There’s no denying that online shopping continues to dominate the market. Amazon alone already generated over $258 billion in revenue in 2018. Think about the combined profits from all other online retailers.
However, this also means your business now faces even tighter competition. More businesses move to the online landscape.
One way to stand out is to provide better customer service, such as offering final mile carrier service. Get the product straight to the buyer’s door.
Are you ready to know what to look for in a final mile delivery service? Excited to discover more and implement it in your business plan? Read on and find out more today:
What is Last Mile Delivery?
The last mile of delivery is the final step of a product’s journey from a warehouse to your doorstep. This is the point where your package should arrive at your home location. With this, last mile delivery is expensive and can become the most time-intensive part of the entire shipping process.
What is the Most Common Last Mile Problem?
The most common issue with last mile delivery is its tendency to become inefficient and this leads to higher parcel shipping costs. The usual situation is when you track a package online and saw it’s “out for delivery” for a long time. It happens due to the fact that the final shipment leg will involve different stops that have low drop sizes.
It’s more prevalent in rural areas. After all, the delivery points along specific routes can get too far apart. That means it’s possible that most couriers will only drop one or two packages at each stop.
Urban locations aren’t much better, even with the proximity of the stops. Remember, with a lot of people living in these areas, the roads will often get clogged by the sheer volume of vehicles. The traffic congestion will delay your last mile delivery further.
In the United States, the rise of eCommerce retail sales contributes to this problem. The increase in the number of parcels delivered each day is dramatic. The United States Postal Service delivers parcels to about 159 million unique addresses each year—it increases even more when you take private couriers into consideration.
What to Look for in a Final Mile Carrier?
Now that you know the problem with final mile delivery, you can start thinking about what to look for in the service. Knowledge of what the service is all about will let you set some good expectations moving forward. Here are some of the things you need to look for:
1. Delivery Coverage
In an ideal setting, you need to ensure that your carrier can give you as wide of a coverage as possible. That means they need to have the means of covering all your key market locations. This can become one of the hardest things you need to look for due to a lot of reasons.
The biggest obstacle is the fact that most transportation providers operate on a regional basis. What this means is that you’ll often want a large final mile provider. These companies will often advertise that they’re giving nationwide coverage for their deliveries.
It’s a sad fact that most of these large companies will have varying performances. It all depends on what market they cater to and the region they’re located. If you need to send packages all over the country, they might be your only viable choice.
Otherwise, getting regional operators is a more ideal choice. The main reason is that they’re not stretched as thin as nationwide carriers. What this means is that they have the focus to excel in the area they operate in.
2. Service Capabilities
After looking at the coverage, you need to think about the service options your operation needs. Always remember that not all final mile delivery companies offer services like white glove delivery. Most of the time, these companies only offer doorstep or curbside delivery.
Most online shoppers have this expectation that you give them inside delivery options. This becomes more critical since white glove furniture delivery has an increased demand over the last years. If you want your customers to stay with you, ensure that you give them the most convenience.
3. Tracking and Visibility
Tracking, visibility, and technology integration aren’t luxuries anymore. On this day and age, these things are the minimum when trying to find a decent provider. To make your customers and business flourish, tracking shipments is a must.
As a matter of fact, online shoppers will expect to have these capabilities. This will give them the means of knowing for certain when their delivery will come. The knowledge will help them adjust and plan ahead, so they don’t miss out on their parcel’s arrival.
If you want to improve your customer’s shopping experience, shipment tracking is the key. Don’t expect any less from a final mile courier. It’s actually a red flag if your potential provider doesn’t have the means of tracking packages.
4. Communication Skills
A great last mile delivery courier will always communicate with you in a seamless fashion. They need to have different channels to make them more reachable. That means they should have their own email addresses, telephone numbers, and online chat.
Having all these will ensure that they can respond whenever there are untoward delays. With proper communication, you can help set your customers’ expectations. That will make them more satisfied with your business and come back for more.
Get a Final Mile Carrier Today!
When it comes to final mile delivery, you need to make sure that they have these at least. There are a lot of other things you need to look for, to ensure that you get the most of what you pay for. But if you want to stick with the essentials, you can use this final mile carrier guide to get started.
Do you need a courier service within New York? If so, you can contact us today and let us help you. We’re looking forward to hearing from you soon.
