Today, we’re going to talk about the importance of transparency in delivery and logistics.

Businesses might fall under the mistaken assumption that once their customer has completed an order, the job is pretty much done. However, once a customer has engaged with an ad and bought a product, getting that product to their doorstep can make or break the whole experience. Customer expectations are heightened at this time in the buying cycle due to both the competitive nature of the industry and technological advances that put perceived communications with the vendor at their fingertips.

The yearly cost of failed deliveries in the retail industry alone is $1.98B*. The cost of customers switching providers due to poor service is a whopping $1.6T*. Looking beyond just the financial loss due to ineffective delivery communication, your brand itself can take a hit. 80%* of customers believe that the experience they have in interacting with the company is just as important as the products or services that they receive. That means, it’s not enough to create and ship a fantastic line of artisanal deer yogurt — it also has to arrive on time, and with plenty of notice.

It’s a high-stakes game, but there’s no need to feel discouraged, transparency with delivery drivers and customers doesn’t have to be a challenge. At MessageBird, we’ve come up with some easy-to-use solutions to navigate this last-mile customer communication and innovative delivery companies are already leveraging these capabilities.

1. Send personalized updates: Automate communications through WhatsApp to keep customers in the loop with order confirmations and proactive updates.

2. Offer alternative delivery options: Put customers in control by enabling them to reach out to you quickly and easily through their preferred channels while providing alternate times and pickup points.

3. Provide real-time order status checks: Process up to 1000 requests per second, sending and receiving locations, video, and images in real time.

The thing is, adopting methods like these doesn’t have to require a complete overhaul of your existing strategy. Using tools like MessageBird Programmable Conversations or Flow Builder, you have access to flexible methods that you can apply to your business however they suit best.

Programmable Conversations empowers you with an omni-channel communications solution accessible through a single API. With SMS, WhatsApp, WeChat, Messenger, Telegram, and Line all at your fingertips, you can keep in contact with your customers on their terms. In the context of transparent communications, it’s easier than ever before to stay in touch.

Flow Builder, on the other hand, provides a solution if you want to build automated communication flows using a variety of channels, but don’t want to devote developer time to do so. We wanted to keep things easy and accessible to everyone, so our user-friendly visual editor enables you to create your communications workflow for Voice, SMS, and webhooks without a single line of code. Automate, prototype, and deploy customer communication flows within minutes. You can give it a go right here.

More than 50%* of support queries for delivery companies relate to the location of a package and changes to the delivery. By adopting a proactive approach in sending personalized updates, you can save your business time and money while also making a positive impression on your customers. The prioritization of transparency with delivery and logistics isn’t an optional business strategy, it’s critical to creating and retaining your customer base. Fortunately, the solutions are plentiful and varied, and at the end of the day, it’s just about picking the one that suits you best.