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Brand Your Delivery Experience

by LJM Group

If you want to build a strong base of repeat customers, start by giving them a positive delivery experience.  How important is delivery quality?

According to the Last-Mile Delivery: Customer Perception Report 2022, more than 76% of those surveyed said that an unacceptable delivery experience would strongly or somewhat affect their decision to order from the same company. The number rises by a generation with over 80% of Millennials and 86% of Gen Z shoppers indicating they would think twice about re-ordering after a single poor delivery experience.[i]

What makes a delivery experience positive versus negative? Here’s where it helps to step into your customers’ shoes and review the delivery experience from their perspective. What’s it like to be your customer, receiving a delivery of your product? Would you rather receive late delivery of an old box and mismatched labels OR a neat, well-labeled product—delivered on time—in appealing packaging with inserts to encourage future purchases? 

Try these effective strategies to create a delivery experience that builds a solid base of loyal return customers and boosts your brand and profits.

Improve Your Delivery Transparency and Timing – “Timing is everything” can be an overused quote, but in terms of a customer’s delivery experience, timing truly is a critical factor.  But just as critical is communicating delivery delays.  A recent Shopify report indicates that if any package is delayed, and the consumer is not informed, 69.7% of shoppers would be less likely to shop with that retailer again.[ii]  And 45% of customers actively search for businesses that clearly communicate delivery details.[iii]

  • Increase Customer Communication – Establish automated communications that customers receive throughout every step of the order and delivery process—with a focus on emails that inform customers of delays or problems. Your emails should let customers know that you are proactively handling issues and will be sure to keep them posted on delivery progress. TIP: Don’t forget to check communications on social media. Customers will often report delivery delays that can negatively impact your brand image. Reply directly to customer concerns on social media in a way that assures all viewers that your company is dedicated to resolving and preventing delivery issues.
  • Provide Tracking Ability – Give your customers a fully branded, user-friendly tracking portal that provides the transparency they crave. 
  • Use Data and Logistics – Parcel/freight management software and logistics advisory services are proven to greatly improve delivery speed, accuracy, and visibility.  Shipping software uses sophisticated algorithms and technology to capture your company’s data, analyze its workflow and processes, and provide a high level of transparency for both you and your customers. 

The Last-Mile Delivery: Customer Perception Report 2022 emphasizes the importance of data in creating a positive last-mile delivery experience. According to CEO Lukas Kinigadner, whose company Anyline researched and produced the report, “To meet consumers’ fundamental expectations for reliability and visibility, retailers and last-mile delivery companies should improve data quality and traceability by adopting mobile-scanning technology to provide real-time updates to all parties. Accurate data capture will be key to helping businesses overcome last-mile delivery challenges, deliver peace of mind and strengthen the customer’s experience of that delivery.”[iv]

Brand and Relationship Builders – Incorporate these strategies for increasing your brand image and driving repeat business.

  • Brandish Your Brand – Emblazon your logo consistently across all platforms of your order and delivery process, from website to invoice to packaging. Turn your logo into an icon that announces your delivery and becomes a symbol of reliability, service, and quality. Ensure your logo and website appears consistently across all packaging: labels, boxes, envelopes, statements, inserts, packing materials. 
  • Inserts – This is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your brand and delivery experience. Most deliveries already include a statement or invoice. Be creative and add info that grabs your customer’s interest: news on sales and deals, product tips, invitations to company events and tradeshows, industry trends.  
  • Samples and Coupons – Who doesn’t like to receive incentives like these? Best of all, they drive repeat business. Samples are especially effective when trying to boost sales of specific products, and the cost of providing a sample often returns to the business through future orders. Coupons are excellent motivators and cost little to print and insert as part of your enhanced delivery experience.

Deliver Your Story – One of the basics of successful branding is to share the story behind your business. Customers are more likely to remember and reorder from your company if you give them something to connect with and relate to. Some creative ways to deliver your story include: 

  • Share facts and trivia about your company on packing materials and inserts.
  • Print quotes from your team or satisfied customers on statements, inserts, or packaging.
  • Engage customers with access to videos of your products, service, and events. You can include QR codes on inserts or statements that link to videos that help customers connect.
  • Include a newsletter to share your story and build loyalty.

Brand Your Business as Delivery Innovators – There is high demand for the control and visibility offered by emerging technologies. Brand your business as innovators who can provide customers with sleek, sophisticated delivery options like these:

  • Centralized Pickup Locations–Automated lockers and other centralized pickup spots are increasingly in demand. Offer this option to give customers ultimate flexibility and control over their pickup time and place.
  • Autonomous Delivery Robots and Drones –Though these are not taking off (literally) as expected, robotic deliveries are viewed favorably by almost half of consumers, with 41% to 45% considering them to be very or extremely useful delivery options. 
  • Gig Delivery Drivers – If your business can cost-effectively implement gig economy delivery, then you can present it as a premium delivery option. In fact, customers are often willing to pay more for a personal courier type experience.
  • GPS Tech–Consider these results from the Last-Mile Delivery: Customer Perception Report 2022: an overwhelming 96% of respondents indicated that GPS technology would be useful in tracking deliveries.  GPS tech offers you and your customers continuous visibility and control.[v]

Turn Around Bad Experiences – Sometimes a negative delivery experience is unavoidable, but one of the best ways to mitigate lasting damage is to transform a bad experience into a good one. Once again, it helps to view a negative delivery from the customer perspective. When you received a late or damaged delivery, was there something that turned it around for you?  

  • Apologize and Move Forward – Customers who receive notice of late delivery, followed by acknowledgement of the error, such as a sincere email of apology, are much more likely to return.
  • Provide Incentive to Return – Give unhappy customers a discount or sample to automatically improve their experience and motivate them to come back to your business.
  • Don’t Give Up – Reach out repeatedly to former customers with an update on how your business is aggressively improving its delivery experience, information on new products and services, and plenty of incentives to return, like coupons and discounts. 

If your business is interested in building a loyal customer base by providing the best delivery experience possible, (with the lowest Carrier costs to you), consider contacting a parcel and shipping consultant  specialist at LJM Group. You’ll be able to explore the technology and support required to improve your delivery transparency, speed, and overall experience. Contact LJM at 631-844-9500 or info@myljm.com.


[i] Yahoo Finance, March 16, 2022, Visibility and Control Are Consumers’ Priorities for Last Mile Deliveryhttps://www.yahoo.com/now/visibility-control-consumers-priorities-last-130000746.html

[ii] Shopify, Future of Shipping and Logistics – https://www.shopify.com/research/future-of-commerce/future-of-shipping-and-logistics#:~:text=According%20to%20our%20research%2C%20free,That%20much%20hasn’t%20changed.

[iii] 2022 MHI Annual Industry Report, Evolution and Revolution: Building the Supply Chains of Tomorrow – https://www.mhi.org/publications/report

[iv] Businesswire, March 2022, Visibility and Control Are Consumers’ Priorities for Last Mile Deliveryhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005044/en/Visibility-and-Control-Are-Consumers%E2%80%99-Priorities-for-Last-Mile-Delivery-With-96-Indicating-a-Desire-for-GPS-Delivery-Tracking

[v] Businesswire, March 2022, Visibility and Control Are Consumers’ Priorities for Last Mile Deliveryhttps://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220316005044/en/Visibility-and-Control-Are-Consumers%E2%80%99-Priorities-for-Last-Mile-Delivery-With-96-Indicating-a-Desire-for-GPS-Delivery-Tracking

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