As the eCommerce industry continuously grows, companies reinvent themselves by offering faster next-day and same-day delivery services. Courier companies are front and centre of the eCommerce domain as their services have become an integral part of the industry.
The main challenge of an eCommerce business leader is to be prepared to provide smooth and fast delivery to the customers. But as much as everyone wants to perfect their delivery process, delays happen. To handle them effectively, we first need to determine the common causes of late deliveries before finding ways to prevent them.
What Causes Late Deliveries of Shipments?
A business needs to document what causes these delays to prevent them. Sometimes, the reason for delayed delivery is partly due to a customer’s mistake. Blaming an eCommerce retailer for delivery delays is somewhat unfair. Below here are some typical causes of delivery delays:
- Documentation errors: Sometimes, the vendor fails to document orders properly, especially when handling multiple tasks simultaneously. These errors include misspelt addresses, incorrectly completed order forms, and incomplete data. This mistake may emanate from any of the customer or the retailer. When a delivery company is supplied with insufficient information, the chances are that the package will not reach the consumer at all.
- Loss of packages: Sometimes packages are lost on the way to delivery. Customers then cannot do anything about the same and do not even know where their packages are or whether they will ever reach them or not. During this scenario, real-time tracking is the best feature that allows customers to know where their packages are at all times. The courier partners can be free from blame and issues with delivery proofs like signature photos, delivery location, etc.
- System collapse: eCommerce companies often function daily. However, if your business depends on a bad hosting company, the probabilities are that your website may experience technical problems. You will not be able to reply to orders if you are experiencing frequent system failures. This will thereupon lead to delivery delays.
- Stormy weather: Nature is unpredictable. Poor weather such as heavy snow, hailstorms and foggy conditions can play a part in causing delivery delays. This is not in the hands of the delivery agent but should not be an excuse for late delivery.
- Shipping problems: Logistical problems can be an issue for small businesses. The incapability to handle the high demand for products and numerous orders may lead to late delivery. When an eCommerce business faces such a situation, it becomes binding to outsource its delivery services.
Impact of Late Delivery on Business
There are many causes of delivery delays apart from the ones mentioned above. Companies that do not take immediate action on these issues often experience a decline in their business sales and growth. Late deliveries can spoil the reputation of a business to a great extent. Hence, it is better to address these delay issues immediately.
Customers who face such late delivery issues are unlikely to order from the same company again. This issue also affects the trust of loyal customers.
It will likely take a long time for them to re-order. You can speculate how this could significantly impact your brand image and your revenue. This clarifies why few eCommerce businesses are so flourishing while some are fading.
Tips to Avoid Late Deliveries
1. Fix up a minimum and maximum delivery time
When there are multiple late delivery issues, you can set up a minimum and maximum time for delivery. When your customers place an order on your website, make sure to provide them with a realistic delivery date because they should not feel disappointed on getting the courier post the due date.
2. Inventory update
The inventory must be updated daily so that the concerned staff should be aware of the ordered products that are delivered or which are pending for delivery. It gets embarrassing and discouraging when a product that is ordered is unavailable.
3. Warehouse preparation
An eCommerce business should have a warehouse ready to ship products on an urgent basis. A warehouse facility becomes crucial because as your business evolves, the number of orders will increase.
4. Be holiday prepared
You would experience more orders and sales during holidays and festive seasons as an eCommerce business. While most organisations do not work during holidays, if you do, you should make arrangements so that all your orders are delivered on time, and at the same time, the customer support of your company should also be top-notch.
How can Pickrr Help in Managing Late Deliveries?
Pickrr provides state-of-the-art technology that provides visibility and avoids uncertainties due to failed delivery, traffic, vehicle breakdowns, lost packages, and many other reasons.
Even in case of such issues, Pickrr makes sure that your orders are delivered on time. Pickrr partners with multiple reliable courier companies that get the job done quickly and on time without any hassle.
The best way to avoid late deliveries is to start using Pickrr Plus Fulfillment solution. With Pickrr you can offer fast and early delivery from the nearest warehouse at the lowest cost to your customers.
So, sign up to the Pickrr dashboard and start shipping now! The Pickrr Plus Fulfillment is a go-to solution for managing your inventory efficiently.
