Chapter 03.
5 tips to help you deliver on time this Golden Quarter
A missed or late delivery can wreak havoc on customer experience and brand reputation at the best of times.
But the demand for slick, on-time delivery is heightened further when customers are spending their hard-earned cash on thoughtful Christmas gifts for loved ones.
So just like Santa never fails to deliver, find out how you too can avoid the fallout from faulty fulfilment and leave customers feeling merry and bright this Golden Quarter.
Format addresses correctly to support parcel fulfilment
A common issue retailers face is when the data they provide to couriers isn’t in the correct format for their systems. This can significantly slow the delivery process or worse still, lead to failed deliveries.
For example, your courier import specification might require postcode in uppercase as the first field provided and the county field populated. But if these aren’t mandatory fields in your online checkout, problems can arise in the fulfilment process.
Our automated DCoL solution is ready to receive and process files 24/7. Data is provided to us via SFTP for address reformatting and files are processed and returned to your exact specification. We can even append other useful delivery variables, such as UPRN, geocodes and DPS to enrich your data further.
Use UDPRNs to improve delivery rates
A UDPRN, or Unique Delivery Point Reference Number, is an eight-digit unique numerical code that identifies delivery points for individual premises on the Postcode Address File (PAF).
By assigning this number against an address, delivery drivers are assured of accurate and enhanced address data, making it easier to find the destination property.
And that results in reduced delivery times, lower emissions, increased delivery success rates and happier customers.
Help customers find an address in one tap
Speed and convenience are key driving factors when buying online, particularly when using mobile devices. In 2021, smartphones were used to make 66% of online shopping orders and it’s forecast that in 2024, revenue from m-commerce will rise to 105.28 billion British pounds.
With this in mind, it’s crucial that retailers create mobile experiences that are as frictionless as possible. One way to do this is by implementing a geolocation tool at the stage of customer address entry. Using single-tap technology, geolocation allows users to click a button and their current location is found, eliminating the need to even enter an address.
As well as minimising cognitive load and reducing address entry errors, geolocation reduces friction, resulting in happier customers, higher conversion rates and improved data quality – all in a single tap. Still not convinced?
Find out how leading womenswear brand, Hush, uses geolocation to create an enhanced mobile experience for its customers.
Add Eircode to your address finder
The eCommerce market in Ireland is booming and 83% of Irish shoppers now buy online from a UK business – which is great news for e-retailers.
However, over a third of addresses in Ireland don’t have a house name or number. And many share their address with at least one other property, making it extremely difficult for those delivering goods or services to locate their customers with precision.
To overcome this challenge, the Irish government launched Eircode in 2015. As part of the scheme, each residential and business address was given a unique identifier code, making those living in remote areas easier to find.
That’s why many retailers choose to add Eircode to the address validation tools in their checkouts. As well as improving user experience for Irish customers, Eircode drastically reduces failed deliveries and associated costs, as experienced by beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury.
Capture accurate addresses in real-time
Capturing a customer’s address accurately isn’t as easy as you might think. Whether it’s a lapse in concentration, a slip of a finger on a mobile device, or a missed field, customers can often accidentally provide incomplete or inaccurate data. And this faulty data impacts on your ability to deliver to the right address, leading to delays, customer frustration and costly redelivery fees.
A real-time type-ahead address capture tool allows you to collect accurate customer addresses at the point of entry in your online forms and checkouts. Not only is it the quickest and easiest way to capture address data, it’s also the friendliest solution for mobile commerce.
One retailer making sure they always deliver on time for special occasions is Hotel Chocolat. By implementing address capture, the chocolatier brand has been able to ensure that all customer, gift recipient and prospect contact data is accurate, clean and up-to-date. As a result, the company has reported an increase in sales conversions and improved database quality.