Lateshipment.com Blog

6 Post-Purchase Pain Points & Solutions for E-commerce Customers

Sashank Ravindranath — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 07:09:23 +0000

If you’re an e-commerce merchant who wants their business to become successful, you need to become the customers’ favorite (offer them a great experience, stay ahead of the competition, improve profit margins, and whatnot).

However, a customer’s journey with your e-commerce business is filled with multiple issues regarding the website, payment, checkout, and much more…

But our focus is not on these issues. Of course, not dismissing them as trivial but when you think about it the hurdles or pain points on your customers’ pre and purchase phase of the journey account for minimal damage and are easily rectifiable since most of it is under your control. Post-purchase issues, on the other hand, are an even tougher challenge.

Pain Points in Other Phases Vs Post-Purchase Pain Points

Here’s a comparison of pain points in the post-purchase phase to other phases of e-commerce to begin with.

Pre-purchase or the familiarity stage: Product discovery, website usability, and concerns around trusting your website.
Purchase or the decisive stage: Payment errors, sudden costs, product being out of stock, or a lengthy checkout process.

Such issues can deter customers from completing their purchases and lead to abandoned carts.

But think about it, worst case scenario: what do you think happens when a customer abandons their cart?

There is a lost opportunity to convert a potential sale
There is a lower return on investment (ROI) for marketing efforts

The priority of resolving post-purchase pain points

Now let’s do a little time jump. Assuming the issues get resolved and you convert the sale, the customer makes the ‘purchase’ and awaits the product — what do you think happens when they face an issue at this ‘post-purchase’ phase of their customer journey?

Here’s a chronology of the events that might follow:

They stop shopping with the brand, leading to a drop in loyalty and revenue and a rise in acquisition costs, shipping costs (returns/ cancellations), product costs (loss and damages), etc.
Their frustration doesn’t end there as they vent their frustrations on social media, thereby demotivating their friends and family (your potential customers) from shopping with you, leading to a poor brand reputation.

You can compare things for yourself — the worst-case scenario for a pain point in the pre and purchase phases comes at the earliest stage in the post-purchase phase, putting the stakes much higher.

It’s not just all doom and gloom. Let’s take a look at some positives as well. Assuming there are no post-purchase pain points or they’ve been resolved timely, the verdict is a great post-purchase experience, and here’s what it can bring to your business.

6 Pain Points For E-Commerce Customers In The Post-Purchase Phase And How You Can Fix Them

1. Lack of order updates

The first and foremost point of frustration for your customers is when they’ve placed their order but become uncertain about its status as time goes by. This can be problematic for your business, as customers often feel anxious when they can’t track their orders, leading to increased support inquiries and a decrease in trust and satisfaction.

Solution: Keep customers informed about their order status at all times. However, manually notifying all customers throughout the delivery lifecycle can be difficult. To make things easy, you can make use of a real-time tracking solution that monitors all your shipments and also enables you to send shipping updates via email or SMS.

2. Shipping issues (Delays, loss, and damage)

A shipper and a customer’s worst nightmare — a package facing an issue while en route from the former to the latter. Unfortunately, for both, delivery issues are inevitable and common occurrences in shipping as even with today’s technology, 1-in-5 parcels shipped face delivery issues on average. To make things worse, delivery issues cause high customer frustration, negative shopping experiences, bad reviews, and ultimately decreased loyalty.

Solution: Proactively communicate shipping issues such as delays and offer solutions like expedited shipping or refunds. This helps you demonstrate commitment towards customer satisfaction and thereby retains customer trust.

3. Difficulty contacting customer support

Delivery issues might have scared you a little but what if I told you there are actually not the worst of the worst? TBH, customers are indeed somewhat forgiving and are willing to offer you a chance to fix their bad experience. However, imagine them having difficulty reaching out to customer support or not receiving timely assistance. This can infuriate them even further to the extent that you never hear back from them.

Solution: Offer multiple support channels like chatbots that are active 24/7 and offer minimum support to customers such as catering to WISMO calls and other common post-purchase inquiries. You can make things convenient by clearly displaying options for them to reach your support team on your website and tracking assets. However, the best part lies in making use of a post-purchase solution that sends alerts for critical delivery failures and proactively notifies customers from within your help desk.

4. Damaged shipments

7% to 11% of customers’ online orders arrive broken or damaged, making us emphasize the focus of businesses tending to them more than preemptively notifying customers. Additionally, sending out replacements for each damage can cost you valuable dollars. With real-time tracking effectively helping you fight late deliveries and lost packages, what is that you can do to reduce damage?

Solution: Ensure products are securely packaged to prevent damage during transit. You can use appropriate and effective packaging materials and padding to protect fragile items. Additionally, you can consider using branded packaging as an opportunity to enhance the unboxing experience and reinforce your brand identity.

5. Lack of personalization

The missing piece in the puzzle of great post-purchase experiences is exceeding your customers’ high expectations, being tailor-made experiences that cater to them and treat them as more valuable customers than just someone without an identity. Remember, failure to meet these expectations can result in reduced engagement and loyalty.

Solution: Implement personalized communication strategies while engaging with them, i.e., send them a ‘thank you’ note, product usage information, etc. You can also drive repeat purchases through personalized product recommendations and targeted promotions, based on customer preferences and behavior.

6. Complicated returns process

Even merchants who decide “Okay, I’ve got to do something about improving my delivery experiences” unwillingly ignore extending their efforts in the returns phases. This happens primarily due to misconceptions of them seeing returns as a burden and cost center. However, the truth is far from it.

Solution: Streamline your returns process to change the perception of your brand, create a positive reputation, and gain higher retention rates. For instance, simplify return procedures with prepaid return labels, clear instructions, and multiple return options to make it easy for customers to initiate returns.

What's next?

Pain points and frustrations are a small but valuable part of your customers’ post-purchase experiences. On one hand, merchants have realized that they are inevitable and want to ensure customer satisfaction despite bad delivery experiences. On the other hand, some merchants like to turn the tide and are looking for ways to keep customers happy throughout the order journey.

For every kind of merchant, who’d like to optimize their post-purchase efforts, we have more exciting content coming up to answer all of your questions. Stay tuned and keep implementing these strategies for your business to improve loyalty and reduce costs.

The post 6 Post-Purchase Pain Points & Solutions for E-commerce Customers appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

LoveNspire: A Journey of Pandemic Generosity to Global Success – Nidhi’s Story

Raksna Anand — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 15:13:08 +0000

Nidhi is the face of LoveNspire. LoveNspire is a thriving D2C store specializing in culturally rich, ethnic products that include over 2500 products. They sell handcrafted gift items, jewelry, home and festive decor. Born during the pandemic, they’ve grown from a one person operation to a global store, catering to customers all over US, Europe and Canada.

That’s a huge leap in four years. And not only that, the brand has over 3000+ 5-star reviews. We eagerly listened as Nidhi Spilled the Tea on How LoveNspire racked up these awesome reviews.

Would you like to throw some light on what happened in those early days and how the brand started out?

It all started during the pandemic, which was 2020. There was a scarcity of masks in the United States, during COVID. Hospitals and first responders were urging people around to make masks and help people out. I had a sewing machine at home. I have never sewn masks, but I thought that I could try it out. I watched some tutorials and I started making masks. I gave them out for free. Some people refused to take them for free and they wanted to pay me. Slowly through word of mouth and social media, many of my friends and neighbors started approaching me, asking for masks and within two, three months, I made more than 50 designs of masks, helped more than 500 people, made more than 2000 masks. It never stopped there. I think LoveNspire started out like that.

After that, some of my customers approached me and wanted me to make Rakhis (Rakhi is a bracelet gifted to siblings – an Indian tradition). Logistics was a problem from India to the United States. People wanted Rakhi to celebrate the Raksha Bandhan festival. (it is a celebration of sister and brother bond).

Many Indians from India started asking me if they can send a rakhi to their siblings in the US. That’s when we again started making DIY rakhis. Within like a span of one month, we helped out more than 1000 customers and made more than 25 designs of Rakhis. We got a very good response and it was rewarding. That’s when we realized that there’s a gap which we can try to fill in. There was this next festival which was Diwali (Diwali is the Indian festival of lights). I made DIY stuff at home.

Slowly, we started collaborating with some of the women artisans back in India. At that time, logistics started opening up, internationally. That was a good time to pitch in and start collaborating. For Diwali, we got a huge response, we launched more than 50 products. We got amazing five star reviews. And from there, we never looked back. Today, we have more than 2500 products, and we have more than 2500 positive reviews from our customers.

Wow, that’s truly inspirational. There are four and a half million Indians in the United States and there are many ethnic brands out there. How do you really make your brand stand out and appeal to this crowd?

There are many things to add on, but I will just highlight four important things.

First and foremost, is that we have a very wide portfolio of our products. We have all kinds of products for Indian festivals. They are handmade Indian ethnic products made by Indian artisans. Not only that, but we are very accommodating for everybody. Pricing is very good. We can cater to all kinds of customers internationally.

Second is, Quality of our products. We take quality very seriously. We make sure that we provide the best quality.

Thirdly, Customer service is very important for us. We are available to our customers by email, chat or by call. If there is anything, any queries or questions, we answer them immediately.

Last but not the least, is shipping. We ship out items from our warehouse in Michigan within, one business day, we try to ship our products out ASAP.

These are the four most important things for us.

That’s indeed true. Businesses cannot compromise on the above stated factors. You have more than 3000+ positive reviews. How did you achieve that?

We are reachable to customers by email or by text or by call or Zoom calls. This is how we are trying to make ourselves available and put them at ease. Even in our listings, our products have good product descriptions and images. This helps the customers make the buying decision. We provide them with a lot of information before they buy. We try to make ourselves available through any and every means to the customer before and after they make the purchase.

Products are categorized under festivals and the events, which makes it easy for customers to navigate through our online store. The whole experience for them is really easy and convenient. Everything is done keeping customers in mind and their convenience.

Customer feedback is taken seriously. If we get to know that there’s anything we can do to make our customer experience better, we do it right away. If there’s any problem, we make sure that at the end of the day, it’s resolved and the customer is happy. It’s all about retaining your customer and becoming a family. We don’t want to work with a customer for one time, We want to give them an experience. We want them to become lifelong customers. That’s what we believe in, strongly.

That’s very impressive. In terms of shipping, do you face any challenges?

The biggest challenge in shipping would be the timing. We try to resolve this by providing multiple shipping options.

We have standard shipping. Above $35, we have free shipping. Depending on the geographic location; it reaches them within one business day to five business days.

The second is premium shipping, where the products reach customers in two to three business days.

If people have emergencies and they need the product ASAP, we have Next day shipping too.

It depends upon the customer’s requirement, they can choose the shipping options.

We’re sure that this helps you build trust and credibility for many first time shoppers as well as repeat customers that you get. We know that you put a lot of focus on your post-purchase customer experience. Why so?

Everybody wants to keep themselves updated on what’s going on with their shipments. Because the timeline is everything. Timely delivery is very important for the customer. Once the customer is placing an order, we make sure they immediately get a notification, by email or by chat, that they’re order has been received and that it will be shipped within the next few hours or one business day.

That’s the first thing we do and after that, we’ve been working with LateShipment.com for quite some time and they have really helped us out to keep our customers updated. Once we ship out the order to the customer, LateShipment.com comes into the picture where they keep the customer updated about the whole journey of their package, and this just keeps the customer at ease. They are informed on where the package is and if there are any discrepancies, the customer gets to know, if there are any timeline issues, even as a business owner, we get to know and this is such an amazing thing.

Sometimes, we have to take action immediately, call the customer or immediately get in touch with them and tell them this is what is going on. We ask how we can make it better and then come up with a solution and make things right. Thank you LateShipment.com for that. It’s really amazing. This enables us to proactively communicate as a business, where we are reaching out to our customers, informing them that this is what is happening before they come out to us. Customer Experience is everything to us, this has tremendously helped us out as a business.

Thank you, These are words that really fuel us and keep us going. As a woman leader, we’re all truly inspired from what you’ve created at LoveNspire. What advice would you give all the women entrepreneurs out there who are probably just starting out?

As a woman entrepreneur, you have to wear different hats; as an entrepreneur, as a mother, as a wife, as a daughter. It’s really challenging, and I must say that work-life balance is very important. One needs to have a strong support mechanism in your family, where, if you need something, somebody is there to help you out, and time management is very important. You need to have priorities, what are you going to do in a day, because you cannot do everything, you need to have great time management, and you need to prioritize what you have to do. If my glass is full, I can help out others. I think that all of us need to do that as business entrepreneurs.

Second is that when we started this business, we never knew how this journey was going to be. One needs to be very consistent in one’s efforts, and one needs to have a lot of persistence because failures are a part of business.

Trust me, you are falling every other moment. If you think that you’re gonna be good after one year, two years, NO, every moment, you’re having failures, but you have to get up because that’s where you learn, and you can learn from your mistakes, and you get up and you get better and better every day,

You need to have the right partners and collaborate with the right vendors because you’re not gonna do it alone. You need to have people around you, your success depends upon how good they are. You need to be very creative and innovative in your business, you need to bring in new technologies and test new products, you need to understand what customers are looking for and it keeps on changing too. Your business needs to keep changing to the customer’s tastes and customers’ expectations and keep bringing something new and creative.

Be hungry for more and more, and keep working towards it. Never get settled for less, just be hungry.

That’s very inspiring. The main takeaway is to stay humble and stay grounded. Thank you, Nidhi.

The post LoveNspire: A Journey of Pandemic Generosity to Global Success – Nidhi’s Story appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

How to Overcome E-commerce Shipping & Delivery Challenges

Sashank Ravindranath — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 07:59:21 +0000

The shipping and delivery phase of an e-commerce order is filled with opportunities or ‘touchpoints’ that you can capitalize on to convert one-time shoppers into repeat customers and spread positive word of mouth to influence their close ones, all while hoping that you don’t encounter any challenge that can infuriate your customers and get your costs ridiculously high.

Some of these challenges might be common and inevitable but doesn’t mean you have to step back and watch. Here’s taking a deeper look at them for better understanding and how you can overcome them.

Frequent Shipping and Delivery Challenges and How You Can Overcome Them

High Shipping Costs

Skyrocketing shipping costs are the most frequent challenge for both e-commerce merchants and customers. A not-so-fun fact is that shipping is arguably one of the biggest cost-centers for any e-commerce business.

The problem with shipping costs lies in major shipping carriers transferring the ownership of these costs to the shippers (e-commerce businesses, 3PLs, etc), and these costs are ultimately paid by the end customers, who are prone to be repulsed by high costs and would prefer the brand that offers the least shipping costs than one that offers faster deliveries.

Solution

Every carrier has their own set of pros and cons. Compare their prices across different locations, etc, and pick a carrier who fits your business’s needs
Offer ‘free shipping’ as a marketing strategy (based on distance, cart value, no.of items, etc). Don’t worry for bearing the shipping cost, you can balance the scales by spurring shoppers to spend more with your brand

Use proper packaging techniques to reduce DIM weight costs
Invest in flat rate shipping to optimize costs if your business frequently ships packages to select locations
Analyze where your shoppers are frequent and set up a warehouse/delivery hub in that zone to reduce shipping distances as well as improve delivery speed
Encourage options such as BOPIS (Buy Online Pickup In Store) for shoppers at close distances to prevent shipping in the first place

Shipping costs are not just the primary challenge in the post-purchase front for their frequency in occurrence but almost all other challenges that we’re set to discuss below have a definite impact on shipping costs directly or indirectly. So, not just these solutions but there are multiple ways to cut down shipping and delivery costs and ensure post-purchase profitability.

Late Delivery Incidents

On average, more than 10% of all shipments get delayed, with this number increasing multifold during peak shipping season times like the holidays.

Unfortunately, with high customer expectations and CX playing the role of a competitive differentiator, you cannot afford delays that are common, inevitable, and have the potential to cause bad delivery experiences.

Prevention is better than cure might be cliched but it holds true to this context. Delays may be unavoidable, but their impact on your business can definitely be prevented. Here’s how.

Solution

Proactively reach out to customers whenever their package is about to be delivered late via customized and empathetic messages. Remember, it is YOU, who should reach out to customers with an ‘order delayed’ notification and not the other way around.
If the delay looks like it can be fixed, this is your chance to course correct and ensure that the delivery is made on time or when the customer requests. If not, you can check with the customer on how they would like the issue to be resolved (refund, replacement, coupon on their next purchase, etc).

When it comes to reducing your late delivery spend, shipping carriers have a money-back guarantee policy, where shippers can claim refunds when packages are delivered late because of carrier error. However, the process of filing these claims manually is tiresome and time-consuming. To make things easier, you can use a parcel audit solution that automatically audits your invoices and files refund claims on your behalf. P.S. Just ensure that you haven’t signed a money-back guarantee waiver with the carrier.

By following these actions, even if the issue goes unresolved, your customers will still appreciate your efforts to provide them with a great experience and be satisfied enough to shop with you for the next time.

