Delivery services - how they can make or break your brand
In order to accomplish this, many vendors have utilised a variety of options, from their own staff driving their personal cars, to engaging the services of a third-party delivery company to get the goods to the customer’s doorstep. And, this is where things can go awry for your brand if you are not careful. Prior to Covid-19, I seldom got things delivered. Even in those rare instances, I’ve had mixed experiences with third-party delivery companies... to the extent that I used to ask vendors if they use “Company X or Y for delivery” .Their answer became an integral part of my decision - making process as to purchase or not. It was this level of apprehension that in fact kept many people away from the home delivery option. The fast-paced lifestyle left little room for uncertainty.
Covid-19 has tempered customer expectations somewhat and people are more tolerant of bad delivery services in light of the difficulties they face -from obtaining the curfew pass, to being overworked, stressed and fearful of the potential danger of catching the virus. All these factors mean we see delivery windows measured now in days, and for ‘takeaway’ food ordered, two or three-hour wait-times, instead of the standard 45 – 60 minutes that we are used to. Right now, we are tolerant and empathize with those who are on the front lines of delivery.
But how long will these tempered expectations last? As the world struggles to recover, sooner or later, customers will expect acceptable standards to return. And this is where a bad delivery company can make or break your brand, at a time the world is grasping with “the new normal”, where several people will work from home, and more necessities / luxuries too will be delivered to their residences, rather than purchased from shops.
Consider this: you operate a hotel or restaurant now offering to deliver your popular ‘fish & chips’ dish, to the customer’s home; piping hot, with crisp batter and chunky chips. On receipt of an order, you immediately prepare the food, meticulously pack it and hand it over to the delivery company. Does your responsibility end here? No way! This is the mistake many brands, big or small make. They just parrot out the phrase “it’s been given to the delivery person and should be on the way”. Do you think the delivery company will care - especially when your order is just one of hundreds from various suppliers? Probably not.
Meanwhile, the customer will be rather displeased. The social media post by them will most likely read “Ordered Fish and Chips from XXX Hotel. Order came three hours after the promised time, the fish was cold, the batter was limp and the chips soggy”. Notice any mention of the delivery company there? No, because the customer does not care. It may as well have been delivered by the General Manager or the Gardener; it doesn’t matter.In most instances the customer may not even know that a delivery company was involved. In their eyes, you have offered a service to deliver your food to the customer’s doorstep, and the timely management of logistics falls under your purview. Shifting blame on to the delivery company is thus inexcusable.
Vendors thus need to be aware that their responsibility does not end upon handing the parcel to the delivery person; the customer certainly does not see it that way. This shifts the onus towards vendors to carefully select their delivery partners, conduct regular audits of their efficiency and frequently engage with them to ensure the best service. After all, it’s no different to talking to your supplier of fish, for example and constantly impressing upon them the need for the freshest catch with the best quality. Either way, if there is a gap between what you provide and what the customer expects, your brand will suffer.
Ashraaq Wahab - an automotive journalist, marketer and writer who enjoys penning his thoughts, insights and ideas on a variety of topics. |
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The prevalence of Covid-19 around the world has forced everyone to become exceedingly reliant on delivery services. In Sri Lanka, it’s no different with everything delivered during curfew time, including things one would not typically expect to be delivered. The online delivery service of a popular supermarket offers Samsung smartphones alongside your groceries. Five-star hotels have capitalised on the holidays of the Sinhala & Tamil New Year, Wesak and Mother’s Day by providing tailor-made delivery options. Restaurants have increasingly wider delivery menus and a whole host of other vendors have have jumped on the bandwagon as well. In fact, during this time I’ve found myself having a myriad of required items delivered - from Razors to Rechargeable Batteries.