Whether they’re ordering a fajita or a flat-screen, today’s consumers need to know who it’s with, where it’s at and when it’s going to reach them. Real-time tracking (or as close to it as they can get) is what the public wants and is certainly what businesses want. If you’re a B2B retailer, then 78 percent of your customer base rates parcel tracking as a huge factor in their customer experience.
The post-purchase experience is where the battle for customer loyalty is really won or lost. The initial purchase is a company’s first chance to connect and stay connected to a buyer. It’s either that or they can leave them in a no man’s land of wondering about their parcel’s journey.
Nobody likes unknown elements where their money is concerned. This explains why 96 percent of people consider a shipment tracking app to be important while 78 percent were more satisfied with well-structured tracking information. That’s a potential 78 out of 100 customers dissatisfied if parcel tracking is subpar or, worse, doesn’t exist at all.
The uncertainty that people and businesses feel while waiting for goods can be an expensive disconnect; one which could make customers leave your business in favor of a competitor who offers more transparency. Parcel tracking makes sure there’s no costly knowledge gap between purchase and possession.
Tracking is also a performance-booster for carriers
Gone are the days of “it gets there when it gets there.” Modern parcel carriers know the heat is now on them thanks to performance-monitoring technology at every stage of delivery. They may never admit to it, but the fact is that such scrutiny puts them under a spotlight like never before.
Tracking is just another name for accountability since It also empowers businesses. A big part of a company’s reputation relies on customer satisfaction, which in turn depends on staying in the delivery loop. Parcel tracking gives shipping managers the means to keep a close eye on carriers, so they can demand better service and challenge late-delivery claims that once would have been irrefutable.
How seeing equals savings
Let’s add up the ways great parcel tracking saves you money. First, tracking creates happy customers who’ll be more willing to stay with your business. The average cost of a lost customer is tough to estimate, but it costs five times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to keep an existing one.
The Harvard Business Review estimates it may even cost up to 25 times more money to acquire a new customer than retain one. On a happier note, this study found that if a business can increase customer retention by 5% it could lead to profit increases of between 25% and 95%.
Further savings come in the form of valuable time not being wasted. Customers who are in the know thanks to parcel tracking will have far less reason to contact your office. Those who must buy from companies without parcel tracking will be calling and emailing them often to demand answers about who, where, what, why and when.
Responding to these queries takes up manpower. That staff must be paid for work that could be greatly reduced by parcel tracking, thus saving money. Reducing contact from confused or annoyed customers feeds directly into increased productivity, and that leads to a healthier bottom line for your business.
Beyond a business’s own profits, parcel tracking could save its customers money if that business is a B2B provider. Consider the knock-on effect of being fully informed of a parcel’s journey — that second business will have customers and clients of their own who are looking for information. Thanks to you, the primary shipper who was savvy enough to provide a great tracking service, the second business and their customers will be happy.
At the core of it, parcel tracking is all about connecting and caring about the concerns of others. You’ve got to have a personal touch if you want to really do it right.
Carrier-provided tracking is lacking for some key reasons
A personal touch is the root of great parcel tracking. It’s true that the big parcel carriers will provide a tracking number then check off arrivals at a few points along the road, but why should a business settle for such a generic way of keeping tabs on their shipments? Parcel tracking that’s “good enough” is less than you and your customers deserve.
Don’t let your customers come face to face with an impersonal tracking page from UPS, FedEx or another parcel carrier. Partnering with 71lbs gives businesses the power of personalization through our Premium Tracking service plus Premium Analytics solutions, including proof of delivery, shipping exceptions and general ledger mapping.
There’s a lot more 71lbs can do to improve your company’s shipping experience. We’ve helped over 5,000 other customers to take greater control over their deliveries and save thousands of dollars along the way. Get in touch with us to learn more!
At 71lbs, we clarify the shipping process for our clients, making it easier and faster for them to access refunds and optimize their expenses. Our human-operated platform gathers all your shipping information into one easy-to-use customs analytics dashboard. Drop by the contact page to get in touch!
