The shipping carrier plays a huge role in the overall perception of your company, especially in the eyes of your customers. Customers expect speed, care, and accuracy when dealing with their shipment and expect their packages to land on the correct doorstep every time. To achieve this, both delivery professionals and customers must be given the right tools to achieve these goals. There are certain ways you can make the customer’s shipping experience much more enjoyable. The tips that follow will help you do just that.

Offer Estimated Delivery date 

Offer real-time shipping estimates. A good shipping experience starts with providing the customer with a delivery date. Many users today expect to receive their items by a specific date. Customers want to know how much time they have to wait for an order to arrive. An estimated delivery window of 2 days helps them plan their schedule, while not knowing how long it'll take to arrive can force them to order from a different website.

Delivery Updates

Providing shipping updates can be a particularly effective strategy for boosting customer satisfaction. Shipping updates help customers stay on top of their orders without having to check multiple pages on the site.

Send them updates via email and SMS containing order details such as shipping address, estimated delivery date, tracking information, and order status.

Here are some tips for creating shipping notifications that your customers will appreciate:

Send them right away: Shipping notifications should be sent right away after an order is placed, so customers don't have to keep refreshing their browser. 

Include tracking numbers: Customers love getting tracking numbers, so include them in your shipping notifications. If customers need those numbers, they'll immediately go to their email to find them.

Use the power of personalization: Use customer names in the shipping notifications to make them feel more personal. For example, include the customer's first name in the shipping notification subject line.

Offer more than one shipping option

If customers can't find their desired shipping method, it can hurt your bottom line. Customers are looking for the fastest and cheapest options, so let them choose. If you're unable to offer both options, at least make sure the lowest-priced option meets their needs.

Offer fast shipping.

Customers don't want their packages to arrive late, so they want to know that their orders will arrive within a certain time frame. Having realistic delivery times and offering free shipping when you meet those expectations can result in happy customers.

Include returns/refund information. 

Customers want to know where they can get their money back if they don't like the product. A refund policy should be easy to find, and it should address common questions, such as whether customers must return items within a certain time frame and whether refunds are given for defective items.

Shipping is a crucial aspect of any business. In fact, it’s the factor that can make or break your relationship with your customers. If you don’t offer a good shipping experience, you might lose a customer forever. So if you haven’t started using these new and improved shipping techniques, then we encourage you to give it a try. If you need any help then you can also contact Canadian Transportation and Logistics or call us at 1 855 811 0727.