In the multitude of challenges that businesses face on a daily basis, failed delivery attempts are some of the worst. Not only do these mean a lot of wasted money, but they could also hurt the reputation of your business and make the affected customers unhappy.
While some cases of failed deliveries are outright unavoidable, it’s possible to reduce this problem dramatically. Here’s what you should know:
What’s a Failed Delivery Attempt?
A failed delivery attempt is simply a package delivery that isn’t successful since it didn’t reach the intended destination. Did you know that as much as 20% of ecommerce deliveries fail on the first try? There are varying reasons for this, but the outcome is always nasty, from reduced customer satisfaction and trust to lost time and money.
Luckily, you can use bulk phone number validation and address validation tools from a top provider like Trestle to minimise such occurrences and keep your business operations flowing smoothly.
Top Causes of Failed Deliveries and Their Solutions
Lots of reasons stand behind failed delivery attempts, but here are the most common:
1. Wrong or Incomplete Address Information
Address information issues are at the top of the list when it comes to reasons for failed deliveries. So many companies assume that the address information provided to them by customers is complete and accurate, but there’s always a chance of an issue or two. If, for instance, a customer misses a digit, the package will end up being delivered to the wrong address.
The solution to this problem is to use address validation tools in conjunction with other validation tools such as phone number validation tools to ensure that the submitted information is actionable.
2. Inadequate Communication
A failed delivery can also happen due to faulty communication or other issues like inconsistent communication. If, for example, the recipient’s plans have changed and they won’t be at home to receive the delivery, they should provide such updates so the sender can adjust the delivery schedule. On the other hand, if the sender’s delivery plan changes for whatever reason, they should keep updating the customer to ensure there’s someone at home to receive the package.
The best solution here is an ecommerce system that provides as much information as possible and is flexible enough to accommodate changes in the delivery plan. It also helps to have a mobile-based ecommerce system which provides updates consistently.
3. Unexpected Delays or Problems
It’s not uncommon for ecommerce retailers or delivery companies to encounter challenges during delivery. Such challenges include, but aren’t limited to: weather, traffic, restricted areas, and many more. In such a busy world, very few people will have the luxury of time making it possible for them to keep waiting for the courier to arrive.
An easy way to improve the experience for everyone, therefore, is to use a delivery option that provides real-time tracking options. That way, customers can track the package and only respond when it nears their home. Having a tracking option also makes it possible for the seller to gather data about delivery issues. They can then use the information from this data to streamline their deliveries in future.
Improve Your Delivery Rates With Trestle
If your business is like most, you know that timely deliveries are key when it comes to keeping your customers happy. Each failed delivery will only ruin your reputation and bring lots of additional losses such as reduced customer lifetime value (CLTV). Trestle helps you solve this problem by equipping you with powerful phone and address validation tools that can handle bulk data. That way, you can avoid basing your delivery efforts on guesswork and be sure you’re sending your packages to the right address every time.
