Our reliance on reviews proves perception is reality. We rely on someone else’s perception (perfect strangers no less) to shape our opinions and reality of a product and convince us to buy or not to buy. Unfortunately, the delivery experience gets rolled up into the brand identity.
So how do you make sure the delivery experience isn’t hurting your reputation?
Play BIG!
Always remember, regardless of your company size or fulfillment operation, your customers are comparing you to the powerhouses of the industry — Amazon, Wayfair, Walmart.com, etc. They don’t care that you might only have one fulfillment center on the west coast and they’re ordering on the east coast. If you’re not a big player, you have to play like you are and that might mean supplementing your fulfillment with a 3rd party provider in another location.
Focus on Quality
The quality of the delivery experience is just as important as the quality of your product. Consumers who don’t understand the innerworkings of ecommerce will link the delivery experience directly to your overall brand, and you know what that means — bad reviews with less than 5 stars. So, ask yourself, “Are we consistently and quickly delivering an exceptional customer experience all the way to the doorstep?” If your answer is anything other than “yes,” it’s time to come up with a better solution.
Learn to Glide
Ever watched a duck glide across the water? Give any thought to how hard its little legs are working below the surface? Probably not…you just see a graceful duck. Your customers need you to be a duck. Their experience with you needs to be graceful. Automating data is the leg power to make that happen, but the costs associated with building the proper infrastructure and resources might not make sense for emerging brands and start-ups. When you get to that point where you’re no longer graceful and your customers can see how hard you’re paddling to stay afloat, it’s time to find a fulfillment partner with a solution for your growing brand.
Online shopping took off like a rocket with the pandemic, but it’s here to stay. Analysts predict the rate of growth will slow in 2022, so make this your year to up your game and improve your fulfillment.