Lost and Damaged Packages

Following delays, comes another inevitable duo that takes up the top spots for the most common delivery issues — lost and damaged packages.

11-15% of all packages get lost or damaged in the U.S. in a year. Of course, this includes packages that get stolen or the ones that get damaged after being left unattended on the porch. But, there is no doubt like delays, packages are bound to get mishandled or misrouted by carrier representatives, leading the orders to get marked as ‘damaged’ or ‘lost’ in transit.

While lost and damaged packages are hurtful on their own, they can incur more damage when these packages have higher emotional value (gifts). Customers who are faced with lost and damaged packages don’t hesitate to share their grievances on social media/ word of mouth and tarnish your brand’s reputation, thereby preventing others from shopping with you.

Solution

Common action for all delivery incidents – proactively step in and notify the customer about their package getting lost or damaged, and get their requirements on the next course of action.
Apart from delays, refunds can be claimed for 50+ carrier errors like lost and damaged packages
Not just the shipping costs, but by insuring your packages (via a shipping carrier or a third-party), you can recover the entire product cost in case of lost and damaged packages

Dealing with porch pirates or miscreants who damage packages is a whole different challenge that requires you to come up with specific measures to keep such issues at bay.

Returns Management Issues

As much as e-commerce merchants don’t like to hear it, the harsh truth is that returns are inevitable. All customers at some point want to return their product and at times, the reason would have nothing to do with you.

More than half of e-commerce returns that merchants face are size and fit-related. However, not the number of returns but the way businesses manage them poses a challenge. For instance, customers returning their product are already in a not-so-positive mood, having to return something that they’ve waited long enough to collect.

So, why make the experience even more frustrating for them? Instead, by making the returns process easy and convenient, you can ensure positive experiences, reduce costs and prevent other ways in which returns are a logistical burden.

Solution

A returns policy that is clear and easy to understand with longer return windows and lenient return conditions (but not too much to encourage fraudulent returns)
A returns portal for the customers to easily initiate returns
Return status notifications and tracking at all times to keep them engaged as well as reduce the burden for your support team
A returns management solution that allows you to set return rules and resolve returns faster
Track returns consistently to gain intel into your returns process – why are customers returning their purchases, what items are they frequently returning, how do I cut down unwanted returns/ reduce return-related costs, etc.

Remember, returns only become complicated when they are not controlled as most businesses leave out returns in conversations about shipping and delivery. However, returns are a necessary evil that helps you improve post-purchase CX. So, start optimizing your returns experiences and see the benefits come in for yourself.

Pre-Parcel Jitters

Even when things are going all great and there’s absolutely no issue with your packages during transit, there is still one challenge that you’re set to face in the modern e-commerce era — customers being left in the dark regarding their orders.

On average, 1-in-5 parcels shipped face delivery issues. So, it is understandable that your customers are worried about their parcels facing the same fate, not to forget the high anticipation that comes naturally with each order.

If your customers are unable to determine their parcel status or track their orders, they are prone to bombarding your support reps with WISMO inquiries that can consume all of their time.

WISMO inquiries also take up 50% of customer inquiries.

Send proactive shipping notifications as the order successfully crosses each delivery cycle (shipped, in transit, out for delivery, etc). Make sure these notifications are sent across channels, wherever your customers are active (SMS, Email, WhatsApp)
Enable your customers to track their own orders via a widget that is embedded in your emails and website or sent as a link via SMS and chat
Instead of taking your customers to the carrier’s tracking page that is dull and boring, you can create your own branded tracking page, filled with branded elements and marketing assets to encourage cross-selling and increase revenue in the post-purchase phase

Keeping your customers in the loop of their orders can help you cut down WISMO (Where Is My Order) inquiries by up to 72% and allow your support reps to focus on other important tasks at hand.

Other Frequent Challenges

While we’ve mainly kept our focus on shipping and delivery issues that happen out of your control, how they can pose a challenge to you, and most importantly what you can do to prevent them; there are quite a few challenges that happen within your control and may escape your concern as they are less frequent or trivial. But let’s not take risks — here are some more challenges that your business might face in the post-purchase phase.

The problem of international shipping – Getting your products across borders involves overcoming a whole bunch of challenges such as exchange rates, customs, duties, etc. In such cases, you can familiarize yourself with the documentation, make use of an international carrier, etc to supercharge your cross-border shipping game!
Supply chain disruptions – Remember the recent crisis that happened as a result of increased demand from the COVID-induced lockdown and other restrictions? Similar to such instances, there can be cases of pandemics, political unrest, and natural disasters that can prevent smooth shipping. While these disruptions cannot be controlled, you can inform your customers about the ongoing crisis and how it can lead to their parcels arriving late.
Outsource to a third-party logistics provider (3PL) – If you find shipping expensive and hard, you can hire a 3PL to take care of your last-mile logistics needs. 3PLs can help you with warehouse space, equipment, and personnel. This can help you improve efficiency and scalability and can be especially helpful for small businesses.

Final Word

Time and again, the emphasis on shipping and delivery in an e-commerce environment is stressed enough for two main reasons.

One, ‘the post-purchase’ or the phase of the order after it is shipped out, opens the door for the first set of events that happen outside of anyone’s (particularly the business’) control.

Second, most businesses assume their job is to be done once the order has been handed over to the shipping carrier and move on to the next customer while waiting for this shopper to make their next purchase. What they don’t realize is that a positive post-purchase experience directly leads to an increase in repeat purchases and revenue. On the other hand, it costs 5x more to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one. Thus, the math clearly states that your efforts in the shipping, delivery, and returns phases of the order guarantees your success in the long run.

And this success does not attribute just to positive experiences and customer spending, but also to the reduced operational costs for your business via cutting down unwanted shipping and return shipping related costs.

Thus, no matter how many challenges shipping and delivery might throw at you — handle it in the best way possible to go a step ahead of your competitors.

The post How to Overcome E-commerce Shipping & Delivery Challenges appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

10+ E-Commerce Memes On Post-Purchase Experiences

Sashank Ravindranath — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 04:56:22 +0000

Not just post-purchase or even e-commerce, but most blogs that you sit down to read, either in your leisure time or on the go — tell you two things. You can either do this or do not do this. How about something different for a bit? How about sitting and just looking at memes that perfectly describe the rollercoaster of emotions that you usually go through at your work?

Well, most work memes describe conditions at the workplace or a specific situation, like a customer coming in with a weird request. How about another change? Let’s talk about memes that capture what your customers (and maybe even you!) experience in the post-purchase — shipping, delivery, and returns phases as well as decode the process they represent.

Think of this article as putting down everything you’re doing to scroll through your social account and laugh at a video of the two cats talking to each other. For people working in the hectic area of e-commerce, especially in the post-purchase phase, we’d like to call this article the digital embodiment of TGIF.

Let’s start with the most relatable memes and progress to the most thought-provoking ones.

ICYMI, here’s the first part of this article — e-commerce memes that exclusively cover just the order delivery phase.

1. Estimated Delivery Date

Meeting customers’ high expectations regarding order deliveries might not be so easy but remember, there are a lot of brands out there that would easily replace you as their choice unless you’re making efforts to give them what they want.

To keep up with the rising competition, you need to constantly create an opportunity for the customer to trust your brand.

A great way to start your efforts is to set them with the right delivery expectations and show that a great post-purchase experience awaits them. You can do this by showing the estimated order arrival date on multiple areas of your website such as product, cart, and checkout pages.

Knowing the delivery timeline, keeps their expectations in check and helps you improve conversions and reduce cart abandonment. Just make sure to not break their trust.

2. Lack of Updates

A situation where all of us as customers would have definitely been at least once. That really speaks volumes about the relatability of this issue, we might say.

We place an order, it gets confirmed, we get ecstatic… Then what? We’d have to wait 2-3 business days until the package to be mysteriously delivered. This happens in most cases and should be highly avoided if you’re the merchant.

Because, here’s what happens — On average, 1 in 5 parcels shipped face delivery issues, such as delays and getting lost, and customers are aware of this — making them constantly worry that their package would be one of them. This puts them in a perpetual state of anxiety, causing them to bombard your support reps with WISMO inquiries, thereby consuming all of your support team’s time and leading to increased costs.

3. Issue Resolution

The post-purchase phase is notorious for issues that have the potential to hurt customer satisfaction if left unattended and when one such incident happens, all your efforts to provide the customer with a great shopping experience won’t matter if a subpar post-purchase experience is all your customers are going to remember about your brand.

You don’t have to do anything new or special. Just include proactive shipping notifications for events such as delays, lost in transit, failed delivery attempts, etc, and assure the customer that efforts are being made to rectify the issue at hand. This prevents customer frustration and thereby complaints and bad reviews.

With customers satisfied, you can follow up by sending a replacement or issuing coupons for upcoming purchases, whatever they prefer to exceed the expectations of your brand.

4. Complex Return Policies and Procedures

Everything went well with the delivery process and the customer is excited to open their package. But it was not what they expected — the order was of the wrong size or color, then there’s no choice for the customer but to return their purchase, the one that they’ve waited for all this time.

Contrary to the myths, returns are not a bad thing. In fact, they open doors for new CX opportunities in the post-purchase phase. But that doesn’t mean customers are excited to do returns each time, so make sure the experience isn’t even stressful for them.

Simplify returns for them with your policies and procedures:

Make your return policy easily accessible on your website
Clearly outline the return window, eligible items, refund options (full, partial, store credit), and any restocking fees
Make initiating returns easy via a self-serve returns portal
Allow returns to multiple locations (stores, drop-off points) or offer pick-up services
Provide customers with real-time tracking information for their return shipment
Just like delivery status notifications, send timely email updates on the status of the return and refund.

5. Customer Service Nightmares

Let’s assume a brand missed out on doing each of the aforementioned steps or even just one of them.

What do you think happens next?

All of your support reps’ time is wasted tending to customer queries and complaints, preventing other important stuff like product-related inquiries from getting addressed. This leads to additional costs in the form of unwanted support tickets.

Also, too many support inquiries to handle, results in slower response and first resolution times, and ultimately putting your customer in a state of outrage.

By making use of a real-time tracking solution like LateShipment.com’s Delivery Experience Management, you can provide support agents with order status info inside your helpdesk to enable fast resolution of delivery issues. Overtime, this enables a better control to measure and improve support operations and post-purchase CX with accuracy & speed.

6. High Shipping Costs

One of the major reasons behind cart abandonment is customers facing the shock of high shipping costs as they’re about to checkout (48%). When this becomes repetitive, you have no option but to absorb these costs, giving up a percent of your profit in return for conversions.

There’s a better way to do this with not one, but multiple solutions — explore regional fulfillment centers to shorten distances, offer BOPIS options, negotiate better rates with carriers, and offer transparent shipping options with clear cost breakdowns.

Additionally, you can consider offering free shipping and return shipping as a marketing tool to attract customers and boost conversion rates.

7. Benefits of Insuring Packages

Adding to increased shipping costs cometh the costs associated with order delivery issues such as lost and damaged incidents that are more frequent in occurrence than you think.

This is where shipping insurance comes in. If you’re an e-commerce merchant who regularly has to ship out parcels with expensive content, try getting them insured.

Shipping insurance gives you financial security against potential loss or damage and allows you to ship out parcels without worrying about significant losses due to said delivery issues. The best part, despite its numerous benefits, insurance is easier to get than most people think.

Especially with third-party, merchant-led insurance options like LateShipment.com — you can bring in comprehensive coverage options, automate insurance based on custom rules, and effortlessly manage claims.

8. Refunds for Carrier Errors

Apart from loss and damage, there exist over 50 carrier errors including delivery issues such as late deliveries and billing errors such as unwanted surcharges that go into your shipping invoices.

The issue? These costs (although smaller in isolation), are common and severe in the long run, adding an extra 20% or so on your shipping bills.

But as with all other problems mentioned above, we also have a solution for it. Start auditing your parcels and claim refunds for 50+ service failures and save on shipping costs.

However, it may not be easy as manually auditing all your shipping invoices is an exhaustive task. Thus, get your hands on automation to submit refund claims and recover every dollar that is rightfully yours.

9. Optimizing Shipping Processes

Regularly auditing your invoices and claiming refunds also shows you which areas of your shipping and delivery need improvement.

For example, what delivery issues or billing errors are a more common sighting, which carrier performs with the most inefficiencies, how much are you spending on shipping, etc.

All these insights can help you negotiate better carrier rates, make better shipping choices, and ultimately curate your most profitable shipping strategy.

10. Savings on Returns

Another great way to start saving on shipping costs is to reduce as many returns as you can.

One approach is to mention all return details correctly in your shipping policy, ensure products are of the highest quality, etc, and cut down on unwanted returns. Another approach is to make sure that not all returns are refunded but instead opportunities for repeat shopping.

For example, you can encourage customers to exchange and store credits over refunds to secure the sale and make customers shop with you again.

11. Post-Purchase Branding

You might think savings are the best thing to come out of your post-purchase.

But what if I told you there’s something better? And that is post-purchase being a revenue channel of its own when put to maximum use.

The first step towards that course is to replace traditional order tracking in carrier pages with custom-built branded tracking experiences.

For instance, populate the tracking pages built on your domain and shipping notifications with your branded elements such as color, font, etc, to keep customers in a brand-immersive experience and ensure your brand remains on the top of the customers’ minds.

12. Post-Purchase As A Marketing Channel

Customers track their order 6 to 8 times before delivery, that’s 6 to 8 lost opportunities to generate more sales during order tracking.

Once you’ve made sure your customers have had a positive experience and your brand recall game is done right, the next step is to transform tracking moments into recurring revenue opportunities with effective cross-sell techniques.

A great way to do that is to include personalized product recommendations, discounts, and other sales promotions on your tracking page and shipping notifications to double your chances at driving sales.

Final Word

So, there you have it – a glimpse into hilarious (and relatable) post-purchase memes. While laughter is certainly the best medicine, remember, these memes aren’t just for amusement. They hold valuable insights into your customers’ minds and experiences.

So embrace the meme, embrace the feedback, and keep creating an e-commerce experience that’s anything but meme-worthy (in a bad way, that is)!

The post 10+ E-Commerce Memes On Post-Purchase Experiences appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

Post-Purchase Experience And Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Relationship Goals

Sashank Ravindranath — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 08:26:56 +0000

The success of an e-commerce business depends on a lot of factors — venturing into new markets, net profits made during a quarter, rapport shared with customers and the general public, offering quality products and services, etc. As a merchant, you initiate and perform a list of activities that contribute to said success — be it by improving the shopping experience, coming up with offers, or leveraging tools.

Success may be a very broad topic but there are narrow, definite ways to measure the outcome of success for particular aspects of your business. One such measure is Customer Lifetime Value, which provides insights into aspects like customer satisfaction, repeat shopping, and revenue generation.

Understanding Customer Lifetime Value

Just like the name says, Customer Lifetime Value is the total amount of money that a customer spends in the time they were doing business with you. In other words, a.k.a. industry terminology, Customer Lifetime Value is a metric that represents the total revenue a customer generates for their business throughout their relationship with your company. Both CLV and CLTV are common acronyms for Customer Lifetime Value and are interchangeably used.

Talking about CLV, it’s a calculation used to assess the long-term financial value of a customer. Take this scenario, you possess a Netflix subscription that you renew for $22.99 every month. Now, if you’ve been a subscriber for more than 9 months, your lifetime value would be $206.91.

The idea behind using Netflix as an example is that CLV is easy to calculate for a subscription-based business. But when it comes to an e-commerce business where product values and consumer spending differ, there is no actual guarantee on the specific amount or time of the customer’s next spending.

However, with a little ‘extra’ effort, you can ensure an assured increase in CLV. But before we get into the efforts, let’s look at how CLV actually spells ‘success’ for your business.

How CLV measures the success of your business

CLV is not just a metric that talks about revenue but also gives you insights on various metrics that spell long-term success for your business.

Profitability: By subtracting Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) from CLV, a business can determine the profitability of acquiring and retaining customers (a metric known as adjusted CLV or CLV to CAC ratio).
Retention rates: A non-subscription model and higher CLV often translate to better customer retention rates, i.e., an indication that they are satisfied with the products or services.
Long-Term Strategy: CLV encourages businesses to focus on long-term success, thereby promoting strategies that prioritize customer satisfaction, loyalty, and even brand advocacy.

It is clear that CLV is a powerful metric that measures the success of a business by assessing its revenue generation, profitability, customer retention, etc. So, what do e-commerce businesses generally do to improve their business’ CLV?

The impact of post-purchase experiences on CLV and other metrics of growth

ICYMI, the post-purchase experience comprises of all customer interactions that take place once the order has been shipped until it reaches the customer’s destination or in some cases is making its way back to the warehouse. It makes up 50% of the overall order experience, meaning that when done right, it is a goldmine of opportunity to increase retention and so much more.

However, most businesses (like you, probably) neglect the customer experience after checkout. This may not be a good move, considering the post-purchase, when unattended is a time that is marred by frequent issues such as delays and customer rants on support channels that have the power to jeopardize the CLV.

