Finding a perfect partner for your business
SMEs are considered to be the backbone of the economy with 45% of India’s GDP is contributed by them. However many SMEs struggle to get their products delivered on time and in shape. You start your own business with the idea you are passionate about. There are various steps before you hit the market. One of the most important steps is to figure out the logistics. Just like the idea can be good but the execution makes it great similarly the product may be fabulous but how and when it is delivered makes a great deal. Before your customer actually opens and uses the product, he/she will judge you on the delivery service you have picked to deliver it to the customer.
They need to figure out affordable and tangible ways to expedite delivery without affecting their key role that is running a successful business. Delivery can be a complicated process and for a start-up, the best bet is to get it done from a specialist. Questions like “how to pick a delivery partner” or “when to hire one” can be daunting. We’ve tried to get the answers for SMEs that are on the roll and ready to hit big.
What’s the best time to hire a delivery partner?
When starting a business it is important to focus on the operational needs of the business than to focus on the delivery needs. Therefore many small businesses prefer self-delivery or placing random orders with delivery services in their vicinity.
A little later than the initial stages when the business starts to grow, the demand is still unpredictable and hence it is not financially feasible to build your delivery setup. Therefore a smart decision would be to outsource the delivery to a professional courier service that can offer need-based delivery to the customers. Look for a courier/delivery service that is efficient and caters to the unpredictable demand.
Once the business starts running at a stable pace and you can forecast the volumes, you can hire a delivery partner to cater to your business needs. Let the delivery partner take away the stress of delivery cost and management so that you can focus on running your business. Once you can predict the volumes you are in a better position to negotiate the pricing as well.
What you should be looking for in a delivery partner?
If you don’t know it already, here’s what your customer wants: faster, on-time and secure delivery. No matter how good your product is, if it’s delayed or damaged when received by the customer, you are most probably going to lose your business and credibility. Thus at every stage of your business, you must ensure that your delivery doesn’t suffer and is delivered most efficiently. Look for these 4 things in your delivery partner to start with: Reliability, Consistency, Security, and Professionalism.
For every business, the delivery requirement may vary. While a baker/caterer would need temperature-controlled delivery boxes, an event organizer may need better handling of decorative items. Similarly, the customer delivery needs may vary too. While some customers may need one day delivery, others may need delivery at a specific time. Your delivery partner is the link between you and your customer; therefore they must understand the needs and meet them appropriately. Hire a delivery partner that helps you establish a relationship of trust and reliability with your customers.
Consistent means steadiness in delivering the promise. If you are committed to your customer, your delivery partner must adhere to your commitment. A professional courier service must offer to deliver every time on the set expectations. A consistent delivery each time ensures that the customer is happy and will keep coming back to you.
Picture this; a customer calls you complaining that the artifact that you have sent is broken. There can be two outcomes of this; 1)You offer a refund and send another piece for free to retain the customer or 2)The customer refuses the fresh piece and wants to part ways after taking the refund. In the first case you will lose some money with a chance that this customer might never return to you whereas in the second case, this customer will definitely stop buying from you and might also bad mouth you which will affect the buying decisions of many more potential customers. The moral of this story is that your delivery partner can make or break your brand. Therefore your delivery partner must take all the significant measures to ensure your product is delivered safely.
"How you deliver" is equally significant to "what you deliver", therefore a reliable delivery partner plays an important role in bringing in more business. Delivery executives are the first touch-points for your customers and if you have outsourced the delivery it is difficult to control the service standards. Therefore it is important that you choose a delivery partner which guarantees exceptional service. Customers these days acknowledge and appreciate the genuine efforts of making a great delivery experience. Pick a delivery partner that invests time and effort to hire and train delivery executives to ensure that the customers enjoy exceptionality and quality of service.
Will faster delivery help my business retain customers?
Has it ever happened that just 2 days before Rakhi you realize you forgot to buy a gift for your sister? With busy lifestyles and less time at hand, this happens quite a lot these days. And to fuel this need there are providers catering to this need of urgency. And that’s why 63% of customers would opt for products that are delivered within 2 days (Source: Business Insider).
The rise in the demand for one day delivery has changed how customers perceive businesses. Customers want to stay loyal to those who understand this need and they stick around if the need is met. Faster and better delivery experience can build customer loyalty which is rare these days. The biggest eCommerce giants are already after them by offering faster deliveries through various subscription models. You, on the other hand, can build an advantage of being local and with the right delivery partner; you can make on-time deliveries much faster. By offering same day delivery you would be able to gain visibility as well as customer loyalty.
But if you try to offer same day delivery on your own, it would start affecting other areas of business. Initially, considering the size of operations it is advisable to partner with a same day courier service. It is the most affordable way of offering a faster delivery service to your customers. The right delivery partner will provide courier pick up and same day delivery within the city giving you an edge over other eCommerce giants.
How critical it is to have a tech-enabled delivery partner?
Customers nowadays want to be in the loop. They want to stay updated on each stage of the delivery cycle. SMEs that pick tech-enabled delivery partners; it automatically brings an edge to their business. They are in a better position to keep their customers informed on arrivals as well as delays.
Through a delivery app, tech-enabled delivery partners allow SMEs to view the location of the driver or the package. This becomes crucial especially in case of fast deliveries. An efficient delivery partner will be able to provide complete delivery status along with a full chain of custody like bar code scanning of the package, OTP verification for secure delivery and proof of delivery for future references. As India keeps digitizing, consumers’ increased demand for this functionality will force the industry to move in this direction.
Just like the customer has needs for the product that you have created, the customer also has delivery needs. While you may be good at identifying and meeting the product needs, you may not be a specialist to meet the delivery needs. The right delivery partner will take the load off your shoulders for managing your logistics and also helping you achieve efficiencies through innovation in technology. At Pidge we understand the needs and offer business solutions that are feasible as well as efficient for growing your small scale business. Our services come with real-time package tracking, 2 way OTP protection and radius-free deliveries through background-checked, verified employee. Leave the job of secure and reliable delivery to us and keep doing what you are good at i.e. create the best products for your customers.
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Customer expectations from online courier service
There is a huge gap between what customers want and what the online courier services are offering. The delivery experience and speed are the most common expectations; however, courier services that claim to be “professional courier services” are failing to fulfill these expectations. Let’s understand what the expectations of the customers are and what motivates the customer to choose a particular courier service and how these expectations can be fulfilled.
The new competitive advantage for online courier service
As per Microsoft, the human attention span has fallen to 8 seconds (from 12). So to be able to get the attention of the customers, the online courier services have to find a way to impress the customers in less than 8 seconds. With an abundance of options providing same day delivery, it may not be the only reason for creating customer loyalty. The courier services have to build a competitive advantage for themselves. They have to change their approach from a "solution provider" to a "service provider".
