Whyyourdeliveryprovider’scustomerexperienceteammatters

How key is your delivery service’s customer success team?

Written in conversation with Tomos Jones, CX Manager, Zedify

As a customer experience professional, I’ve seen firsthand how a small shift in approach can drastically improve customer satisfaction. At Zedify, our CX team is committed to delivering more than just parcels – we’re delivering exceptional customer experiences, helping our clients retain customers and boost sales in doing so.

The human touch is still really important

Q: How can we reduce inbound customer queries in logistics?

Tom’s answer: While technology is a powerful tool, we’ve learnt (through experience!) that it really can’t replace the human touch.

We believe in keeping customers informed. By providing real-time updates on their parcel’s journey, from dispatch to delivery, we reduce unnecessary inquiries and make our client’s customers feel as empowered as possible.

We also support our riders to make smart decisions. Our riders are more than just delivery personnel. We empower them to make smart decisions, such as returning to a missed delivery or accommodating special requests where necessary. We know that life happens like that sometimes and we like to go above and beyond where we can.

We also use technology to streamline processes, not to replace human interaction. For example, we utilise automated notifications for simple updates and we have some AI influence in our chatbot, allowing our team to focus on complex issues.

Communication is key, honestly. By providing clear and concise information throughout the overall parcel journey, we know that we can increase trust levels with our customers. We’re upfront about potential delays and proactively address any concerns to make sure we reduce the chance of bigger issues further down the line.

Understanding WISMOs is key

Q: Everyone talks about WISMOs in e-commerce. What are they and what is their impact on the parcel journey?

Tom’s answer: WISMOs, or “Where Is My Order” enquiries, are a common challenge in e-commerce and delivery service, and something we see an awful lot of! These customer inquiries about order status can significantly impact a business’s reputation and operational efficiency.

WISMOs can overwhelm customer service teams, leading to longer wait times and frustrated customers. Frequent WISMOs can erode customer trust and loyalty, especially if enquiries aren’t resolved promptly. WISMOs can also disrupt delivery operations, leading to delays and increased costs – all stuff that we want to avoid!

As a trusted delivery partner, we feel it’s our role to reduce WISMOs as far as possible and really take the CX burden off our clients. Some of the ways we do that are:

Offering real-time tracking and personalised comms

• Real-time updates on parcel journeys
• Automated notifications at key stages, both SMS and email (we’re always reviewing and upgrading ours)
• We have a user-friendly interface for tracking and support

Having a real customer focus in our operational processes

• Optimised delivery routes and schedules
• Well-trained and super friendly delivery personnel
• Strict leave-safe procedures
• Data-driven insights for operational improvements

Empowered CX staff and riders

• Customer service training for efficient WISMO handling
• Delivery personnel training for effective communication
• Staff empowerment for decision-making
• Regular performance metrics tracking
• Continuous improvement based on customer feedback

Personalisation is key

Q: How can we ensure a positive customer experience, even when things don’t go as planned?

Tom’s answer: In our CX team, we believe in treating every customer as an individual. Our customer service team is trained to listen actively and respond empathetically. We understand that a delayed parcel can be frustrating, and we strive to resolve issues promptly and we go the extra mile to find personalised solutions for our customers. Whether it’s redelivering a parcel to a different address or changing delivery instructions, we aim to exceed expectations and our customers do really appreciate that. We know that not all delivery providers are able to offer this personalised experience, so it can sometimes be a surprise for them! We also actively seek customer feedback to identify areas for improvement. By analysing customer reviews and surveys, we can take out data and use this in decision-making to continually improve what we do.

The future of logistics is customer-centric

As Tom has explained, putting the customer at the centre of any delivery is key. As the logistics industry continues to evolve, customer experience will remain a key differentiator between delivery providers. By focusing on the core principles we’ve run through, we’ve managed to curate a personable and approachable customer experience for our clients’ parcel recipients, and continue to strive to make this better each day.