Customers don’t care much about the workings of the parcel behind the screen. What matters is that customers have a low tolerance for delivery issues and will shift to a competitor after one poor experience. This brings us to the first metric, retention rates.

Customer Retention Rate (CRR) – A measure to identify if your customers are indeed happy and are still shopping with you at the end of a period compared to at the start of it. Remember, increasing your customer retention rate even by 5% could lead to increased profits of between 25% and 95%.
Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) – In simple terms, Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is the cost of convincing a potential customer to purchase your product/service. This includes the cost of marketing and sales. When businesses have low retention rates (thanks to poor CX), their immediate choice is to look after new customers. What they don’t realize is that it is 5x to acquire a new customer than retain an existing customer.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) – Low retention rates and high acquisition rates are a direct sign of low CLV because naturally, the longer a customer chooses to buy from a business, the greater their lifetime value. High CLV rates are a must for businesses as loyal customers are worth 10 times as much as the value of their first purchase.

The message is loud and clear. For a higher CLV, you have to create a great post-purchase experience and that brings us to the focus of this article and the question in your head — what should I be doing to my post-purchase if I need to increase my CLV?

We’ve heard you and drafted a list of post-purchase techniques that you need to follow if your focus is CLV.

Post-Purchase Strategies to Boost CLV

1. Data-driven personalization

Data-driven personalization in Customer Experience (CX) refers to leveraging data analytics and technology to create highly customized and relevant experiences for each customer such as tailoring interactions, product recommendations, and other content based on their past behaviors, preferences, and demographic information.

In a report by Salesforce, 52% of the consumers said they would switch to a different business if the CX was not personalized.

Here are some examples of data-driven personalization in post-purchase CX.

1.1 Leverage Customer feedback to improve post-purchase engagement and operations

There’s no better way for businesses to gain insights into their customers’ experiences and preferences than actively seeking and analyzing customer feedback. Know what your customers think of your post-purchase operations, what their expectations are, etc, and work on meeting exceeding them.

Here’s how customer feedback contributes to data-driven personalization and improving CLV:

Engagement analytics: Leverage insights from post-purchase engagement KPIs like tracking page visits, open and click-through rates on notifications to include personalized and branded elements that put your brand on top of the customers’ minds.
Optimize fulfillment (delivery and returns) operations and post-purchase CX: Gain access to a goldmine of data in the form of customer satisfaction feedback on delivery and return-related experiences to make post-purchase enhancements.

P.S. Apart from customer feedback, regularly tracking your customers’ parcels in the delivery and returns phases also gives you shipping intelligence on aspects such as on-time performance, returns trends, and other insights, etc, that help you unlock opportunities that improve your post-purchase operations.

1.2 Repeat purchase strategies

Providing a great post-purchase CX is 90% of the work done to ensure your customers keep picking your business over your competitors. All they need is a little encouragement in the form of product recommendations & promotions that double the chances.

Personalized product recommendations: Convert visits to your order tracking page into repeat purchases with personalized product recommendations based on your customers’ recent purchases.
Targeted marketing campaigns: Use your tracking pages and email campaigns as real estate to drive more sales through targeted campaigns, discounts, and sales promotions.

2. Effective post-purchase customer engagement

Personalization in post-purchase marketing is an essential part of keeping customers really excited about repeat shopping with you but it doesn’t work unless your customers are happy with the delivery experience they’ve received. And trust me, this is an important hurdle to cross as the post-purchase is a phase where issues are frequent and have the potential to create bad experiences that demotivate customers from choosing you.

This is where an effective post-purchase engagement strategy that nurtures customer relationships, drives additional sales, and creates a positive feedback loop comes into place.

Proactive notifications: Make use of a post-purchase automation platform that sends out proactive alerts for delivery issues and enables you to proactively notify customers. Even if you are unable to take measures to correct the course, your customers will appreciate your efforts and thereby give you a chance to avoid a bad delivery experience.
Timely shipping updates: Even if everything seems to be going well, you can still capitalize on the post-purchase opportunity to engage your customers with timely email and SMS shipping notifications that keep them in the loop of their orders and mitigate their anticipation.

3. Seamless returns experiences

Most e-commerce merchants often assume returns to be a bad thing for their e-commerce business but that’s only when they’re left unattended. When taken care of in the best possible way, returns are the perfect opportunity to turn a potentially negative interaction into loyalty and growth.

Here are some ways businesses can provide a returns process that builds customer trust and contributes to CLV growth.

Easy returns: As the first step to making returns hassle-free, you can begin with an easy initiation process and follow up with return status updates and self-serve return status tracking.
Promoting exchanges over refunds: Not all returns have to be refunded and end in a lost sale. Instead, you can offer convenient exchange and store credit options that encourage customers to confidently shop with you again.

Final word

A great way to measure the success of yours is the strong customer relationships that are created from positive customer experiences, fortified by your post-purchase phase efforts such as hassle-free returns, hype-personalization, and effective customer engagement.

These are no secret ingredients but something businesses like yours have unwillingly neglected over the years for multiple reasons. So, if you’re looking to supercharge your post-purchase strategies and improve CLV, LateShipment.com is your one-stop solution.

With LateShipment.com’s suite of solutions, businesses can seamlessly provide seamless post-purchase experience that customers crave and ultimately boost loyalty and revenue.

Interested to know more? Check out the different ways in which LateShipment.com can work for your e-commerce business.

Still have queries? Talk to us

The post Post-Purchase Experience And Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Relationship Goals appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

5-Point Checklist To Reduce Post-Purchase Customer Inquiries

Sashank Ravindranath — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 10:22:21 +0000

The post-purchase is an exciting phase for your customers, as it is the last station before they get to their destination called happiness from collecting their orders. However, with most e-commerce merchants not having much awareness about the post-purchase phase and unwillingly neglecting its events, the ‘exciting phase’ is also one of the ‘most anxious’ phases for customers.

This anticipation of order deliveries facing issues (understandable, as 1-in-5 parcels shipped face delivery issues) leads to customers bombarding your support team with WISMO or Where IS My Order? Inquiries.

WISMO requests alone make up approximately 50% of the overall customer inquiries.

Stats highlight that customers’ expectations when it comes to delivery and returns experiences are only becoming higher, yes — but when you think about it, here are some of their primary expectations:

“I’d like to stay in the know of my package at all times”
“If there’s an issue with my package, I’d like to know it beforehand”.

It sounds quite reasonable if you ask.

However, there is an increased frustration among customers because most businesses they shop with fall under the category of not meeting their “bare minimum” expectations.

Forget the stats for a moment — as an e-commerce merchant, you would’ve witnessed countless times, when a customer contacts your support team demanding to know the status of their orders as they grew increasingly anxious about its arrival.

Not just for the sake of your customers, even your support reps would agree that frequently tending to post-purchase issues and pacifying disgruntled customers only consumes all of your support team’s time, thereby preventing them from tending to other important tasks at hand.

30% of the customer support team’s time and effort is WASTED handling repetitive delivery and return-related inquiries

The good news is that with the right course of action, post-purchase queries can be contained extensively so that your support team now saves quality time and you can improve customer satisfaction by mitigating frustrations.

Here’s a checklist containing steps that you can take to reduce customer queries (particularly WISMO) and provide a great post-purchase customer experience. Without further ado, let’s get started.

5-Point Checklist To Reduce Post-Purchase Customer Inquiries

1. Keep customers in the loop of their orders via delivery status updates

A. Automate important shipping notifications

In the era of instant gratification, the only thing that keeps customers from bombarding your business with order status inquiries or ‘WISMO calls’ is your initiative to keep them constantly updated on their orders in transit.

The best way to do this is to automate notifications for important shipping events such as order confirmed, shipped, out-for-delivery, etc. Such notifications assure the customer that their order is making its way and give them the confidence to keep shopping with you.

Remember, the key is to keep these notifications proactive and cover multiple channels such as email, SMS, or WhatsApp to reach customers where they are most active.

B. Make order tracking self-service

Another opportunity that you can create to keep your customers aware of their orders at all times is to simply enable them to track orders on their own.

Here’s how it can be done: once the order gets shipped, you can notify customers with a ‘track your order’ link or embed a button on your website or chat.

By tracking orders on their own, your customers can look up the status of their deliveries any time they need and thereby are less prone to get your support team’s help.

2. Fix delivery issues before they happen

A. Receive alerts for critical issues

Staying reactive and doing damage control for delivery issues is an option. However, this may not be the best option, given that the customer is already impacted by the issue.

Here’s the thing about just being reactive to delivery issues: on the one hand, support reps are tired of constantly hearing angry rants from customers and tending to them. On the other hand, manually checking all of the customers’ parcels for issues and personally catering to them is an exhaustive and almost impossible task (especially if your shipping volume is a bit high).

A great way to get started on dealing with these two birds with one stone is to make use of a real-time tracking solution that triggers alerts for critical delivery issues like delays, lost in transit, failed delivery attempts, etc, and enables your support team to take proactive action.

B. Proactively resolve delivery issues

An extension of automated notifications and real-time alerts is the newfound ability to proactively reach out to customers whose parcels are facing critical delivery issues and take appropriate measures to course correctly.

Even if you are unable to fix the issue in the end, your customers will be appreciative of your efforts to rectify the issue and provide them with a positive experience.

Ultimately, this helps you not only mitigate their frustration levels but also create an opportunity to make them choose your brand again despite a delivery issue incident.

C. Integrate your help desk system

One of the major reasons for slow response times amidst a high incoming volume of queries, leading to poor satisfaction levels in customer service is the lack of sufficient data and the right tools to empower staff to help customers better.

For instance, in the case of a delay, your support representatives have to go back and forth on the carrier’s tracking page for package information and the help desk tool to fix the issue. However, this process is inefficient and as mentioned can negatively impact your Average Handle Time.

Instead, work with a real-time tracking solution that empowers support agents with information related to customer order delivery and return status inside your helpdesk so they can quickly respond and proactively resolve post-purchase issues without switching between tools.

3. Extend the capabilities of order-tracking

A. Share the estimated delivery timeline information

The customer gets curious about their order and asks you about the status. You can share a link to the carrier’s tracking page, where the customer tracks their order as it gets periodically updated. This is how order tracking has traditionally been done. But what if there’s a better way to do this?

Display estimated order delivery dates on your product, cart, and checkout pages to let the customer know when their order might be reaching them even before the order is placed. This way, your customers will be less prone to check with you for WISMO inquiries.

You can also add an order countdown timer to create an urgency. Ultimately, this can help you improve conversions and reduce cart abandonment.

B. Include options for the customer to easily access things directly from the tracking page

Another way to achieve a great post-purchase customer experience in the order phase is to include elements such as options to exchange or return, contact customer service, view offers of similar products that go along with their purchase, and much more.

By putting your focus on customer convenience via easy access, your customers are less likely to require your help while requiring an answer for frequent post-purchase queries such as “how to initiate a return?”.

A great CX paired with branding in the post-purchase helps in brand recall and increases the chances of repeat shopping.

4. Initiate steps to reduce post-purchase inquiries even before an order is placed

A. Include all necessary information on the shipping policy page

Not just a quality order tracking experience but much more can be done on your part, even before an order is placed which can reduce customer inquiries to a greater extent.

For starters, make sure to include information such as available shipping methods, international shipping options, and other FAQs such as how to edit order details such as updating the cart, changing delivery address, etc. on your shipping policy page.

P.S. Make sure these page(s) are frequently updated from time to time to prevent any miscommunication.

B. Let customers know about uncommon delivery-related news

E-commerce is an uncertain space where there can be instances of uncommon delivery delays such as supply chain crises and weather-related incidents.

While such incidents happen outside of your control, you can still minimize the damage by notifying your customers of such incidents happening on your homepage and email campaigns.

Proactively addressing the issue builds trust and prevents customers from needing to reach out to you worried about their parcels. Also, with your customers staying informed, you can manage their expectations to a large extent and ease potential frustration.

C. Automate responses via a chatbot

A great option to reduce the burden of frequent post-purchase customer inquiries is to make use of automated chatbots on your website.

These chatbots can be programmed to proactively reach out to customers after their purchase to confirm orders, provide estimated delivery times, and offer tracking, return and exchange information.

The best part is that these chatbots can provide immediate answers 24/7, even outside of your business hours, reducing customer frustration and wait times.

5. Make the process of returns and exchanges seamless

A. Self-service returns and exchanges

Post-purchase customer inquiries don’t stop when the order has been delivered. In fact, they continue through order returns and exchange processes as well.

Don’t just stop by highlighting return-related information such as policies but carry it through until the end of that order experience via hassle-free returns.

The first step is to enable shoppers to initiate and proceed with a return/exchange requiring the most minimal or zero help via self-service returns that guide them with detailed shipping instructions, generate downloadable labels, etc.

B. Returns tracking and notifications

Once your customers have successfully initiated a return, make sure they are in the know of their return status until it is completed, be it reaching the warehouse or even getting denied from your end.

Similar to the order delivery phase, you can ensure seamless tracking in the returns phase as well via

Personalized, proactive return status updates via email and SMS
Enabling customers to look up real-time status updates on their returns on their own
Present real-time status updates and detailed information on your return tracking pages

By providing a hassle-free returns experience, you can ensure that an order return won’t be the last you hear from the customer but they keep shopping with you for a long time to come.

Implementing all the steps mentioned in this checklist can be easily done in no time but we’d like to make it even easier for you. Instead of manual action, you can make use of a solution like LateShipment.com that automates your post-purchase tasks while helping you reap the benefits of a great post-purchase customer experience.

How Lateshipment.Com Can Help You Reduce Post-purchase Customer Inquiries

In the context of seamless order delivery and returns experience, LateShipment.com helps craft great experiences that boost loyalty and revenue for your e-commerce business.

Via effective automation techniques, LateShipment.com also guarantees a reduction in support tickets by up to 72%.

Here’s how LateShipment.com’s post-purchase solution tackles frequent customer inquiries:

Automated notifications to keep customers informed and reduce their need to reach out for updates.
Proactively identify potential delays and inform customers before they arise, thereby managing expectations and preventing frustration.
Self-service portals to look up order statuses and initiate returns and exchanges to reduce reliance on support for these common actions.
Delivery and return feedback to gain insights into customer behavior and identify areas for improvement in post-purchase communication strategies.

By making use of LateShipment.com for your post-purchase needs, you can significantly reduce customer inquiries and reduce the burden on your support team and provide a smoother post-purchase experience for your customers.

The post 5-Point Checklist To Reduce Post-Purchase Customer Inquiries appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

4 Emerging and Promising Ecommerce Logistics Trends for 2024

Ian — Sat, 13 Jan 2024 13:36:12 +0000

Based on Statista’s prediction, global retail e-commerce sales are expected to grow 9.5% from 2023, a slight decrease from last year’s increase (10%). A line that we’ve all been hearing since the end of the pandemic and the dawn of the new age of e-commerce shopping is expected to return this year as well — while the growth rate is slow, e-commerce is still growing.

There are two ways to look at this.

Customers are still open to shop online amidst the re-opening of brick-and-mortar stores
E-commerce merchants are going to adopt new initiatives to spur more customers to spend time with their business

While the growth of e-commerce means so many things, it directly translates to higher parcel volumes. As consumers increasingly turn to online shopping, there exists a surge that places significant pressure on shipping carriers and the supply chain’s infrastructure.

Research predicts global parcel volume to grow from 8.5% through 2027. This necessitates continuous adaptations within the e-commerce and logistics spaces to handle the increasing demand and ensure timely and efficient order deliveries.

That said, 6,913 billion dollars being spent on an industry worldwide in a single year is a huge deal. The question is “How much % of it are you spending on growing your business”?

Knowing what other businesses are cooking, what industry leaders are predicting, and what is going to happen in the e-commerce logistics landscape can help you put your best foot forward and enjoy the fruits of success.

E-Commerce Logistics (B2C and B2B Parcel Shipping) Trends For 2024

Enter 2024, a year poised to be a turning point in the e-commerce logistics saga.

Businesses and consumers alike are consistently raising the bar. Sustainability, efficiency, and hyper-personalization are the new buzzwords. There is a consistent demand for revolution in how goods journey from virtual carts to living rooms.

So, what’s new, what’s hot, and what matters most? Here’s a straightforward article that covers the key trends you need to know to optimize your shipping strategy and deliver a seamless experience for your customers this exciting year.

Here’s something that you can expect inside:

The newer role and impact of AI in logistics
The need for sustainability in packaging and shipping
The increasing demand for faster and efficient deliveries
The evolution of customer expectations and hyper-personalization
The changes in trade regulations and customs procedures

1. Integration of advanced technologies in the form of AI and machine learning

According to a recent report by McKinsey, 55% of business professionals confirmed that their organizations have already integrated AI technology into their operations. Also, with the e-commerce logistics industry expected to witness substantial growth in the adoption of AI in the upcoming years, businesses that haven’t tapped into using this technology will probably get left behind in the race toward redefining the game.

