Do you want to see improved customer satisfaction from your shipping strategy? Do you want to know how to make clients happy and encourage return business through shipping? Well, if you did, you came to the right place.
Shipping is a key piece of e-commerce as it often holds weight in determining success. You mustn’t only create a practical shipping strategy. You also need to understand how its aspects can benefit you.
Below, we discuss how your shipping strategy may lead to more customer satisfaction.
1. Stick to the Promises You Make
Many business owners don’t realize that investing in a good shipping strategy is the smart thing to do. You may have high-quality products, yet late arrivals can decrease the customer’s trust in you. If you want to improve customer satisfaction, you have to keep your delivery promises.
Many prefer seeing realistic timeframes rather than get disappointed by “fast” deliver options. Customers don’t like businesses that don’t keep their promises. When you tell customers that their items will arrive within three days, make sure it does.
Remember, your goal in business is to build and maintain the customer’s trust. Customers will know if you’re honest about the delivery rates and schedules.
Always remember that adaptability is the key to a successful shipping strategy. If you want to keep your promises, hire experienced people to manage your logistics. They’re the best at gauging schedules, certain conditions, and more.
2. Reasonable Fees and Status Updates Keep Customers Pleased
Do you want to see improved customer satisfaction? Show your customers your shipping rates and make sure they have reasonable costs. Free shipping isn’t always going to be possible, but you don’t want them to be too high either.
Otherwise, you risk seeing a lot of cart abandonment. It also helps to compare the prices of various logistics or freight companies. You may find it’s easier to charge lower for shipping when you use third-party logistics (3PL).
Also, as we mentioned, transparency is the key to building trust. Many consumers like to know the status of their acquisitions and where they are. It’s one reason why they prefer businesses that provide status updates on their shipping.
3. Show That You’re a Sustainable Company
The state of the earth is a major yet indirect concern for many consumers. A healthy 88% of consumers prefer sustainable businesses. Other studies show that green packaging is the top concern of online consumers.
Not all businesses can send out their products with recycled or reused packaging. Some need specialized packaging to keep their products safe and in one piece. This is where practicality and smart packaging design are vital.
This concern for the environment also extends into green transportation. People are taking measures to leave behind as little carbon footprint as possible. They want the companies they do business with to do the same.
This is good if you deliver in smaller cities where bicycles and scooters are practical for goods transportation. However, in larger cities, electric or hybrid vehicles are the best solution. Otherwise, you can use 3PL that provides eco-friendly goods transport.
4. Taking Opinions Help in Creating Improved Customer Satisfaction
If you want to increase customer satisfaction, listen to what your customers have to say. Nobody likes to get ignored when they wish to express their ideas or make comments. Extend the courtesy to your customers and give them ways to communicate with you.
The best method to get opinions is to use surveys. Survey customers who have bought from your store about their shopping experience. You can also learn a lot from those who only visited it but didn’t buy anything.
As a tip, avoid making surveys on social media. This can help not only you but also your competitors. Instead, you want to stick to holding surveys through targeted emails or secure apps.
5. Develop a Better Return Policy
A successful shipping strategy doesn’t only focus on getting the products to the client. It also has solid plans and policies for returns. Did you know that customers pay close attention to return policies before they order?
You want to give your return policies as much attention as your customers do. They pay attention so they know if it’d cost them if the product arrives at their doorstep with issues. You want to pay attention to your return policy and use it as a marketing tool.
6. Customers Like Having More Shipping Options
If you want to see improved customer satisfaction, give customers more options. Consumers want to be in control of what they buy and how they get it. You can extend that control some more by offering more delivery options.
Offer small and/or big choices. For example, you can offer environment-safe packaging or default packaging. Corrugated boxes are the typical choices for shipping since it’s reusable and biodegradable.
What is a corrugated box and how does it differ from cardboard boxes? What makes it the best choice for packaging? Click the link to find out.
Your customers may also prefer same-day delivery regardless of extra fees. Others want cheaper shipping options regardless of a longer estimated time of arrival. Make sure you offer such options too.
7. Customer Satisfaction Remains Rooted in Good Customer Service
Finally, if you’re using shipping to improve customer satisfaction, provide good customer service.
Little else gives businesses a good impression, after all. It’s why a lot of successful companies focus on delivering quality customer service.
That includes companies like Amazon, New Egg, and Target. You want to learn from their customer service strategies and apply them to your shipping strategy. If you’re using a 3PL, make sure you pick one that offers good customer service.
Create a Practical Shipping Strategy Now
A good shipping strategy is a mark of a smart e-commerce business. It doesn’t only fulfill your goals but also your customers’ needs and expectations.
That’s it for our guide on how you can get improved customer satisfaction with a shipping strategy. We hope you now have a better understanding of the importance of a good shipping strategy. We hope you enjoyed reading this post on how it influences customer satisfaction.
Don’t stop learning here. If you want to see more content on improved customer satisfaction, check out our other guides.
