“Get ready to jump with joy as your order is out for delivery”. True to what it claims, the out for delivery notification is indeed special compared to the other transactional shipping notifications sent during the post-purchase, order delivery phase of ecommerce.
But what makes this delivery stage so special? To know that we’ll start with what out for delivery means and where it sits in the ecommerce order delivery process.
What Does Out for Delivery Mean?
When the order is set to be “out for delivery”, it means that the order will reach its destination on the same day or the next day, given the distance and situation between the carrier’s transportation hub or fulfilment center and the customer’s doorstep.
Out for delivery indicates that the order is in the last mile of delivery and if all goes well, just the “delivered” result awaits. To help you understand better, let’s get further into the basics of last mile delivery and where out for delivery sits in the life cycle.
Compared to the other delivery stages, out for delivery is indeed special because customers who have placed orders are at the peak of their anticipation when this particular notification drops on their devices. If all goes well for them, this would be the only thing between them and their most exciting orders.
Where does out for delivery sit in the ecommerce order delivery process
The common order delivery process usually consists of 4 simple transactional notifications sent to the customer whenever there is an update on their orders.
- Shipped – When the order is “shipped”, it implies that it is picked up by the shipping carrier.
- In-transit – The order is in transit when it is in movement from one point to another. The order is usually in transit when it leaves the first hub and is on its way to reaching the carrier’s hub at the delivery city.
- Out of delivery – Out for delivery indicates the order is now at its final stretch. The package has left the carrier facility and is on its way to the customer.
- Delivered – The order is marked “delivered” when the customer successfully receives the package.
While that’s all on the common transactional notifications front, there can also be several uncommon instances such as delivery attempted, in-transit with delays, lost/damaged, etc that ecommerce brands can leverage to send shipping notifications to their customers and alleviate their worries.