One of the primary roles of AI in e-commerce in 2024, is enabling predictive analytics and real-time data, helping businesses make data-driven decisions in areas like demand forecasting, route optimization, and inventory management. For example, with predictive analytics, retailers can better plan for seasonal fluctuations and avoid overstocking or stockouts. Also, with automated processes, there is a reduced workload on manual processes like paperwork, leading to lower errors, and delays and increased efficiency and cost-effective operations.

Ultimately, with access to AI technology, stakeholders who are dependent on the supply chain can make informed decisions quickly, adapt to changes, and respond to disruptions effectively, thereby making it a critical asset in today’s e-commerce environment.

What you can do to keep up: Make use of Inventory Management tools such as Zoho Inventory, Salesforce, etc, to forecast demand fluctuations, avoid stockouts, and ensure smoother deliveries.

2. A greater focus on sustainability

Amidst timely deliveries and growing technology, a trend that has witnessed a spike for the last couple of years is sustainability in logistics practices. This comes from the place of today’s shoppers’ growing awareness of environmental concerns and a desire for more eco-friendly practices and businesses catering to their needs.

Here are a few boxes that businesses are looking to tick in 2024 in the context of sustainability:

Reduced packaging waste: E-commerce businesses are increasingly adopting practices that minimize packaging waste. This includes using packaging materials that are recyclable, or easily biodegradable. Also, businesses are optimizing packaging sizes to reduce the amount of excess material used.
Green logistics: Major shipping carriers like DHL, FedEx, and UPS have always committed to reducing their massive carbon footprint from frequent order deliveries that they take up on a day-to-day basis. This involves taking up initiatives in the form of carbon–neutral shipping, EVs and other alternative fuels, efficient routing leading to lower fuel consumption, etc.

What you can do to keep up: Use eco-friendly materials for your packaging needs, prioritize shipping partners that use electric vehicles and other carbon-neutral delivery options, sustainable warehousing, etc, will all come together to minimize the environmental impact of e-commerce logistics. Don’t forget to promote yourself as an eco-conscious e-commerce brand and ensure that consumers favor you.

3. A shift towards customer-centric experiences

In today’s highly competitive e-commerce landscape, the CX that businesses provide acts as the competitive differentiator. This leads to brands increasingly adopting a customer-centric approach to cater to the evolving needs and expectations of online shoppers. This approach encompasses various strategies and initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall shopping experience and building customer loyalty.

2024, much like previous years, taking a customer-centric approach involves providing personalized product recommendations, having a user-friendly Interface to minimize friction in the buying journey, offering proactive responsive customer service channels, faster shipping and delivery options, flexible returns and exchanges, omnichannel experiences, etc.

Also, with the abundance of data available and customers willing to share their data for a more personalized experience, businesses are increasingly tailoring their logistics operations to individual customer preferences. This means not only personalized product recommendations but also customized delivery options including delivery preferences like time slots and delivery locations.

4. Increased focus on strengthening Cybersecurity

As we progress further into the digital age, the e-commerce industry has become a prime target for cyberattacks. The increasing digitalization of supply chains has made them vulnerable to various threats, ranging from data breaches to ransomware attacks. In 2024, cybersecurity will take center stage as companies strive to fortify their defenses and safeguard the integrity and trust of their operations.

This includes secure backups, network segmentation, employee training to recognize and prevent phishing attacks, and improved user identity verification methods.

Naturally, businesses can expect stricter regulations and cybersecurity measures to safeguard customer information and ensure the integrity of delivery systems. Additionally, the physical security of packages will be paramount, with advanced tracking and anti-theft solutions becoming commonplace.

What you can do: Cybersecurity tools like IBM and Kaseya to safeguard customer information and ensure the integrity of delivery systems. Additionally, physical security of packages is paramount, so make use of a post-purchase automation solution like LateShipment.com with real-time tracking to stay in the know of parcels at all times and communicate the same with your customers.

Over to You

2024 promises to be a turning point in e-commerce logistics. By embracing these trends, businesses can gain a competitive edge, build customer loyalty, and contribute to a more sustainable future of deliveries. Whether you’re a tech-savvy start-up or a seasoned retailer, buckle up and get ready for the thrilling ride ahead!

The post 4 Emerging and Promising Ecommerce Logistics Trends for 2024 appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

FedEx & UPS Rate Increase for 2024

Rohan Rinaldo Felix — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 12:25:53 +0000

Introduction To The Rate Increase By Fedex And Ups In 2024

Counterparts, rivals, competitors — call them what you want. Shipping behemoths FedEx and UPS follow almost identical practices when it comes to services or rate increases by an average of 5.9% YoY. The rates have been identically increasing for 7 years in a row but somehow, they still have the potential to impact e-commerce businesses, particularly SMBs, who operate on a limited bandwidth.

If you’re a part of an SMB business, being aware of this spike by shipping carriers can help you plan out your shipping strategy in advance and put you ahead in your last-mile game. To save you time, we’ve charted out the data for you!

Make sure to read till the end for ways to save on shipping in 2024 and reduce the impact of FedEx & UPS’ General Rate Increase on your business.

Why Are FedEx and UPS Rates Increasing YoY?

A question on the minds of all regular shippers at some point — why do these behemoths, who dominate the U.S. carrier market, with a combined market share of around 70% by revenue keep increasing the rate of their services YoY and burdening several growing e-commerce businesses?

The answer is a no-brainer and it is not just one particular reason but several factors that lead FedEx and UPS to increase the rates of their services each year.

Inflation – The supply chain and logistics is a very uncertain space that constantly needs fixes and improvements in order to run smoothly and efficiently. A major hindrance to the smooth running of the supply chain is the ever-rising inflation that impacts labor costs, fuel prices, cost of materials and equipment used in shipping operations, leading to higher overall expenses for shipping carriers. To cover these costs and maintain profitability, FedEx and UPS have no choice but to directly pass on these increased costs to customers.
Increase in demand – While the growth rate has slowed down since the pandemic, e-commerce is still growing. This means, the number of packages being sent out for delivery is on the rise — leading to an increase in demand for infrastructure and resources and thereby impacting costs.
Strategic investments = There are also frequent investments being done in technology innovations such as fleet maintenance and other areas. Not to forget, as competing businesses, they are prone to focus on profitability and shareholder value and anticipate potential economic fluctuations.

Also, it is important to note that while the average YoY increase is around 5.9%, the actual impact on individual shipments can vary based on service type, destination, and other factors. A breakdown of each carrier’s rate increases will give us a better understanding. Let’s start with the increased rates of FedEx in 2024.

FedEx Rate Increase Details for 2024

Amidst all these rate increases, shippers who opt for FedEx can be slightly relieved due to the fact that the General Rate Increase (GRI) for 2024 is at an average of 5.9%, which is 1% lower than last year’s rate increase.

However, for most shippers, the increase will be more than just 5.9%. For instance, additional handling on oversized packages will increase by about 20%. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how rate increases impact your spending with FedEx. While it’s impossible to take a deep dive on every rate increase, we have managed to cover some key takeaways for all shippers.

Domestic Express services will see an average increase of 6.25%, with packages shipped through FedEx 2 Day, will see an increase of 6.83%, followed by 2 Day AM at 6.65% and 6.39%. FedEx First Overnight sees lowest increase at 5.46%
Domestic Ground services as always have different classifications based on different zones and weights, where without surprise — packages shipped to longer distances (zones 5-8) or are heavier (11 pounds or more) see the highest increase at an average of more than 6%.
FedEx Home Delivery packages are almost similar to Ground packages but will see an additional $5.55 residential surcharge and a rate increase of 6.36%.
Another often overlooked part of the GRI is the minimum charges that you’ll be paying for the shipment regardless of the weight, distance, and other factors. These minimums ensure profitability for the carriers, especially for smaller packages or shipments to remote areas. Faster shipments such as FedEx Priority Overnight will see an increase of 7.88%, followed by Standard Overnight at 7.50%.

The following FedEx Express and FedEx Ground surcharges will also take effect on January 2024:

Effective January 1, 2024, FedEx will be increasing customs clearance service fees on imports.
Effective January 15, 2024, FedEx will assess the Additional Handling Surcharge and Oversize Charge per eligible package for international multi-piece shipments, instead of per shipment. The affected surcharges are the Additional Handling Surcharge (Dimensions, Weight, Packaging, Freight, and Non-Stackable) and the Oversize Charge.

UPS Rate Increase Details for 2024

UPS has followed suit with FedEx almost similarly across the table, starting with dropping the GRI from 6.9% last year.

Similar to FedEx, UPS has kept the shorter Zones (2-4) lower than the 5.9% increase, while shipping options such as 2nd Day Air and 3 Day Select rates in Zones 5-8 have an increase rate of nearly 8%.
On the other hand, when it comes to rate increases based on weight, lighter packages (falling below the 1-10 lbs mark) have a maximum increase of 6.65%
For minimum charges, faster shipping options such as Next Day Air and Next Day Air Saver see the highest increase at 7.91% and 7.51% respectively.

The following UPS surcharges have also been effective since December 26, 2023:

UPS also introduced an increase in rates for specific Value-Added services and other charges like additional handling rates for both weight and dimension-based packages. For instance, in Zone 2 the Additional Weight Handling rate will go from $29.00 to $34.50, and the Dimensions (Length, Width, Length+Girth) will increase from $18.50 to $22.00 (a rise of 16% in each case).
Additional Handling fees will also be imposed on international shipments weighing 55 pounds or more. UPS has also stated that when a commercial fee is submitted in connection with a shipment, a fee of up to $5.00 per shipment will be applied to the shipper if the commercial invoice is not provided in digital form using UPS Paperless Invoice services before the processing of the commercial invoice by UPS.

How E-commerce Businesses Can Prepare for the Rate Increase

It is without a doubt that the service rate hikes by FedEx and UPS will definitely impact the spending threshold of all businesses that ship. However, it’s no time to panic! There are definite ways to help mitigate the impact and even turn this tide into an opportunity to reduce shipping costs.

1. Strategies for Mitigating the Impact on Shipping Costs

Make use of multiple shipping carriers: If you’re a regular shipper with a mid to high shipping volume, don’t just use a single carrier for your shipping needs. Explore alternative carriers and regional shipping providers for competitive rates and service options.
Negotiate Volume Discounts: Shipping through multiple carriers also creates a bargaining opportunity to negotiate lower rates or better terms with your existing carriers and cut down costs.
Offer Free Shipping with Minimum Order Thresholds: Encourage customers to ship more by offering free shipping for purchases exceeding a specific amount or multiple products.
Implement a Flat-Rate Shipping Model: For certain product categories or domestic shipments, consider a flat-rate shipping charge to simplify and potentially control costs.
Consolidate Shipments: Combine multiple orders into a single shipment whenever possible. This reduces the number of parcels, lowering shipping expenses.
Explore Cost-Effective Shipping Options: Investigate alternative shipping methods, such as regional carriers or third-party logistics providers (3PLs). These options may offer competitive rates and service quality.
Understand Dimensional (DIM) Weight Pricing: Familiarize yourself with dimensional weight pricing, which factors in package size. Adjust your packaging and shipping strategies accordingly to avoid unnecessary charges.

2. Considerations for renegotiating shipping contracts

Evaluate Current Contracts: Carefully review your existing contracts with FedEx and UPS. Identify areas where you can negotiate for improved rates, discounts, and service levels.
Gather Data and Analysis: Before entering negotiations, prepare data on your shipping volume, service usage, etc to strengthen your bargaining position.
Contract Flexibility: Seek flexibility in your contracts to adapt to changing needs. Consider shorter contract terms and options to adjust rates as market conditions evolve.

3. Optimizing shipping practices to minimize expenses

Invest in Shipping Software: Explore shipping software solutions that provide real-time rate comparisons, print labels, and manage orders.
Leverage Automation: Automate repetitive tasks, such as order processing to not only save time but to minimize labor costs, streamline processes, and reduce manual errors.
Real-Time Tracking: Implement real-time tracking and monitoring of shipments to identify potential issues early and proactively resolve them, thereby reducing the risk of costly delays or returns.
Utilize Fulfillment Centers: Strategically locate fulfillment centers closer to major customer bases to reduce shipping distances and potentially qualify for lower zone rates.
Offer Pick-up Options: Allow customers to pick up their orders at local stores or designated locations to eliminate shipping costs.

How LateShipment.com can help in Navigating the Rate Increase

Check your contract with your shipping carrier, be it FedEx or UPS, and ensure that you haven’t signed any money-back guarantee waiver — as there are a lot more pitfalls than benefits in signing them.

For instance, you may overpay shipping bills by up to 20% by not claiming refunds from shipping carriers for service failures and billing errors.

The Money Back Guarantee policy of shipping carriers promises 100% refunds on shipping charges if a parcel is delayed even by 60 seconds. You can claim refunds for carrier service failures and billing errors.

However, manually claiming refunds from carriers can be both exhaustive and expensive, making it extremely challenging to recover refunds for valid claims before their eligibility window expires.

On the other hand, LateShipment.com automates the process of auditing your shipping invoices regularly and claims refunds for 50+ carrier errors that include late deliveries, incorrect surcharges, lost or damaged packages, and more. By regularly claiming refunds and holding your carrier accountable for your service failures, you can ensure better quality service from them, and save up to 20% on shipping expenses.

That’s not all! LateShipment.com also helps you analyze your carrier’s performance and getting insights on performance lapses such as delays or lost parcels. This will put you in control of shipping rates and help you negotiate for better rates.

You can also take note of our data-rich shipping reports and conclude which carrier works best for which type of delivery/destination/cost/customer/product.

Conclusion

The logistics landscape is dynamic, and the 2024 FedEx and UPS rate increases are just one wave in its constant flow. By proactively planning, making informed decisions, and embracing a culture of continuous optimization, businesses can navigate these changes with confidence, turning every tide into a springboard for growth and success.

Remember, the key lies in flexibility, strategic foresight, and a commitment to delivering exceptional value to your customers. So, raise your sails, adjust your course, and confidently sail towards a prosperous future in the ever-evolving world of shipping.

The post FedEx & UPS Rate Increase for 2024 appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

How To Handle Returns And Exchanges During The Holidays

Sashank Ravindranath — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 06:52:27 +0000

With increased holiday sales comes an inevitable surge in returns and exchanges that could be a challenge post the shopping fiesta of BFCM and Christmas.

January is the peak month for package returns, with e-commerce businesses seeing 51% of the returns in a given year. However, the number of returns is generally high through December, January, and early February.

Fair warning: The problem is never returns but the challenges businesses face when they’re unequipped to deal with the sudden influx of returns be it due to falling prey to misconceptions or not having proper strategies to handle them effectively.

Businesses assume the post-purchase phase of a customer journey to end with shipping and delivery
Businesses assume returns are a cost-center that discourages customers from shopping with you again
Businesses often operate with limited resources, making it challenging to dedicate the time and effort required for effective returns strategies.

While this may seem daunting, a well-defined return policy and efficient processes can turn a potential headache into a positive customer experience and build customer loyalty.

Here’s a little something from our end to help e-commerce businesses like yours navigate the holiday returns rush effectively.

8 Tips To Handle Returns And Exchanges Like A Pro During The Holidays

1.Review your return policy and extend your return window

More often than not, holiday purchases are gifts for loved ones — hence, these packages might not get opened until after the holidays. Thus, during the holidays, you can consider offering a longer window (60-90 days) than your standard policy to accommodate holiday returns.

2. Clearly Communicate Your Policy

Make your return policy readily available throughout your website, especially on the product pages, order confirmations, and checkout areas. Make sure things are clear, concise, and easy to understand. For starters, you can include details about eligible items, timeframes, restocking fees, and instructions for initiating returns and exchanges in your policy.

3. Streamline the Return Process

Make the return process as simple and convenient as possible. Offer options for easy return initiation, printable return labels, multiple return locations, etc. Such actions help customers avoid long wait times and reduce frustrations.

4. Reduce Return-related Inquiries

Enable your customer service team to proactively handle return This helps in keeping customer interactions to a minimum during the order return phase. Similar to order deliveries, you can also send notifications about the return status to keep customers engaged. Ultimately, a good returns experience plays a decisive factor when it comes to their repeat shopping decision and thereby cements you as their preferred brand.

5. Enable Flexible Return Options

The holiday season can be unpredictable. Be prepared to adapt your return policies and processes as needed to address unforeseen circumstances or spikes in return volume. Ensure you have sufficient resources and personnel to handle increased inquiries and return requests. Additionally, you can allocate dedicated space for returned items and establish a system for inspecting and restocking them efficiently. This helps minimize delays and ensures your inventory remains accurate.

6. Track and Analyze Returns

Returns give you quality insights into your products and your customers’ shipping decisions. Leverage this goldmine by tracking your return data throughout the holiday season. Analyze common reasons for returns, identify problematic products, and assess the effectiveness of your return policies and procedures. Data can also give you insights into your returns process and help you refine your strategies and improve the return experience for future seasons.

