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Why On-Time Delivery Is Important for Your Business

Exploring the importance of on-time delivery for last-mile businesses, including the consequences of failing to meet modern consumer delivery expectations.

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Humans have become increasingly impatient as technology advances. Today, on-time delivery is critical because no one enjoys waiting. The thrill of anticipating the arrival of a package has worn off. Even just a few years ago, it was common practice to wait a week or more for an online order to arrive, but thanks to technological advancements, same-day and next-day delivery are now commonplace.

People now demand faster services and are willing to pay more for them. According to a recent study, 80% of online shoppers in the United States want same-day shipping options. All of this means that if you don’t meet or exceed your customers’ expectations by delivering their orders on time, your last-mile delivery business will perish.

We’ve come up with a few examples of how this error can cost you money:

Bad customer reviews

If a customer is dissatisfied with your service, it can have a significant negative impact on your business. If customers do not receive their deliveries on time, they can always take their business elsewhere. They’ll most likely go to one of your competitors.

They might write a negative review of your company on the internet. Even one negative review can tarnish your reputation and result in a significant loss of revenue for your valuable company. According to a study, 40% of consumers read only one to three reviews before making a decision, and 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. People no longer seek recommendations from their friends and family.Instead, they’ll go online and search for reviews using search engines. It is not advisable to put a large customer base at risk by taking your on-time delivery performance for granted.

Losing loyal customers

Everyone understands the value of loyal customers. They also repeat their orders from you. Through referrals, they bring you new customers. If you keep your current customers happy, they will tell their friends and family about your services. Businesses require this type of word-of-mouth marketing. According to the Wharton School of Business, the lifetime value of a new customer acquired through a referral is 16 percent higher than that of a customer acquired without one.

Oracle recently discovered that 86 percent of customers are willing to pay more for a positive experience. You’ll gain a lot more than just a single happy customer if you keep your promise of on-time delivery. You’ll gain customer loyalty, referrals, and possibly even positive online reviews. Even if your prices are higher than those of your competitors, you can be confident that your customers will not leave.

Loss of valuable business

According to a survey conducted in the United States, approximately 59 percent of US companies believe that last-mile delivery is the most inefficient process in the entire supply chain. While it is true that perfecting last-mile delivery is difficult due to complex route mapping, customized services such as delivering orders at a specific time, and other factors such as the weather. Also, if you’re a last-mile delivery partner and your customers give you bad reviews or complaints because you couldn’t deliver on time, your suppliers will cut ties with you.

They will leave and do business with your competitors, which will be disastrous for your company. It’s a big deal to become a delivery partner with a supplier because they provide regular bulk business. Even so, if they go down as a result of your actions, you will lose out on this steady stream of business. Your reputation will suffer as well, and it will be difficult to regain the trust of other suppliers.

Rising expenses

If your drivers are unable to make on-time deliveries, they will have to make up the difference in order to complete all of the deliveries. For example, the drivers may speed, putting them at risk of causing traffic accidents. That would be bad for your business and your drivers because you’d have to pay a lot of money in repairs, medical bills, and legal fees. Such expenses have the potential to bankrupt your company.

Customers may not be available to receive packages if your drivers do not make deliveries on time. As a result, your drivers will have to go around again to make the same delivery, which will have an impact on the other deliveries. It will also raise your fuel costs, as well as other driver and related costs. Furthermore, if your drivers consistently fail to deliver on time, you’ll need to hire more drivers and purchase new vehicles to complete all of the deliveries.

This will be more apparent when there are a lot of deliveries, such as during the holidays or the festive season. It will eventually hurt your wallet and reduce your profit margin. You won’t be able to accept any more delivery orders, which means you’ll miss out on additional earnings.

How EasyRoutes can help you achieve on-time delivery

Investing in the best route planner app for delivery drivers is one of the most practical ways to ensure on-time deliveries. The route planners consider a variety of factors before presenting you with the best-optimized routes. Other features of the route planner, such as proof of delivery and route monitoring, can assist you in providing a hassle-free customer experience. With a good route app, you can ensure that your delivery drivers arrive at your customers’ doorsteps on time, every time, with their orders.

EasyRoutes route planner was created in such a way that it can accommodate businesses of all sizes. You can get optimized routes in minutes with the help of EasyRoutes. The route planner includes a number of extra features that help with last-mile delivery, including smart route-splitting, packing lists, proof of delivery, and a variety of preferences and settings.

EasyRoutes has all of the features you’ll need for last-mile delivery services. You can deliver to your customers on time and expand your business with the help of EasyRoutes.

Try EasyRoutes today

Transform your Shopify orders into optimized delivery routes that you can share with your drivers or deliver personally.

Learn more about EasyRoutes: Roundtrip.ai

Get EasyRoutes on the Shopify App Store

About Roundtrip

Roundtrip's mission is to equip every business with the software tools they need to deliver products to their customers in a delightful way. Thousands of worldwide choose EasyRoutes to power their local deliveries across dozens of product categories, from meal kits and groceries to coffee, cupcakes, kibble, and so much more. Our easy-to-use route planning and delivery optimization app is certified Built for Shopify, a two-time Shopify staff pick, and the top rated local delivery app on the Shopify App Store.

"EasyRoutes' customer service goes above and beyond! The team is incredibly accommodating to every request and was always happy to troubleshoot. We've tried other delivery platforms in the past and EasyRoutes is hands-down the most intuitive, supportive and functional."‍
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