Peak season is looming large, so parcel tracking becomes a hot topic as e-commerce owners anticipate the question: “Where is my order?”. With a surge in customer interactions during the peak season, optimizing your approach to shipment tracking becomes vital for smooth customer experiences and having answers at the ready.
But alas, as a shop owner, you might feel that last-mile delivery is where you have the least control. That’s where parcel tracking comes in — to elevate your customer relationships, enhance satisfaction, reduce uncertainty, and foster your customer loyalty. Read on to discover how to make last-mile tracking a customer-first experience on the fast track to success.
Does parcel tracking improve customer interactions?
Yes. With customers eagerly awaiting their package delivery status, there’s an increase in the WISMO (Where is My Order) rate. To manage customer expectations, reduce frustration, and obtain the visibility needed to do so, optimizing your shipping process with efficient parcel tracking is crucial when you are left to deal with the same unanswered questions.
By providing excellent customer support during the peak season, you can build long-term relationships with customers and keep them coming back. Nurture this path to prosperity. With each move, there could be a chain reaction of delighted customers, enhanced reputation, and growing profits.
Elevate your customer relationship with parcel tracking software
With the right software, multi-carrier parcel tracking can enhance satisfaction, reduce uncertainty, and even improve the returns experience. Tracking and all it entails should not be taken for granted though. Not all companies offer the benefits associated with well-implemented tracking. Did this strike a chord? Then let’s explore the inner workings of how parcel tracking software plays a crucial role in elevating customer relationships, especially during high-demand periods. Above all, let’s keep it simple and stick to what’s important — the customer’s experience as far as the point that they actually receive the parcel.
Navigate expectations and transparency with last-mile tracking
Transparency and expectation management are crucial factors in a busy season where anything and everything can happen. Through parcel tracking, businesses can give customers an estimated delivery date, allowing them to plan their schedules accordingly. To shed some more light on the situation, you can also offer real-time package tracking updates through text or email notifications. This way, your customers are the first to know about any parcel delays, when their parcel will be arriving, or when their parcel is ready for pick-up at their local parcel shop.
By using standardized tracking communication, you avoid any confusion or misunderstandings. Clear language reinforces effective communication with customers and provides transparency throughout the delivery process. This also reduces the likelihood of disputes arising due to unclear or incomplete information. Informed customers are happy customers after all.
Have you heard of final mile carrier tracking? Selecting the right last-mile carrier based on performance monitoring data can help you do your part to ensure timely delivery, meeting customer expectations during these last steps. If you want well-informed customers, be clear about shipping policies and alternative options like expedited shipping from the start and have this information accessible for customers throughout the shipping process. Don’t forget to communicate deadlines and delivery times during holidays!
Use shipment tracking to manage customer delivery delay inquiries
During peak seasons, a higher chance of shipping delays may cause uncertainty and dissatisfaction among customers, particularly when time-sensitive holiday gifts are involved. However, by providing parcel tracking services, you can alleviate these concerns and reduce the WISMO rate. This is done by keeping customers aware of their package’s whereabouts through automatic notifications.
Having a proactive approach to communication can also mean giving customers more control to track their own orders via a tracking page. Even though it’s important to always provide customers with contact information to ask questions, this game-changing move for your business empowers customers to track their packages’ progress independently and reduces the need for customer inquiries. Instead of having to guess and contact your support team, customers can track every step of the way on their personalized tracking page.
To further streamline the process, it is recommended that you equip your customer support team with access to reliable tracking data. This allows them to respond more promptly to customer inquiries when they arise and effectively manage delivery delays to keep customers happy. By doing so, you can reduce the workload on your customer support team, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. For example, questions that require a personal touch.
Get first-time deliveries right with last-mile tracking notifications
Getting parcel delivery right the first time allows you to be savvy with your spend. Why? Because WISMO calls end up costing you a lot more than it should. Think of the time your support team dedicates to resolving the query. With last-mile delivery tracking as your not-so-secret weapon, you can ensure first-time delivery that doesn’t warrant such queries. Here’s how you do it:
With smart notifications, you keep your customers informed at every stage of the last-mile delivery process. And you can do so in exactly the way that is most convenient for them. This means you could be notifying them with emails and texts when their package is out for delivery or ready for pickup. When customers are always up-to-date with their order’s progress, location, and estimated delivery time, it saves you time and resources. The long and the short of it — sending a notification costs you less than the cost of redelivering or returns due to missed delivery attempts.
For you and your business, having access to real-time courier tracking updates helps you keep tabs on parcels too. With a sudden increase in lost parcels during the peak holiday season — and about 62% of consumers opting not to reorder if a parcel fails to arrive — you best know the whereabouts of their order to make sure it reaches its final destination.
Optimize tracking communication to improve the returns experience
Returns are a common occurrence in e-commerce, even more so when unwanted gifts are returned after the holiday peak season. Where peak season for shipping packages ends after Christmas, peak season for returns continues until January. How they are managed and communicated shows customers that you prioritize their experience both ways.
Incorporating optimized order tracking enables you to monitor returns effectively and improve your operational efficiency. By automating the process of e-commerce returns tracking, businesses can reduce manual efforts and streamline return updates to customers. This approach can also help identify patterns or trends in returns that may need to be addressed. For example, product quality issues or sizing inconsistencies.
All in all, using parcel tracking communication to manage returns is a valuable tool if you’re looking for a win-win situation — enhancing customers’ perception of your business while improving operational efficiency.
Branded tracking keeps customers engaged during order tracking
What if your tracking could not only satisfy your customer but stand out entirely with an open rate of 89%?
A tracking page in the style of your brand gives you full control over your customer’s post-purchase experience. It enables them to interact with your brand beyond the point of sale. At the same time, providing easily accessible and user-friendly tracking information sets you apart from competitors.
It not only improves customer engagement but also fosters loyalty towards your brand, leading to increased sales and revenue. Use tracking pages to seamlessly display your brand. Promote your social accounts, and share updates and promotions that keep the focus on your offer.
With the right shipping software tool, the tracking implementation options for your business are endless and range from:
- Effortless implementation: If you want someone else to do the heavy lifting, opt to build branded tracking pages in a flash and customize it to your brand’s look.
- A custom approach: An API shipping tracking integration for the tech-savvy allows you to receive current and past status updates on all orders, requiring only a tracking number.
- A user-friendly addition: Enable customers to track their package directly on your website by simply using the provided snippet of code for an embedded tracking widget.
If available, tracking customer engagement through Google Analytics provides valuable insights into customer behaviour. The data obtained on your tracking page can be linked to your Google Analytics to help you identify trends and patterns in customer engagement with your brand. You can then further personalize the post-purchase experience according to these patterns.
The customer journey is not over upon parcel delivery. Close the feedback loop by asking customers to leave a review. This not only gives you valuable insights into any hidden issues in your shipping process, but it also greatly enhances your online reputation by having a rock-solid track record.
Tracking for peak season customer experience control
Optimizing your approach to customer interactions during peak seasons is crucial for maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. Whereas, parcel tracking is key in ensuring a smooth delivery experience, which elevates your customer relationships.
By providing transparency and managing expectations, you can reduce inquiries about delivery delays. Additionally, utilizing automatic tracking notifications can help ensure successful deliveries and streamline the returns process. Finally, branded tracking fosters customer loyalty through post-purchase engagement, setting your business apart from the competition.
Prioritize effective communication through customer-centric strategies like branded parcel tracking. Secure a firm grip on customer satisfaction and even strengthen your brand’s loyalty during peak seasons. If you are ready to leave nothing to chance when it comes to dealing with your prized customers — contact us to find out more about the power of parcel tracking.
