries to be completed as fast as possible and helps last-mile delivery businesses keep up with the high customer demands.

Conclusion

Advanced last-mile software includes functionalities that automate processes and accelerate information sharing between the delivery company and its customers. So, to ensure customers are happy and to stay ahead of the competition, it’ll become imperative to boost supply chain and logistics with advanced last-mile delivery software.

The selection of providers and the features they offer is vast. We recommend using the free trial option if possible, to get a better overview of the software and test its suitability for the company.

You can trial GSMtasks last-mile delivery software for FREE for 14 days!

This article was originally published in the GSMtasks blog on 25/03/2020