7. Promote Exchanges over Refunds

70% of the returns are size and fit-related. Instead of shelling out dollars by refunding each return that comes in, you can provide the option to exchange the product or get store credits. You can also consider offering incentives such as discounts on exchange items, free shipping on exchanges, or store credit bonuses to encourage customers to pick exchanges and store credit. This strategy can help in retaining customers and minimizing revenue loss from returns.

8. Invest in Returns Automation

Leverage technology to streamline your return management process:

Utilize return portals that allow customers to initiate and track returns online
Automate return processing tasks, such as generating return labels, sending email notifications, and managing refunds.
Extend automation to manage inventory levels and restocking procedures.

Automating returns-related tasks saves time and resources by reducing workload and allows you to focus on other important tasks efficiently.

LateShipment.com’s Returns Experience Management is one such powerful, self-service returns platform built to boost the returns-related metrics that matter most to your business.

Here’s how it can come in handy.

How Returns Experience Management Can Help

Returns Experience Management comes with a user-friendly self-service returns portal where customers can easily initiate returns, choose a preferred method, track the status of the return, etc. This simplifies the whole returns process and improves repeat purchases.

You can also keep customers informed about the status of their returns at every step via email and SMS notifications with returns tracking information and updates to enhance the returns experience.

Returns Experience Management also comes with the provision to offer incentives and encourage customers to opt for exchanges and store credits instead of a full refund.

Additionally, with self-service and smart automations, you can drastically reduce the time spent per return request and inbound conversation volume. Also, with proactive status updates, live package tracking, and a host of support team-friendly features, you can free up your support agents to address more pressing issues.

The post How To Handle Returns And Exchanges During The Holidays appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

Post-purchase Strategies to Turn One-Time Holiday Shoppers into Your Brand’s BFFs

Sashank Ravindranath — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 11:16:54 +0000

Introduction

Holiday shoppers don’t just mean the “I’m planning to spend (more than I usually do during the other months) for my holiday season needs by capitalizing on seasonal trends, special deals, and promotions” type.

It covers impulse buyers — who make unplanned purchases motivated by emotional triggers such as peer pressure or “FOMO” from the holiday trends, gift givers — who are purchasing products for others, early bird or last-minute shoppers, and shoppers of different demographics (age, gender, spend threshold, etc).

Amidst all these characteristics, one thing that stands in common is the holiday shopper preferring to be just a one-time shopper.

The One-Time Shopper Dilemma

You might have faced this scenario where someone shops with your brand once and that’s all… you never hear from them again.

Unfortunately, in some cases, their decision to shop with you just once has something to do with you. This term is coined as “The one-time shopper dilemma”, where e-commerce businesses are unable to convert one-time shoppers into repeat customers due to unfavorable customer experiences.

76% of customers say that an unacceptable customer experience would affect their decision to order from the company again.

It is almost easy for one-time shoppers to get what they want. But in your case, not so much, given the increasing competition among e-commerce brands in today’s space.

Enter “Brand BFF” or repeat customer, a win-win situation for your customers and your business.

Why Focus on Customer Retention?

Overcoming the one-time shopper dilemma requires a comprehensive approach to address the not-so-positive experiences that:

Arise from bad delivery experiences, lack of engagement and follow-up, etc, and
Prevent you from increasing the likelihood of converting one-time shoppers into repeat customers.

To give you a little motivation, here are some of the benefits that you can stand to gain by increasing your customer retention rates.

Cost-effectiveness: Retaining existing customers is significantly more cost-effective than acquiring new ones. Studies show that it costs 5 times more to acquire a new customer than to retain an existing one.
Stronger customer relationships: Fostering strong customer relationships impacts multiple customer satisfaction metrics such as high customer lifetime value, positive brand perception, and increased brand advocacy.
Competitive advantage: In a competitive landscape where similar products offered are similar, the experiences you offer play the differentiator. And with positive experiences, leading to higher retention rates, you now have a significant advantage over your competitors.

With the importance of customer retention clear, it’s time to focus on one particular component that is crucial to increasing your customer loyalty in the long run — ‘the post-purchase customer journey’.

Chapter 1: Mapping the Post-Purchase Customer Journey

The ‘post-purchase’ is an integral, but often overlooked function in any e-commerce business.

Integral because the experiences offered by you in the post-purchase phase occur in the final stages of the customer journey and thereby have a higher chance of leaving a lasting impression on your customers than CX offered in the pre-purchase and purchase phases.

On the contrary, most businesses don’t pay enough attention to post-purchase customer experience due to reasons such as:

Businesses assume their job is done after handing over the package to the shipping carrier for delivery
Businesses don’t recognize the post-purchase being a goldmine of opportunity to effectively engage customers
Businesses often operate with limited resources, making it challenging to dedicate the time and effort required for effective post-purchase strategies.

Are you one of such businesses? No, it’s all good. If yes, you need to shift your commitment to prioritizing the post-purchase CX. And that process begins with understanding the ABCs of the post-purchase customer journey.

1.1: Defining the Post-Purchase Journey

A customer’s post-purchase journey is interactions with your brand that take place once the order is dispatched to when it is ‘delivered’ or ‘returned’.

In simple terms, the post-purchase customer journey usually takes place from the moment the buy button is clicked and the order is confirmed, till the moment it reaches the customer’s doorstep. In some cases, the post-purchase journey extends beyond order delivery, whenever the customer initiates a return on their purchase.

A successful post-purchase customer experience strategy is ensuring that your customers have hassle-free order delivery and return experiences with your brand that in turn help you nurture customer relationships and achieve sustainable growth. That said, let’s see why post-purchase is a huge missed opportunity for most businesses out there.

1.2: Key Touchpoints and Moments of Truth: Why Post-purchase is a Huge Missed Opportunity

There might be different reasons for Americans choosing to spend 39% less this holiday season from 2022. However, as for pain points, customers said they had several frustrations in the previous holiday season such as a lack of communication during the shipping process (57%), lost or damaged packages (51%), and delayed packages (49%).

A harsh truth to digest is that issues are inevitable and common in the post-purchase phase and mind you, these issues hold serious power to hurt your customer’s satisfaction levels and lead to even more problems.

1.3: Understanding the Post-Purchase CX Challenge: Identifying Threats and Impact

Post-purchase issues may be common. But the real problem lies when you don’t do anything about it and let customers fend for themselves.

This brings up the necessity to maintain engagement and address customer concerns post-checkout. However, with most businesses like yours involuntarily not tending to these issues, there exists a disconnect or a ‘post-purchase CX gap’ that can lead to frustration, dissatisfaction, and ultimately, customer churn.

Up to 20% of shipments face ISSUES such as late delivery, attempted-failed delivery, lost or damaged in transit
Up to 40% of customer support inquiries are WISMO (Where Is My Order) or RETURN-related
Up to 35% of all products that are purchased from e-commerce retailers are RETURNED
82% of shoppers are worried about their orders not reaching them on time
78% of shoppers won’t buy from the brand again after just ONE bad delivery or return experience

But there’s no need to stress — the upcoming sections will cover everything you need to know about creating an e-commerce post-purchase strategy that will improve customer experience, and boost customer retention.

1.4: The Power of Post-Purchase CX

Post-purchase issues tend to drive customers away. On the other side of the same coin, 46% of customers say that a positive post-purchase experience makes them more likely to buy from a brand again. That is the power of the ‘overlooked’ post-purchase CX — to make or break a brand.

Increase in retention, brand reputation, and consumer spending: A positive post-purchase experience can make customers feel happy, valued, and appreciated. Such customers don’t just keep shopping with you but will recommend your brand to others and are also willing to pay more.
Reduced customer support costs: With frequent and meaningful engagement throughout the post-purchase journey, you can minimize customer inquiries and reduce the need to contact customer support, thereby saving you time and money.
Increase in revenue: By leveraging post-purchase interactions to the maximum and exceeding customer expectations, you can create and identify opportunities to upsell or cross-sell additional products.

With the significant benefits that you can reap by working on your post-purchase CX loud and clear, we’ll move on to the hero section of this article. How you can craft a successful strategy to optimize CX throughout your customers’ post-purchase journey.

Chapter 2: Crafting a Post-Purchase CX Strategy

Taking measures to close the post-purchase CX gap and provide customers with a frictionless delivery experience can cement you as their preferred brand.

Now the question one should ask is: On whom does the onus of closing the existing gap and perfecting the post-purchase really fall? The answer is: on everyone — from marketing to sales to operations and customer service.

2.1: Aligning Teams for Post-Purchase Success

Support agents providing fast and exceptional customer service
Operations team making better decisions to improve delivery performance and reduce returns
Sales team using the post-purchase as an additional channel to drive revenue
Marketing team sending effective and targeted campaigns based on customer history

Bringing all business functions together and taking a unified approach to post-purchase interactions is vital for your business to enjoy post-purchase success. But what does post-purchase success look like?

2.2: Metrics and KPIs for Post-Purchase CX

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): To measure customer satisfaction with the post-purchase experience through surveys, feedback forms, and online reviews. In 2023, E-commerce and retail had the second-highest benchmark for CSAT scores at 81.
Net Promoter Score (NPS): NPS indicates the likelihood of customers recommending your brand to others. For the e-commerce industry, the average NPS is 45. That means you should aim for a 45 or higher score to succeed.
Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): CLV represents the total revenue customers generate over their lifetime relationship with the brand. According to many e-commerce experts, LTV should be about 3x CAC.
Return-related metrics: To monitor different metrics relevant to returns and exchanges to identify potential product or operational issues. Some must-know return KPIs for e-commerce businesses are Return rate, Reason for return, Frequently returned products, etc.
Customer Support Resolution Time: A metric that directly impacts your CSAT and NPS scores — the average time it takes to resolve customer inquiries and issues. 61% of consumers define excellent customer support interaction as one with a quick resolution.

By consistently monitoring these metrics and KPIs, you can identify trends, assess the impact of post-purchase strategies, identify areas and make data-driven decisions for improvement, and drive long-term CX success.

Adopting the following ways to improve your post-purchase CX will ensure a positive impact on both your customers’ lifetime value and the retention rate of your business.

Chapter 3: Delivering a Seamless Order Fulfillment Process

The order fulfillment process is the first step in the post-purchase experience. It’s important to make sure that this process is seamless and efficient to avoid customer frustration.

Here are a few tips for delivering a seamless order fulfillment process:

3.1: Process Orders Quickly and Accurately

The order fulfillment process is the series of steps that take place after an order is placed until the product is delivered to the customer. While it can be time-consuming, when optimized with the right strategies it can help you improve customer satisfaction and so much more.

There are several strategies that e-commerce businesses can implement to improve their order fulfillment process:

Optimize Inventory Management: Accurately keep track of inventory levels to avoid both stockouts and overselling.
Partner with reliable shipping carriers: Partner with reliable shipping carriers to ensure timely and accurate deliveries. Each carrier like DHL, FedEx, and UPS has its pros and cons. Compare them and see what works best for your business.
Make use of an Inventory Management tool: An inventory management software like Linnworks can help you automate processes and execute a seamless CX across the order fulfillment journey.

3.2: Provide Real-time Tracking Information

Providing real-time order tracking information to customers is a crucial aspect of delivering a seamless order fulfillment process. Here are some key benefits of providing real-time order tracking:

Track your shipments across the carriers and 3PLs that you use: Gain real-time visibility of your shipments, even after packages have left your facility — across carriers, 3PL service providers, service types, and locations, to have a true and unified view of your fulfillment operations.
Dive deep into delivery exceptions and on-time performance trends: Gain a commanding and consolidated view of all delivery issues and on-time performance trends to intervene before they can adversely affect your customers’ satisfaction levels and the efficiency of your order fulfillment operations.

TLDR; by prioritizing real-time order tracking, it is time to deliver a seamless and transparent order fulfillment process and enhance customer satisfaction.

3.3: Offer Multiple Shipping Options

By offering a variety of shipping choices, you can cater to different customer needs, preferences, and budget constraints, leading to reduced cart abandonment, and increased customer satisfaction.

Identify customer preferences: Analyze customer data and feedback to understand the most popular shipping options and preferences among your target audience.
Clearly display shipping options: Provide clear and transparent information about shipping options on product pages and during the checkout process.
Accommodate special delivery requests: Offer options for expedited shipping, weekend delivery, or any other specific delivery instructions. This can come in particularly handy while catering to last-minute shoppers.

3.4: Handle returns and exchanges promptly

Making returns easier for holiday season shopping is the norm now as 98% of shoppers say that fast and convenient returns will make them more likely to order again. Here are a few strategies if you’re looking to keep up or even perform better than competing brands when it comes to order returns.

Establish a clear and transparent returns and exchanges policy: Clearly outline the terms and conditions for returns and exchanges, including time limits, eligibility criteria, and return shipping instructions. Make this policy easily accessible to customers on your website, checkout page, and order confirmation emails.

56% of customers abandon their carts due to delivery and returns-related concerns.

Communicate effectively throughout the process: Keep customers informed about the status of their returns and exchanges throughout the process. Send email notifications, provide tracking information, and address any inquiries promptly.
Retain revenue by encouraging exchanges or store credits over refunds: Incentivize customers to exchange an item or accept store credits with additional discounts, rather than a refund to save a lost sale and retain profits.
Streamline your returns processes: Utilize return automation tools to make tasks self-service, automate steps, send proactive status updates, etc, to reduce unnecessary returns workload on your support team as well as to make the process quicker.
Analyze return and exchange data: Regularly review return and exchange data to identify trends, potential product issues, and areas for improvement in the order fulfillment process.

Remember, your customers are not always happy doing returns. Therefore, don’t make it more stressful for them. On the other hand, by making the returns and exchanges process as seamless as possible, you have the power to transform a potentially negative experience into an opportunity to showcase customer care and build lasting relationships.

Chapter 4: Customer Support: Your Retention Superpower

Delivery issues such as delays being inevitable and carriers often withholding information to prevent themselves from being shown in a bad light highly increases the odds of your customers bombarding your support reps with frequent WISMO queries.

Customer support teams are overloaded with WISMO requests that make up approx. 50% of the overall customer inquiries.

On the other hand, with great customer support, you can effectively assist and resolve customer issues and open new doors for customer satisfaction and retention. Here are some ways for you to provide stellar customer support in the post-purchase phase.

4.1: Proactively Resolve Delivery Issues Before They Impact Your Customers

Trigger proactive alerts: Whenever your customers’ parcels are facing critical delivery issues, such as predicted delays, suspect lost, etc, have tickets triggered to your helpdesk system to enable your support agents to proactively address the issue at hand.
Arm your support team with data: Provide customer support teams with access to complete shipment tracking information to resolve delivery issues promptly. This empowerment ensures that customers receive timely assistance and issue resolution.

4.2: Turn Support Interactions into Opportunities

Actively listen and gather insights: Engage in active listening during support interactions to fully understand customer concerns, pain points, and expectations. Use this valuable feedback to identify areas for product improvement, service enhancements, or process modifications.
Personalize interactions: Tailor support interactions to individual customer needs and preferences. Use customer data to provide personalized recommendations, address specific concerns, and offer relevant solutions. This can foster deeper connections and increase customer satisfaction.
Integrate support with marketing and sales: Collaborate with marketing and sales teams to share customer insights gathered from support interactions. Use this data to inform marketing campaigns, sales strategies, and product positioning to align with customer needs and preferences.

By leveraging customer data and insights, businesses can transform customer interactions into valuable touchpoints to gather insights, foster positive relationships, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to customer service.

4.3: Encourage Customer Self-service

Provide your customers with the tools and resources to resolve their own issues to free up your support team to focus on more complex and urgent matters. This can help in reducing support costs and improving overall efficiency.

Branded order tracking experience: Customers track their orders 6-8 times before delivery. That’s valuable time that you can’t afford to miss out to re-engage with your customers and boost brand recall. For instance:
- You can host tracking pages on your domain and populate them with branded elements that ensure your brand stays at the top of their mind.
- Apart from the usual content such as order summary and tracking information, you can also go a step further in customer convenience and include options to contact support for emergencies or initiate returns/exchanges directly
- You can also include personalized product recommendations and run offers/sales to double your chances of driving repeat sales.

Reduced support costs, Increased agent productivity: With customers having enough information at hand to manage their own support requirements, you can reduce the burden on your support teams, which can lead to lower support costs. Also, agents who’ve spent their time tending to unwanted inquiries can now focus on more complex and urgent matters, improving their overall productivity.

Access to 24/7 support: With self-service options available to customers 24 hours a day, customers can resolve their issues whenever and wherever customers need them, without having to wait for support.

4.4: Leverage Customer Support Technology

Technology plays a crucial role in enhancing customer support by providing you with innovative tools and solutions to transform your customer support operations and create exceptional customer experiences.

