Over 40% of CFOs suggest that supply chain delays increased companies’ costs by more than 5%. They also suggest that sales have reduced by 60% because of supply chain disruptions. Thus, shipping and supply chain delays led to huge losses for businesses.
When it comes to shipping, delays can happen for several reasons. Shortages could also be a reason for delays. In the United States, 60% of consumers didn’t receive their products on time due to supply chain shortages in 2021. That same year, approximately 57% of consumers reported significant shipping delays.
Delays could also be related to weather or labor issues, or maybe even something as simple as the shipment being misdirected.
No matter what the cause, though, there are ways that you can deal with shipping delays and still keep your customers happy.
Here are some tips on how to do just that.
Contact Your Customers
If your customers have not received their packages, you should contact them to make sure they are aware of the delay. Call them or send an email. If they were expecting a specific delivery date, tell them that the date was pushed back as well.
Keep in mind that people may have different expectations for when they should receive their package based on what it is. Some products take longer than others to ship out, and some customers will be more comfortable with waiting longer for packages than others. Also, keep in mind that shipping delays are often related to weather conditions or other factors outside of the vendor’s control.
If you can’t get through by phone because someone isn’t picking up, leave a message and follow up with another attempt at contact via email or social media when possible. Make sure your messages are professional and polite but also honest about why there may be delays.
Don’t gloss over any details. It’s important to be proactive about contacting customers so that they know what’s going on as soon as possible.
Track Your Packages
Most carriers have a tracking feature that can be accessed from the home page or by going to an easy-to-find link on their website. You’ll need to enter your package number for it to show up in the tracker.
Also, many sites and apps specialize in helping users find package information. These services offer features like status updates and delivery alerts, so you’ll know exactly when your package is due back on schedule.
Talk to the Shipping Carrier
If you are dealing with shipping delays, there are a few things that you can do to try to get the issue resolved. You might want to contact the carrier directly. This might be helpful if you have a problem with the delivery or if there’s some other issue that needs immediate attention.
You may also want to ask them for an update on your shipment and ask them if they have any suggestions for getting it delivered sooner. If there are too many packages in transit, maybe they can prioritize yours, so it gets delivered sooner than later.
If your package is taking longer than expected, it’s worth asking the carrier about any discounts or credits that would help offset some of the costs associated with delayed shipping. You can also run a parcel audit for shippers via third-party companies or software. It’s a great way to understand what contract conditions your shipper is failing to meet when they’re delaying the delivery. Read more about parcel audits for shippers and find out how you can get the best out of such audits.
Send Out a Customer Email
You can send out an email to your customers. The email should contain a coupon code or discount, and it should be sent only to people who have purchased from you in the past. This is called a retargeting campaign.
The purpose of this email is to apologize to your customers in a way and to assure them that it won’t happen again. The discounts or coupon codes will help you retain these customers.
Reevaluate Your Shipping Carrier
If you’re using a third-party carrier, look at the different options they offer and see if any other carriers might be a better fit for your business. You may also want to consider businesses whose primary businesses aren’t shipping items. They can often get lower rates than other companies because of their volume.
Another option is to look at the cost of shipping via air versus ground service. Sometimes, sending an item by plane will cost less than sending it by truck. You should also consider whether overnight delivery is really necessary. Sometimes, having an item arrive in two days is just as good as having a product arrive overnight when no one needs it right away anyway.
During the pandemic, businesses lost around $10 billion due to shipping delays. Thus, it’s easy to see what impact such delays can have on businesses. Shipping delays can be a real pain for both the customer and you as a business owner. However, if you take the time to find out why your items are being delayed and then take action based on that information, you can save yourself some trouble down the road.
Being proactive with your customer bases when things are delayed is key, but don’t forget about taking steps in advance of any issues arising as well.
