5 Tips To Manage Shipping Delays
We may not have the end-all, be-all solution to solve the global shipping nightmare that continues to persist, but we do have useful tips that businesses can use and apply to manage key stakeholder relationships and to ensure the health and the tenacity of the supply chain.
No matter how much effort your business has put into streamlining operations and innovating traditional pain points to remove any areas of inefficiency, all businesses are subject to be impacted by shipping delays at some point or another. It is inevitable. Currently, supply chains are faced with a whirlpool of challenges that will take some time to unpack and rebuild once the dust of disruption has settled. Until then, here are some tips to help navigate ongoing shipping delays.
1. Communication is key
This tip is applicable in many areas of life. It is not limited to the business arena; however, amidst uncontrollable and prolonged shipping delays, it certainly is key. Transparency cannot be undervalued. Connect with you customer in a personalized, intentional way and tell them everything they need to know from what is going on to the reason why their order will be late, and a rough estimate of when they can expect to receive their order.
Transparency can do a lot for your company and for your company’s reputation. In business, transparency is a gateway that leads to trust. One study found that 94% of consumers would be loyal to a transparent brand. So keep lines of communication open and be straightforward with your customer. It’s good business.
2. Go Domestic
Working with suppliers who have domestic warehouses puts your company at an advantage. This will cut some of the time added on to historic global shipping delays being felt across the globe. Companies with international suppliers relying on international warehouses have less control in their customer’s delivery journey and find themselves dependent on high-risk sources.
Domestic suppliers enable companies to be well-positioned to have close access to their customer and therefore, can over-deliver when measured against the current delivery status quo.
3. Shipment Tracking
By no means is tracking a new invention, but in times like these when uncertainty continues to mount, clarity is priceless. Having real-time access to the status and whereabouts of an order can alleviate anxiety or frustration that a customer may feel if they find themselves waiting on a late order.
Share order tracking numbers with your customers and empower them with a feeling of control and knowledge so that they can oversee their order’s delivery journey from soup to nuts.
4. Email Updates
Supply chain difficulties and order delays have resulted in transit times doubling. Companies who are proactive will set themselves apart from competitors by informing their customer before they see the latest tracking update.
Mitigate any further problem by keeping your customer in the loop. In whatever case, it’s important that the customer feels cared for and important. While they may experience natural irritability, staying on top of the delayed order will go along way.
5. Offer Discounts
Everyone loves a good tension crusher. Don’t wait for your customer to reach out to you asking for some kind of remedy to make up for their late order. Be proactive every step of the way. Offer your customer a free gift or order discount as a gesture of kindness and an act of good faith. While it may cost your business up front, it is unquantifiable how much money your business in turn will actually save by preventing bad company reviews from piling up on Google or Yelp!
According to McKinsey, 70% of customer experiences are based on how they feel they are being treated. Good communication can make the difference between a negative review and a loyal customer. So be accessible, be transparent , and be honest with your customers. Follow these tips and you will successfully reduce the negative impact of global shipping delays on your business, on your customer relationships, and on your bottom line.