Utilize predictive analytics: Make use of technology that analyzes historical parcel data and forecasts potential disruptions such as delays and helps you take the right course of action before such issues impact your customer.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots can provide 24/7 support by answering frequently asked questions, guiding customers to relevant resources, and escalating complex issues to human agents. Chatbots can also personalize interactions based on customer data and preferences.
Help desk systems: Utilize help desk tools such as Freshdesk and Gorgias as a centralized platform for managing customer inquiries. This can help in empowering your support team to deliver lasting customer experiences, as well as simplify their operations by bringing in a structured way of prioritizing.
Omnichannel support: Omnichannel support integrates various communication channels, such as phone, email, live chat, and social media, into a unified platform. This seamless integration allows customers to switch between channels without losing context and ensures that their inquiries are handled promptly and efficiently.

Ultimately, by effectively utilizing customer support as a retention superpower, you can strengthen customer relationships, reduce churn, and achieve long-term success.

Post-purchase interactions from your end don’t have to be only when something goes wrong. Even when everything is going your way, there’s an additional opportunity to boost engagement and reap its benefits.

Chapter 5: Email and Post-Purchase Engagement

A great way to build lasting relationships with customers is to keep them engaged and ensure that you remain on the top of their minds. And what better way to engage customers throughout the post-purchase phase than keeping them notified till their order reaches them.

5.1: Order Confirmation and Beyond

The ‘order confirmed’ notification is a priority for two things — assurance to the customer that their order has been accepted and kicking off the rest of the post-purchase shipping notifications to improve CX throughout the delivery lifecycle.

Order shipped: Once the order has been processed and shipped, customers should receive a prompt shipping confirmation email, providing them with a tracking link or reference number to monitor the progress of their shipment. This proactive communication keeps customers informed and reduces the burden on customer support teams.
Order In-transit: Throughout the shipping process, customers should receive periodic updates, either via email or SMS notifications, informing them of the shipment’s location, estimated delivery date, and any potential delays or disruptions. Real-time tracking links further enhance transparency and provide customers with a sense of control.
Order out-for-delivery: Upon reaching the destination city or postal code, customers should receive an out-for-delivery notification, indicating that their order is on its way to their doorstep. This timely update allows customers to prepare for the package’s arrival and manage their schedules accordingly.
Order delivered: Finally, upon successful delivery, customers should receive a delivery confirmation email or SMS notification, providing them with a final acknowledgment of the order completion. This closing touch reinforces customer satisfaction and encourages repeat purchases.

However, this is no longer the bare minimum as customers expect brands to keep them informed at every event of their package journey to mitigate their highly otherwise high anticipation levels. If you’re looking to exceed expectations, you need to proactively step up your game and leverage additional touch points in the order journey.

5.2: Post-purchase Shipping

In the order delivery and returns phases of the post-purchase customer journey, there are additional events for you to understand and implement in your existing email and SMS series:

Delivered with delays: A fairly straightforward notification sent when the order is delivered exceeding the proposed timeline. Customers are more likely to forgive you for the delay, when you acknowledge the delay from your end along with a little apology note and a coupon.
In-transit with delays: Tracking your orders in real-time gives you the opportunity to proactively identify and resolve delays before your customer is impacted by them. For high-value customers, you can go a step further and send out replacements via expedited shipping options, so that your customers don’t end up losing them.
Failed delivery attempt: When a delivery attempt is made and yet the order does not reach the customer’s hands, the onus of handling the issue is still on you. Whenever a delivery is re-attempted you have to shell out a few extra dollars as re-delivery charges. Therefore, avoid additional re-attempts, by keeping customers informed.
Delay predicted: Maximizing real-time order tracking and predictive analytics, gives you the opportunity to keep the customer informed when there is a possibility of a delay (which might turn out resolved on its own) to stay on the safe side. This ensures that the customer knows that you are on top of their order and will be less anxious regarding it reaching them on time.
Suspected to be lost: Despite state-of-the-art tracking systems, packages can still end up somewhere else than the required destination. When you suspect a package to be lost, the first thing that you must do is notify your customers at the earliest.
Order lost/damaged: In case your worry turns out to be true and the package ends up lost in transit/ damaged upon being received, you must prioritize notifying customers at the earliest and try to offer a prompt resolution. You can also go a step further and bear the cost of returns and send out a replacement at your own cost and provide discounts or coupons for future orders.
Return notifications: Similar to delivery status notifications, you can also keep customers in the loop of their order returns by sending emails and SMS:
- When they initiate a return
- When their return request is accepted, rejected, or canceled
- When the return order is in-transit, and
- When the returned order is received at your facility

Remember, engaging with your customers when they are not very excited is the perfect time for you to revive their trust in your brand and strengthen relationships.

5.3: Nurturing Customer Relationships Through Email

Keep sharing product recommendations (Cross-selling and upselling): Utilize customer purchase history and identify preferences to send personalized product recommendations. You can also suggest complementary products, accessories, or new releases that align with their interests.
Educate your customers via ‘how-to’, tips and tricks emails: Share product tutorials, usage guides, or tips and tricks to help customers maximize the value of their purchases and enhance their overall experience.
Provide exclusive offers and loyalty rewards: Reward customers with exclusive offers, discounts, or loyalty points based on their purchase history or engagement levels. These personalized incentives encourage repeat purchases and strengthen customer loyalty.
Send ‘thank you’ mails and feedback requests: Express gratitude for customer purchases through personalized thank-you emails. Include feedback requests to gather valuable insights into their experience, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate a commitment to customer satisfaction.

Post-purchase email is not just about confirming orders and providing usual updates; it’s about building lasting connections, fostering positive experiences, and cultivating a loyal customer base that contributes to sustainable business growth.

Post-purchase CX: The Path to Lifelong Customer Relationships

In the ever-evolving landscape of customer experience (CX), post-purchase interactions play a pivotal role in forging lifelong customer relationships and driving retention.

Prioritize customer satisfaction beyond the point of purchase to transform fleeting transactions into enduring connections.
Embrace evolving strategies and stay attuned to customer expectations to achieve sustainable growth in the ever-evolving world of customer experience.

Appendices

Getting started on implementing these strategies is the first step to turn one-time shoppers into your brand’s BFFs.

But wouldn’t it be even better if there were solutions to automate all these tasks on your behalf?

Meet LateShipment.com’s post-purchase suite — to help you provide delightful delivery and return experiences to automated refund recovery and drive everything post-purchase from one place.

LateShipment.com is a post-purchase automation platform built for D2C e-commerce businesses to offer superior CX throughout delivery & returns, effortlessly recover refunds for shipping errors by carriers, and drive efficiency in shipping with last-mile logistics intelligence.

When it comes to post-purchase CX, LateShipment.com helps you:

Reduce WISMO (Where Is My Order) support requests by up to 70% and return-related customer inquiries by up to 80%
Achieve CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) scores of 80+ even when delivery issues occur
Boost brand recall and customer engagement post-purchase by 6x
Drive up to 12% repeat purchases
Improve conversion rates by up to 28%
Reduce return processing time by up to 95%
Retain revenue from over 30% of your returns

And so much more…

Still doubtful? Don’t take our word for it.

Listen to what fellow e-commerce brands have to say about implementing post-purchase strategies into their existing workflows and seeing huge results.

For even more extensive strategies, here’s a free and comprehensive downloadable guide equipped with the post-purchase actionable strategies needed to transform one-time holiday shoppers into devoted brand advocates. Dive into the world of customer retention and discover how to make your brand the go-to choice for every season.

The post Post-purchase Strategies to Turn One-Time Holiday Shoppers into Your Brand’s BFFs appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

How To Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations For The Holiday Season

Sashank Ravindranath — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:15:47 +0000

Want to truly stand out in this competitive e-commerce landscape and enjoy the fruits of holiday season success?

Easy. Give your customers what they want.

What customers want

The increase in e-commerce-based technology, changes in the status quo of online shopping, ever-dynamic trends, etc have all turned customers’ wants into needs. Don’t forget, these interests keep on changing YoY.

Sure, you can do the bare minimum and just meet ends. But that doesn’t cut through today’s landscape.

You really need to understand your customers’ mindset, go the extra mile, and give more than what they want

To help you do that, we’ve tried to cover some of the most crucial things your customers expect from your brand and how you can exceed their expectations.

How To Exceed Your Customers' Expectations For The Holiday Season

Here are several strategies and tips that can help you not only meet but exceed customers’ expectations to ensure that your e-commerce business shines during the holiday season.

Let’s delve into these techniques and make this holiday season one to remember.

1. Store, marketing, and the holiday spirit

Let’s start with one of the early expectations for customers when choosing an e-commerce store to shop with during the holiday season — a trustworthy and interesting store.

Imagine ending up on a website or application for your particular holiday season needs and finding it outdated. It really makes one question the authenticity of the store and keeps it easy to move on to the next option.

So, what can you do to prevent this from happening to your business?

Populate your store’s website with a holiday-themed design that includes banners, icons, graphics, colors, and imagery
Consider incorporating interactive features such as holiday-themed quizzes, interactive product showcases, and other virtual experiences into your marketing campaigns to engage customers
Set up personalized email campaigns to prevent abandoned cart incidents. You can also take this up a notch and include holiday-special offers to motivate your customers even further
Offer branded tracking pages to improve convenience for the customer with seamless order tracking and brand recall

2. Gift guides, bundles, and special initiatives

Moving on to our next holiday-specific initiatives — 36% of holiday season orders are gifts for someone else. Here are some ideas for you to capitalize on this opportunity and maximize your selling capabilities.

Create gift guides tailored to different recipient types or occasions, such as “Gifts for Pet Lovers” or “Holiday Party Essentials.” Organize these guides on your website for easy access
Offer bundled product packages that combine related items at a discounted price
Provide optional holiday-themed gift-wrapping services during the checkout process to add an extra layer of convenience
Allow customers to add personalized notes and gift-giving options to make the unboxing experience exciting

3. Shipping, fulfillment, and timely deliveries

Thanks to the growth of e-commerce, apart from looking across products and choosing a brand to buy them, today’s customers also have high expectations when it comes to order deliveries.

Their need for timely and intact order deliveries is understandable and somewhat from their perspective, the bare minimum.

However, with shipping carriers straining capacity during each holiday season to deliver a huge volume of packages, tasks like getting orders out on time become an uphill task.

Optimize your order fulfillment process to reduce processing times. Consider using automated systems to streamline order handling
Offer multiple shipping options such as BOPIS and expedited shipping options for customers who need their purchases urgently
Collaborate with multiple shipping partners based on their pros and cons to ensure on-time delivery and minimize the risk of shipping delays
Consider free shipping (with certain conditions such as order value or for exclusive members) to spur shoppers to spend more

4. Communication, engagement, and positive CX

Not just during the holiday season, something to always keep in mind with your customers is to prevent unnecessary frustrations from bad shopping experiences.

The bad news is that there are a lot of instances that arise from high customer expectations that can result in these bad experiences.

The good news is that proper communication can help you mitigate customer frustrations and ensure a positive customer experience.

Clearly outline your holiday shipping and return policies on your website. Include information about shipping deadlines, costs, and return windows
Communicate your customer support hours during the holiday season. Provide multiple contact options such as live chat, email, and phone support
Proactively resolve order issues before your customers become aware of them in the first place
Offer real-time order tracking, delivery and return status updates so that customers can monitor the progress of their purchases

5. Feedback, gratitude, and a personalized touch

One of the best ways to exceed your customers’ expectations apart from your regular offerings is to connect with them on a personal level.

In the current e-commerce landscape, where almost all of your competitors offer the same products, it is the experiences that you offer that give you an advantage.

Encourage customers to leave feedback and reviews after their holiday purchases. Express your appreciation for their input and use their feedback to improve your services
Send personalized thank-you emails to customers after their holiday purchases. Express your gratitude for their support and include a heartfelt message. You can also consider including handwritten thank-you notes in packages to add a personal touch. These notes convey your appreciation and make customers feel valued
As a token of your gratitude, offer exclusive discounts or promotions to loyal customers. This not only shows appreciation but also incentivizes repeat business
Include personalized order recommendations based on customer history in your tracking pages and delivery notifications to improve cross-selling opportunities and covert order tracking into a separate revenue channel.

Final Word

By implementing these comprehensive strategies and tips, you can not only meet but exceed your customers’ expectations during the holiday season.

Remember that the holiday season offers an opportunity to create memorable experiences and foster lasting customer relationships that extend beyond the festive period.

Wishing you a joyful and successful holiday season filled with happy customers and thriving sales!

The post How To Exceed Your Customers’ Expectations For The Holiday Season appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

The importance of Estimated Delivery Date during the holidays

Raksna Anand — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 10:56:14 +0000

Do you know what customers search for in the checkout page? It’s the estimated delivery date. Yes

45% of customers abandon their carts because of unsatisfactory delivery options.(shipbob)

It is important to provide your customers with accurate shipping information including estimated delivery date.

What is estimated delivery date?

46% of e-commerce customers prefer to know the ETA of their package before they place their order (timesofIndia)

An estimated delivery date is the exact date on which the package the customer has ordered would reach their doorstep. It depends on various factors such as the time taken for the product to be shipped, distance, preferred shipping method and transit time.

Imagine that a customer is shopping last minute for Christmas gifts for their loved one. In this case, the accurate delivery date plays an important role because the customer wants to know if the product will reach them on time. Hence, we recommend all e-commerce businesses to include estimated delivery dates in their product page and checkout page.

Why is estimated delivery date important?

1. Builds trust and authority

The primary goal of establishing the estimated delivery date is to build a trust and authority factor over the brand. Especially when the customer receives the product on time, it fosters a good customer experience. Estimated delivery date not only provides accurate information but also encloses professionalism. When all the satisfactions are met in terms of the product and when the product arrives on time, it sets the stage for retention.

2. Increases sales

When the customer sees the accurate delivery date and if it aligns with their timeline, it would definitely be a huge factor to nudge them to click that buy button. During the holiday season, especially when time is everything, an accurate delivery date could give them a picture of what they can expect. This also reduces the cart abandonment rate. The customer would be very excited, especially when there are faster shipping options. They will anticipate more to receive the order.

3. Reduce WISMO enquiries

An average customer visits the branded tracking page 6-8 times while the shipment is in transit. Customer anxiety runs high, especially during the holiday season. Providing an accurate delivery date can drastically reduce WISMO enquiries. It is not only about specifying an accurate delivery date, it is important that you mention the date on the branded tracking page.

Near-accurate EDD results in a 76% drop in WISMO calls, even in case of delayed deliveries. (Australiapost)

This way, customer support representatives can handle more pressing queries rather than focusing on WISMO enquiries.

4. Setting customer expectations right

A. Managing Anticipation: Customers will know when they will receive the order and when they can anticipate receiving their orders This sets clear expectations and rules against any uncertainties Especially during the holiday season when supply chain disruptions are really high, an estimated delivery date could be a game changer leading to customer satisfaction

B. Avoiding unpleasant surprises: Without the accurate delivery date, the customer would imagine that a certain product could be shipped in a certain date and if that doesn’t happen, it leads to frustration which in turn gives a very bad delivery experience affecting the brand’s perception. The customer will have a completely different perception of the brand from here on

C. Gift of Giving: Usually during the holiday season, customers plan on gifting their loved ones and if they do not know the estimated delivery date of when this would happen then they wouldn’t be able to make a certain plan leaving them hanging.

5. Reduces Porch piracy

Porch-piracy is an epidemic. With the explosive growing of e-commerce sales, package theft has become more prevalent, relevant than ever.

One in two Americans have had their package stolen. Now, in some states, package theft has moved from a conviction to a felony. Providing accurate delivery date and time can allow the customers to accommodate a specific time during the date collected packages from the delivery partner. Thus, accurate delivery date and time can save you a lot of money and prevent your customers from experiencing a bad moment.

Where to display the estimated delivery date?

Product page
Checkout page
Shopping cart page
Order confirmation page
Order confirmation email
Branded tracking page
Customer Account dashboard
Customer service page

Wrapping Up

In this ever-bustling world, brands need to adapt to certain strategies to stay relevant. Including estimated delivery dates is an important feature which plays a major role in pushing the customer towards clicking the buy button.

Most of the customers want their order to be delivered yesterday. In such cases, it is better to provide customers with shipping optionality. Shipping optionality is the feature to provide customers with multiple shipping options, varying from expedited shipping to eco-friendly shipping to standard shipping options. This way the customer has the freedom to choose when they want their product to be delivered. Most of the customers who choose expedited shipping options often are willing to pay extra to get the product shipped and delivered soon. Try conveying as much information and provide customers with as much shipping options as you can for a better customer experience.

The post The importance of Estimated Delivery Date during the holidays appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

16 ways to improve Average Order Value during the holidays

Raksna Anand — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 07:38:38 +0000

Is average order value important? Of course, it’s a key metric that e-commerce brands should focus on during this holiday season. Increasing the average order value directly boosts your store’s revenue, increases customer loyalty, and retention and reduces churn rate.

How Does Average Order Value Influence Customer retention?

If a customer spends a lot on your website, it means that the customer trusts you, believes in your brand, and enjoys the experience that they’ve been receiving from the brand. When they’re satisfied with the post-purchase journey, and if they’re satisfied with the product that they have received, this will play a huge role in retention. Higher the average order value, better the customer experience and post-purchase journey, more would be the customer retention rate.

16 ways to improve Average Order value during the holidays

1. Offer product bundles

Product bundling is a well-known strategy used during the holiday season. Often complementary products are bundled together. Bundle the products that are often bought by your customers and present the bundle in a discounted price to increase the average order value of your cart. A popular type of bundling during the holiday season is the gift set.

2. Add gifting options

Customers are shopping at your site often looking to buy gifts for their loved ones. Save them some time by offering gifting options. This gifting option can be a great way to save time for your customers, adding to a positive customer experience. You also get to brand all your products with your gift-wrapping techniques.

3. Try to upsell your products

Upselling is usually recommending a higher priced or a better version of the product that the customer is currently viewing. This can be achieved by comparing a product with its high featured model and rating them. .

4. Add-on options

Offering complementary products that would go with the original product that the customer is viewing, can be a great way to present an opportunity to increase the average order value of the cart. For example, for a customer who is purchasing a moisturizer from a beauty brand, the same beauty brand can recommend face wash and serum before the application of the moisturizer to get a clearer skin. Clothing brands often do this by a ‘buy-the-look’ option while shopping.

5. Influence through Post - purchase journey

An average customer visits the order tracking page 6 to 8 times during delivery. This rate could be significantly increased during the holiday season owing to higher customer anxiety. Use the post-purchase communication channel to offer coupon codes, offers and discounts on products that are personally recommended for the customer. This has proven to be a very great marketing opportunity.

We’re seeing customers increase their revenue by an average of 12% through post-purchase promotions. (Fanx)

6. Suggestions in Checkout

The last touchpoint a customer can be influenced before the sale happens is the checkout page. The checkout page is when impulse decisions take place. E-commerce brands can suggest personalized recommendations or complementary products during checkout. Customers are more likely to add those products to their cart.

7. Try cross-selling

Cross-selling is the strategy through which an e-commerce brand recommends complementary products that go along with the product that the customer has chosen. This way, the customer feels very convenient and has a positive impression on the brand for recommending those products to them. Often customers might have forgotten to buy those complementary products and as a way of reminding that cross-selling acts as a way of reminding to the customers. Which also increasing the average order value.

8. Customise coupon codes

Customize and personalize the coupon codes according to an individual customer. Offer separate coupon codes for your loyalty members and first-time shoppers. Present thresholds for free shipping through customized coupon codes. For example, orders above $60 get free shipping with this ‘X’ coupon code. Present limited-time offers that last only for a few hours, to FOMO the customer into adding more items to the cart.

9. Incentivise customers as soon as they enter your shop

Offer discounts and collect emails from the customers as soon as they enter the shop. SpinTheWheel is one good tool which would help you do that. It offers a gamified experience and also offers coupon codes. Collecting emails from customers if you want the tool to do so.

10. Discounts with Loyalty programs

Loyal customers are a gold mine and don’t ever go cold on them. Always send frequent emails and SMSs to keep your loyal customers in the loop of what’s going on in your e-commerce space. A customer who has shopped from you before has a high probability of buying high valued items from you. Frequent communication with them about new product launches and offers that are going on in your store would be a great way to make them shop with you again.

11. Show how much they’ve saved through your offers

This might sound weird. Remind your customers that they have saved X amount of dollars by using coupon codes and offers from the brand. This would reduce cart abandonment rates. If the customer knows that they still have budget to purchase another item, they will do so knowing that they have saved so much.

12. Offer Tiered discounts

Offer a tired discount. For example: .20% offer on 2 products, 40% offer on 5 products, 50% offer on 10 products. Such a tiered discount would make the customer add more items into your cart, increasing the average order value.

13. Offer Buy Now, Pay Later Option

Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) is a popular payment method that’s been used by millennials and Gen Zs over the past few months. Your customers are shopping for their loved ones, and amidst inflation, they’re still willing to spend a lot on gifts. Offering multiple payment methods, especially Buy Now Pay Later, would give them the privilege to shop for products right now and not worry about exceeding their budget. This could give them a great customer experience also.

14. Display Social proof

When the customer has doubts about buying a certain product from you, social proof can be a great way to nudge them further into buying your product. This sets the customer expectation right and reduces the number of returns.

15. Levarage Personalised product recommendations

Personalized product recommendations are a great way to increase the amount of time, customers spend on your website. This promotes user engagement and customer retention. Customers often tend to discover new products on your website if they do so. This would significantly increase the average order value.

16. Show Abundance scarcity

Have you seen many websites showing data on ‘X number of people have viewed this product in the last two hours’ or ‘only four or five stocks left’ for you to purchase? This is the use of fear of scarcity to lure customers into buying a product from the brand.

Final Word

There are many ways with which you can increase your average order value. But some techniques work only at some point. If the customer clearly has a budget, then any number of tricks wouldn’t encourage them to add more things to the cart. They’d be more focused on saving money during this expensive season of the year. Strategize your pricing, keeping both the luxury shoppers and budget savers in mind. Of course, ‘one size fits all’ doesn’t also apply to increasing the average order value of every customer’s cart.

The post 16 ways to improve Average Order Value during the holidays appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

8 Branding Storytelling ideas during the holiday season

Raksna Anand — Thu, 09 Nov 2023 06:54:19 +0000

Brand storytelling is a relatively less used term. E-commerce sales have been explosively growing. There’s a reason why people prefer to shop online. Correction, there’s not one reason, there are so many reasons. Starting with convenience, people can shop whenever they want, wherever they want, however they want, in any device they want. You know what I mean, right?

And second, there are so many coupon codes, discount codes, special offers online, and exclusive online products. Other reasons include reviews, people can meticulously read what others think about a particular product and make an informed decision. This way customers know what they can expect. There is a free returns option also. In a world full of amazing brands, how can your brand stand out? That’s through Brand storytelling.

Branding VS Storytelling

Brand storytelling is very different from branding. For starters, branding focuses on very materialistic things like color, theme, logo, aesthetics, and creates an image of how a particular brand should be perceived by a customer.

But brand storytelling is different. Brand storytelling is how you emotionally connect to a customer by being your authentic self and what purpose you serve for the customer. The main goal of brand storytelling is an excellent relationship marketing tool.

Why is Storytelling important during the holiday season?

This is one question which always arises from a customer. Why should I buy from you? As an e-commerce brand, what values do you stand by? What do you provide for me other than the product, is what the customer in 2023 wants to know? Brand storytelling plays an important role here. Brand storytelling makes you:

Establish emotional connection
Stand out from the crowd
Build trust and authority
Make them feel included in your community

8 Branding storytelling ideas during the holiday season

1. Website design

Your website or your social media may be the first thing that a customer sees which sets a definitive image in the customer’s mind. Make sure that you say something that truly defines what you are and what you stand for. Your website homepage or your website design doesn’t just have to be about what you represent. Even very minimalistic touches can be very influential on your customer. For example, take a look at the micro animation below which sets the holiday mood even with a very micro interaction. This contributes to one of the elements of storytelling – Attention-grabbing.

2. Streamline the checkout process

Streamlining the checkout process is one small gesture from an e-commerce brand that you show on your site that you really want to make your customers feel convenient. Especially during the holiday season when the customers are in a rush? This not only increases conversion rates but also establishes a good customer experience.

3. Be your authentic self

Brand Storytelling is establishing that your brand stands for something. Don’t force your brand to be something that it’s not. Stand for what it really means, even if it means something really small. Take Patagonia, even on Black Friday, they stood by their values and boycotted the huge sale of the year opportunity. They opposed mass consumption during the holidays and their brand advocates even grew fond of what this brand did.

4. Unified messaging in all channels

All the channels through which you communicate, be it social media, be it your website, be it your brand tracking page, be it your holiday packaging, be it your emails or SMS, be it your customer support representatives, set the tone right. All these touchpoints revert back to your emotional connection.This unified messaging not only creates consistency but also builds trust and credibility.

Your brand, when it has a unified strategy, represents one thing and one thing only – your brand’s value, which is conveyed more and more to the customer once they get to experience all your touchpoints.

5. Customer testimonial

Customer testimonials are the social proof of what your brand stands for. This assures customers that you deliver what you say, leads to more conversions, and increases trust.

6. Showcase your CSR value

If you’re doing something that’s good for the environment and the people around you and your customers, then you should definitely take the liberty of showing that off to your customers. Not to sound very salesy, but good deeds are not meant to be kept a secret.

7. Holiday Packaging

Holiday packaging is one exciting touch point that you can use to further establish an emotional connection. You can customize your packaging, opt for eco-friendly gift options, add gifting options, do personalization, allow customers to add personalized notes, make interactive QR codes. This can lead to a very exciting unboxing experience.

8. Branded tracking page

Brands often think that nothing much could be established on branded tracking pages. But we are here to say that it’s not the case. You can add a number of content to your branded tracking page. You can add videos saying what your brand does and how the product that is being shipped to the customer can be used. This promotes customer education also, which reduces the number of returns. Branded tracking page is a great way to interact with your customers post-purchase.

Bonus Tip: Build a memorable customer experience

Building a memorable customer experience ties several knots to the relationship that you already have with your customer.

40% of shoppers do not come back to you after a poor delivery experience.

So, in any part of the customer journey, be it pre-purchase or post-purchase, there cannot be any compromise in what you offer. If the customer is not satisfied with the experience, this creates a negative brand image which cuts all the ties that you’ve tried so hard to establish.

Final Word

We live in an economy where relationships hold the primary power. Establishing an emotional connection with your customers is very important as we state again and again and again. E-commerce is not just about convenience and variety of products anymore, it’s more than that. It’s a good strategy to include brand storytelling in your marketing in order to convert customers. This increases customer retention when a customer feels connected to the brand.

Good luck!

The post 8 Branding Storytelling ideas during the holiday season appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

Introducing LateShipment.com’s E-commerce Shipping Insurance — Smart, Simplified, and Automated

Sashank Ravindranath — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 10:54:01 +0000

E-commerce Shipping: Everything That Is In Control And That Isn't

As an e-commerce merchant, you put in a lot of effort to meticulously curate the stage of the customer journey that is under your control to motivate them to click that “BUY” button, make a successful sale, and bring in profits.

However, at this critical juncture, the reins of control slip from your grasp.

This part of the customer journey that follows: from dispatch to delivery or, in some cases, returns — known as “the post-purchase phase”, is filled with uncertainties and challenges.

To make things worse, these challenges have the potential to hurt your business and undo all your efforts till that point.

Inevitable Post-purchase Issues and Their Impact on Your Business

The post-purchase phase is highly error-prone. Once shipped, your customers’ packages inevitably encounter unforeseen issues such as getting lost and damaged while in transit.

32% of customers say that they have not received at least one package they ordered in the past six months because their packages were lost in the mail.
7% to 11% of customers’ online orders arrive broken or damaged
$500K is the estimated loss for e-commerce businesses just from lost and damaged packages in a year

Over time, businesses that consistently face lost and damaged package issues have a competitive disadvantage and face a negative impact when it comes to growth.

So, what is it that you can do to ensure that your bottom line stays protected, each time lost or damaged package incidents happen?

This is where shipping insurance steps in to save the day.

What is Shipping Insurance And Why Is It Important For Your Business?

Shipping insurance is a safety net that is designed to protect e-commerce shipments, particularly against loss and damage.

If an insured parcel gets lost or damaged while being shipped or the contents in the package go missing, then you are entitled to a financial compensation of the package value or the insured value from the insurance service provider.

There are multiple reasons why shipping insurance is necessary for your e-commerce business:

Peace of mind from the assurance of financial security and thereby having reduced concerns about potential delivery incidents.
Protection, especially against high-value goods such as jewelry and electronic items going missing and packages getting lost or damaged during transit.

In short, with parcels insured, you will no longer have to worry about losing money due to delivery issues.

Instead, you can both confidently approach customers who’ve faced delivery issues with your repeat purchase efforts, as well as direct the expenses towards growing your business and stay ahead of the competition.

If you’re unaccustomed to shipping insurance — we’ll get right to how you can get started with choosing the right service provider for your needs.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who’s been insuring your packages via old-school techniques, here’s why it may not be the best option for you in the current state of e-commerce and package deliveries.

Why Old-School Shipping Insurance Techniques Might Not Make The Cut in Today’s Post-Purchase Landscape

Generic shipping insurance options can provide a certain level of protection. But in the current state, where lost, damaged, and missing package incidents are repetitive in occurrence, they may not always be sufficient for your business for several reasons:

Limited Coverage: Generic shipping insurance options often come with limitations on what they cover. They may not fully cover the value of high-ticket items or certain types of products, leaving you exposed to dealing with potential financial losses.
Complex Claims Process: Filing a claim for lost or damaged goods through generic options can be complex and time-consuming. Customers may need to file manual claims, provide extensive documentation, follow up regularly, navigate through a bureaucratic system, and wait for an extended period to receive their compensation. This can be too much of a hassle.
Lack of Customization: Generic insurance options typically offer just one type of solution for all needs, thereby preventing you from tailoring rules and coverage options based on specific preferences.

This brings us to address the need for specialized shipping insurance solutions that are well-integrated into your post-purchase efforts and offer diverse benefits that make things easier for you.

For specialized solutions that are designed to help you stay ahead of shipping losses and damages, meet LateShipment.com’s E-commerce Shipping Insurance.

Introducing LateShipment.com's E-commerce Shipping Insurance — Smart, Simplified, and Automated

Generic shipping insurance has always been rigid and unreachable for the average e-commerce merchant and we at LateShipment.com wanted to change that status quo and make things accessible and convenient.

With claims backed by “A” rated U.S. insurance company Shipsurance, we are bringing shipping insurance into our existing post-purchase suite to offer comprehensive insurance coverage that brings substantial savings compared to carrier-provided insurance and expedited claim payments.

Here are the specific ways LateShipment.com’s Shipping Insurance stands apart while being beneficial to you.

LateShipment.com: the (Revolutionary) New Way of Insuring Your Parcels

What’s Covered?

Comprehensive shipment protection – With every incident of lost, damaged, or missing items being claimed for coverage of up to $2000 per package across the globe, involving a majority of shipping carriers, LateShipment.com offers highly comprehensive shipment protection that you can ship out on every order with peace of mind.

Read coverage terms and conditions to learn more.

What’s new?

Forget the hassle of opting to insure with every order – Seamlessly include insurance into your order fulfillment workflow, with automation that begins as soon as the label is generated.
Your insurance, your rules – Tailor your rules just to insure the shipments that align with your unique insurance needs.
Ensure you are never over or under-insured – Flexible coverage options to help you avoid overpaying for insurance. Opt for a full shipment value cover or set your preferred rate and include shipping costs if needed.
Add insurance on-demand – Small business or occasional shippers? We’ve got your back. Effortlessly add insurance on your own just when you need it, in one click.
Centralized claims management – With all things insurance happening inside a unified portal, you have access to a centralized view of submitting claims, tracking statuses, and everything else.
Quick claims from the Help desk – Enable your support agents to address lost/damaged tickets instantly with a claim portal right inside the helpdesk.

What’s better?

Following and managing claims being a hectic task is a thing of the past. With our automated claims management in place, manage Insurance claims effortlessly.

Effortless claims handling – As our claim management is an automated process, it only takes 2-steps from your end to select the shipment and upload your proofs. Automation will handle the rest.
Lightning-fast claims approval – The best part, your claims are resolved in a very short time of less than 5 days, so you can gladly skip the waiting period.

Discontent due to package losses and damages is a thing of the past.

With comprehensive risk coverage, intelligent automation and claims easier than ever, LateShipment.com’s Shipping Insurance is the smarter way to protect your bottom line.

The post Introducing LateShipment.com’s E-commerce Shipping Insurance — Smart, Simplified, and Automated appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

E-Commerce Post-Purchase CX Playbook For The Up-And-Coming Holiday Season

Sashank Ravindranath — Mon, 30 Oct 2023 15:05:20 +0000

The Post-purchase CX Mandate

Knowing what’s coming and staying ahead of delivery and return-related issues is key to perfecting post-purchase.

However, e-commerce post-purchase issues are nothing out of the ordinary, especially during times like the Holiday Season. The impact they bring is catastrophic — wrecking customer experience, straining customer support teams, and ultimately threatening profit margins.

Regardless of who the shipping partner is, a leading carrier or a 3PL, some hard truths that you deal with are.

E-commerce post-purchase is a missed opportunity in the current state

The ‘post-purchase customer experience (CX)’ is an integral but often overlooked function in any e-commerce business. When done right, it has the potential to ensure your customers have a hassle-free ‘order delivery’ and ‘return’ experience. In the long run, this can help you boost customer loyalty, efficiency, as well as profits.

That said, let’s see why post-purchase is a huge missed opportunity for most businesses out there.

Up to 20% of shipments face issues such as late delivery, attempted-failed delivery, lost or damaged in transit
30% of customer support team’s time and effort is wasted handling repetitive delivery and return related inquiries
12% of revenue is lost because businesses don’t encourage repeat purchases during order and return tracking moments
35% of all products purchased online are returned

The link between Post-Purchase CX and Customer Loyalty

As mentioned earlier, post-purchase CX has everything to do with what happens after the customer makes a purchase.

To make things more familiar, shipping updates, order tracking, or in some cases returns and exchanges. Either way, this is the last thing your customers are going to remember about their experience with your brand. Therefore, you have to ensure that it stays memorable.

Remember, a positive post-purchase experience can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, while a negative post-purchase experience can lead to customer churn.

78% of shoppers won’t buy from the brand again after just ONE bad delivery or return experience.

Now, one might ask: On whom does the onus of perfecting the post-purchase CX really fall?

The answer is: on everyone — from marketing to sales, to operations and customer service. By bringing all business functions together and working towards excelling in both, your post-purchase customer experience and operations at every stage of the process is vital.

To help you provide a great post-purchase experience and reap its benefits, we have developed a playbook covering everything you need to know about creating an e-commerce post-purchase strategy that will improve the customer experience and boost customer retention this Holiday Season and beyond.

6 Post-purchase Plays to Dominate Customer Experience During the Holiday Season

1. Enabling real-time tracking and delivery alerts

With unprecedented visibility into the status of their order in transit, you can stay in the know of all your packages at any given moment. This also gives you the ability to gain real-time alerts and be able to identify potential issues, such as delays much ahead of the customer.

You can leverage this data to proactively address problems, such as offering solutions or even just informing customers.

Such actions can ensure that customers’ frustration levels are significantly reduced and as a result, there is a positive brand perception.

2. Engaging in regular and personalized order status notifications

Even when things are going perfectly, you can keep your customers engaged with order updates and personalized conversations by making use of the customer and order information in your hand.

Send email and SMS shipping notifications at every stage of the post-purchase package journey, i.e., delivery and return status events such as in-transit, delivered, and returned, etc, to keep customers informed at all times. This makes them less prone to getting anxious regarding their parcels, reduces the volume of WISMO inquiries, and allows support teams to focus on more complex customer issues.

Such personalized conversations also let the customers know that you are committed to delivering them a positive post-purchase experience which leads to increased customer satisfaction.

3. Leveraging memorable tracking experiences

An extension of real-time tracking and proactive order communication is making use of a “branded” tracking page that is hosted on your website, from where your customers can track their orders whenever they want to.

Apart from tracking details, your tracking page can also include additional content such as an on-brand website design (color, font, etc), a complete order summary to let customers if they’ve entered the correct details, delivery satisfaction ratings to collect customer feedback, easy returns initiation and reaching out to customer support to provide hassle-free experiences, and so on.

The best part, you can add elements such as sale announcements and personalized product recommendations to ensure an increase in cross-selling. All of this helps in reinforcing your brand identity, leaving a lasting experience, improving your brand reputation, and ultimately driving more sales.

4. Enhancing packaging and unboxing experience

Receiving their orders might be the moment your customers have been expecting since they hit that ‘buy’ button. Make that moment etched into their memories with the right packaging and unboxing techniques.

Packaging plays a much bigger role than just covering your product. Firstly, a great-looking package creates a positive first impression, setting the stage for a great post-purchase experience. Following these are the branded elements that reinforce identity, good quality that ensures lower chances of damage and frustration, and sustainable materials used to improve brand image.

Following packaging, there comes the relatively new trend of unwrapping/ unboxing experience being capitalized by e-commerce brands. Ensure customers share their unboxing videos on social media as user-generated content to create larger brand awareness and attract new customers.

5. Handling returns and exchanges effectively

Your efforts to provide a positive post-purchase experience do not end with the delivery being made, as there are always chances of your customers returning their purchase.

But remember, customers don’t always look forward to returning their purchases — so, don’t make the experience frustrating for them. Keep things as seamless as you can via easy and quick returns, multiple return options (exchanges and store credits), clear returns policy, transparent return status communications, etc.

When handled effectively, returns can be an opportunity to demonstrate customer-centricity, resolve issues efficiently, build trust and loyalty, and enhance customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

6. Encouraging reviews and ratings

A great post-purchase experience is one that is constantly evolving. So, give room for it to grow and fasten the process by encouraging your customers to provide feedback on the post-purchase experience that they received.

You can start by making it easier for customers to leave their feedback — probably in the order delivered/ returned email or on the order tracking page, once the progress is completed. In case there’s a review and a place where you don’t want them leaving one, try to reach out to them at the earliest and offer a solution that they expect in order to change the emotion of the feedback from negative to positive. You can also take a step ahead and reward customers via incentives for their feedback to ensure that they leave more and spread good word-of-mouth.

By resolving their negative comments or displaying their positive review on your website or social media, you are conveying that their feedback matters and as a result builds strong customer relationships. Either way, reviews and ratings from customers provide an opportunity to make regular improvements and reach a wider audience.

How LateShipment.com Can Help Power your Post-purchase Success

LateShipment.com is the ultimate all-in-one post-purchase success platform for e-commerce retailers, D2C brands, and businesses shipping small parcels, regardless of their size or shipping volume.

Our Post-Purchase Success platform includes:

Delivery Experience Management (DEM): To build memorable order delivery experiences and boost recurring revenue during order tracking moments.
Returns Experience Management (REM): To make returns hassle-free with flexible return options and smart automations to help retain revenue.
Parcel Audit and Shipping Refunds: To save big on shipping costs through automated shipping refunds and drive supply-chain optimization with in-depth shipping analytics and insights.

Also, LateShipment.com seamlessly integrates with 600+ Shipping Carriers and Business Tools that include E-commerce platforms, Order Management Systems, Helpdesks, and Marketing Automation tools to help you drive post-purchase experiences and shipping cost savings at scale.

The post E-Commerce Post-Purchase CX Playbook For The Up-And-Coming Holiday Season appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.

[Gorgias X Lateshipment.Com] Strengthening Customer Relationships With Post-Purchase Automation For 11 Key Events

Sashank Ravindranath — Fri, 27 Oct 2023 19:20:47 +0000

Customer service in the post-purchase phase is really a hectic time for support teams. It is their time and opportunity to become sales agents, offering discounts to encourage repeat purchases, etc.

However, due to the unpredictable nature of the post-purchase phase, support teams are often forced to spend most of their time resolving customer issues. In fact, up to 30% of a customer support team’s time and effort is wasted handling repetitive delivery and return related inquiries.

Thus, the need for post-purchase customer support automation and proactive delivery issue resolution is very evident. This is where Gorgias and LateShipment.com come together to arm your support reps with the capability to strengthen customer relationships.

For those of you who are here and unaware of what we do, Gorgias is a powerful customer service helpdesk software that strives to help e-commerce merchants provide exceptional customer service and turn your customer service into a profit center. LateShipment.com is an automation platform specializing in providing solutions for e-commerce businesses to enhance their post-purchase customer experience.

Together, our integration helps businesses deliver a superior customer experience and build customer trust and loyalty in the competitive e-commerce landscape.

We developed this guide (along with a downloadable handbook!) to set up LateShipment.com with Gorgias and equip your support team to get better at understanding and responding to different post-purchase events and have meaningful conversations that drive quality experiences and ultimately impact your revenue.

11 Post-Purchase Events That You Can Automate With Lateshipment.Com And Gorgias

One of the biggest challenges e-commerce merchants face when it comes to resolving post-purchase issues and queries is the lack of information that prevents quick and efficient issue resolution.

Automation takes care of the management of these areas. With the help of Tags to organize and Rules to automate within Gorgias, LateShipment.com helps you extend automation for 11 order delivery and returns events and extend your efforts to provide high-quality customer support to the most critical part of the customer journey — the post-purchase phase.

Event 1: Packages delivered with delays

Rule: Priority: Delayed Delivery

Rule description: Set a higher priority for tickets with the “Delayed Delivery” tag to ensure quicker resolution.

Rule benefit:

Set priority based on delay severity
Add internal notes for future reference
Automatically adjust the priority based on tags, allowing the team to focus on higher-priority tickets first

Suggested automations and actions:

Set up tags to automatically assigns a higher priority to tickets with the “Delayed Delivery” tag. This will ensure quicker resolution and put tickets on priority at the top of the queue..
Set up macros to notify customers when their order has been delivered late and apologize for the delay to reduce customer frustration.
Include solutions such as offering a discount or a gift card on your next purchase to compensate them for upcoming purchases in your macros to maintain a high level of customer satisfaction despite the delay.

Event 2: In transit with delays

Rule: Priority: In-Transit Delayed

Rule description: Auto-assign based on tags “In-Transit Delayed, Priority Medium”

Rule benefit:

Set response time SLA based on delay
Assign to specific agent/team based on delay
Automatically assign tickets to specific agents or teams based on tags to streamline handling

Suggested automations and actions:

Set up macros to proactively notify customers when their shipment is in transit with delays.
In your pre-made reponses, ensure you apologize for the delay and provide an updated estimated delivery date.
Set up tags that assign in-transit delay tickets to the right support agents or teams for faster and more effective resolution.
Automatically follow up with customers about the status of their in-transit shipments.

Such actions can help you keep customers updated and reduce the number of tickets you receive about the status of in-transit shipments.

Event 3: Failed Deliveries

Rule: Escalate to Tier 2 Support

Rule description: Escalate the ticket to a higher support level if delivery retries fail, ensuring faster issue resolution.

Rule benefit:

Escalate to a higher support level if retries fail
Trigger notifications to relevant parties for failed deliveries
Notify supervisors when tickets with failed deliveries are encountered, ensuring prompt attention

Suggested automations and actions:

Automate macros with potential solutions, such as scheduling a re-delivery, requesting updated delivery information, etc based on the reason behind the failed delivery
Create tags for escalating the ticket to a higher level support agent if delivery retries fail, ensuring faster issue resolution and prevention of unnecessary returns.
Guide customers through the resolution process by sending them order updates or allowing them to track their parcels

Event 4: Predicted Delays

Rule: Priority: Predicted Delay

Rule description: Assign a lower priority for predicted delay tickets to ensure timely resolution while managing expectations.

Rule benefit:

Update order status with predicted delay
Notify customers about the delay via email
Automatically send an email to customers to alert them about potential delays and offer support options

Suggested automations and actions:

Proactively communicate macros to the customer, informing them about the predicted delay, the reasons for it, and the new estimated delivery date.
Provide the customer with options in your macros to mitigate the impact of the predicted delay. This may include offering expedited shipping, issuing a partial refund, or allowing the customer to cancel their order.

Event 5: Packages Suspected Lost

Rule: Escalate for Lost Package Investigation

Rule description: Escalate tickets with “Lost Package” and “Investigation” tags to the team responsible for investigations.

Rule benefit:

Create tasks for agents to follow up on investigation
Update customer profile with lost package status
Automatically assign tickets with the “Lost Package” tag to the team handling package investigations

Suggested automations and actions:

Set up macros that acknowledge the issue and lets the customer know when they can expect to receive an update.
Assure customers of the investigation process and provide updates regularly to explain that you are actively investigating the situation.

Event 6: Lost/Damaged shipments

Rule: Send Survey After Resolution

Rule description: Automatically send a survey to customers after resolution of lost/damaged shipment tickets to gather feedback.

Rule benefit:

Auto-send satisfaction survey
Add the satisfaction score to the ticket

Suggested automations and actions:

Start by acknowledging and apologizing for the incident and assure the customer that you are actively working to fix the situation.
Offer and explain the detailed steps for compensation through detailed steps for resolution, including returns, replacements, or refunding their purchase.

Not just for delivery incidents, with the LateShipment.com and Gorgias integration, you can extend performing necessary actions in the order returns stage as well and display your commitment towards offering a superior post-purchase customer experience.

Event 7: Return Initiated

Rule: Set Reminders for Return Processing Milestones

Rule description: Automatically set reminders for key return processing milestones to ensure timely handling and communication.

Rule benefit: Automatically update inventory levels when a return is initiated to maintain accurate stock information.

Suggested automations and actions:

Macros that highlight the successful initiation of the return process and outline the next steps.
Update your FAQ or knowledge base with information on what customers need to know during the return process.
If your policy includes providing return shipping labels, automate the process of generating and sending a return label to the customer.

Event 8: Return Canceled

Rule: Remove Tags and Actions for Canceled Returns

Rule description: Automatically remove specific tags and actions when a return is canceled to keep the ticket organized.

Rule benefit:

Trigger re-approval process once the return is reactivated
Adjust return processing timeline based on delay
Automatically assign tickets for return reactivation cases to the team handling return approvals.

Suggested automations and actions:

Start your pre-made response by acknowledging the ticket and informing the customer that there has been a return cancellation request from their end.
Follow up with the message that the return has been successfully canceled.
Customize this rule to meet your specific needs. For example, add information about how customers can contact you if they have any questions or concerns.

Event 9: Return Received

Rule: Notify Warehouse for Return Receipt

Rule description: Automatically notify the warehouse or inventory team when items are received as part of a return

Rule benefit: Automatically update your order history with return receipt status to maintain accurate records

Suggested automations and actions:

Inform the customer that their return has been received and is being processed.
Follow up by letting them know that the resolution is in progress.
Provide an estimated timeframe for processing their return.

Event 10: Return Approved

Rule: Create Tasks for Refund/Exchange Initiation

Rule description: Automatically create follow-up tasks to initiate the refund or exchange process after return approval.

Rule benefit: Automatically assign tickets for refund/exchange initiation to the team handling these processes.

Suggested automations and actions:

Notify the customer that their return request has been approved and is being processed.
Update them with the next course of action (the process of initiating refunds or replacement) once the product inspection is complete.

Event 11: Return Rejected

Rule: Offer Alternatives for Rejected Returns

Rule description: Automatically offer alternative solutions to customers if their return request is rejected.

Rule benefit: Automatically offer alternative solutions to customers if their return request is rejected.

Suggested automations and actions:

Inform the customer that their return has been rejected.
Provide a clear and detailed explanation to the customer regarding why their return was rejected. Include any relevant policy information to support your statement.
Be sure to provide the customer with clear instructions on how to proceed, get their doubts or questions cleared, etc.

Overall, you can use automation to resolve post-purchase issues and queries with the LateShipment.com-Gorgias integration to improve their customer experience, reduce customer churn, and ultimately build customer relationships.

To take even quicker actions, here’s a free downloadable cheat sheet filled with different post-purchase events, suggested macros, appropriate actions that you need to take, etc.

Why Using Automation To Resolve Post-Purchase Issues And Queries Is A Good Idea

Post-purchase issues and queries can be a major pain point for businesses and customers. Customers want their orders delivered on time and in good condition, and businesses want to avoid customer churn. Using automation to resolve post-purchase issues and queries can help both parties.

Here are several benefits of using automation with the LateShipment.com-Gorgias integration:

Prioritize post-purchase issues and queries based on their severity and impact on the customer. This can help businesses resolve the most important issues first, which can improve customer satisfaction and reduce customer churn.
Automatically route tickets to the appropriate support team to automate customer notifications during each resolution process and improve workflow.
Provide customers with self-service options or to automatically escalate tickets to a higher support level if needed. This is a faster and more efficient way to resolve issues and ultimately helps to improve the customer experience.
Gain better visibility into their post-purchase issues and queries. This information can be used to identify trends and patterns, which can help businesses improve their delivery process and reduce the risk of future problems.
Automating repetitive tasks such as responding to common customer inquiries or sending order status updates. This can free up support representatives to focus on more complex issues and improve efficiency.

Macro Templates for Post-Purchase Events

Inside Gorgias, macros are pre-made responses you can use to respond to your customers faster. They can be customized with specific information, such as the customer’s name, order number, and product information.

Macros are useful if a lot of your customers tend to ask similar things or comment on similar topics and can help agents decrease response times by eliminating the need to repeatedly respond to customer inquiries and complaints.

Here are some macro templates formulated by the LateShipment.com and Gorgias integration to help you automate proactive responses to delivery issues and regular post-purchase communication such as delivery status notifications and return status emails.

Use these macros to bring in efficiency to your purchase communication and provide customers with a more consistent and personalized experience.

How You Can Set Up LateShipment.com and Gorgias Integration

Connecting your Gorgias account to your LateShipment.com account lets you seamlessly stay on top of delivery events that may require your attention. With the Gorgias integration, you can have tickets automatically created for delivery events that you select.

Any updates on the delivery status for a shipment in-transit for which a ticket has already been created, are made available on the same ticket. This ensures that support agents have all the information they need around a shipment in one place.

Getting started with connecting LateShipment.com with Gorgias can be done with simple steps.

‍ Login to your LateShipment.com account.

Click on the Settings icon.
Select Connect Helpdesk
On the “Select your Helpdesk” dropdown, pick “Gorgias”
Enter the email ID that you’ve connected with your Gorgias account.
Against the events for which you would like tickets created, turn the toggle “ON”
Hit Submit to complete the setup.

The post [Gorgias X Lateshipment.Com] Strengthening Customer Relationships With Post-Purchase Automation For 11 Key Events appeared first on Lateshipment.com Blog.