How many delivery delays have you experienced in the last year? One, two, or more than that? You are not alone in this – a lot of consumers are facing the same.
According to research from Mitto – over three-quarters of consumers have experienced a delivery delay in the last year.
Despite hopes that the global supply chain disruptions of 2021 wouldn’t survive 2022 – they remain. But brands with little control over delays can stem growing customer frustration.
Most customers are willing to cut brands slack if they associate that brand with a good customer experience. They are more likely to have patience around delivery delays with a brand they already associate with good customer service, and a good customer experience makes waiting for a product bearable.
Unfortunately, respondents said that not all brands are delivering on this. There is plenty of room for improvement for brands contending with shipping delays and frustrated customers.
Delivering a good CX before and during shipping delays is essential to retaining and building strong customer relationships. Here are three ways brands can build strong CX before and during unavoidable delivery delays to help drive continued customer loyalty:
Embrace consumers’ preferred channels of communication
The average consumer uses a wide range of channels like SMS, chat apps, or social media to communicate with family, friends, and colleagues. It’s no different when they want to engage with a brand. Brands wishing to communicate shipping delays to their consumers must embrace those channels that consumers prefer most while also thinking about when they communicate.
More than one-third of respondents said they prefer SMS, social media, and messenger apps when communicating with brands on shipping delays. When sharing communications around a shipment delay, respondents said they want brands to send follow-up texts with regular updates (62%), contact them promptly (57%) and send personalized messages from a bot (51%). These insights reinforce how vital it is for brands to get in front of consumers in a timely and personalized manner on their preferred channels in order to maintain a positive perception.
Become even more attentive
Delivery delays aren’t a time to peel back on attentive customer service. According to the survey, a majority (79%) of consumers said they expect to receive a more attentive CX when their shipment has been delayed. However, not all brands are delivering on these expectations; 61% of respondents said that for each shipping delay they experience, the customer experience is poor at least 20% of the time. And less than half (44%) believe brands try to provide better customer service to compensate for their delayed shipment. In fact, 14% said the CX is worse during a delivery delay.
Over half of respondents said they will cancel their order if the customer experience is bad, so don’t let a single delayed delivery turn into a canceled order or, worse, a lost customer. Delivery delays are both a hurdle and an opportunity to accelerate your CX and turn a customer into a loyal one, even if the circumstances are challenging.
Room for second chances with good CX
Only 11% of respondents said that one delay during a year would force them to never shop with that brand again. This churn, however, more than doubles after the second delivery delay; one in four (26%) said two delays over a year would force them to never shop with a brand again.
However, this can be mitigated with established strong CX. 93% of the 1,000 Americans we surveyed said they are more likely to have patience around delivery delays with a brand they already associate with good customer service, while 96% of those same respondents said that a good customer experience makes waiting for a product bearable. By establishing a reputation of delivering a great customer experience before delivery delays and all year round, consumers are more likely to give brands second chances when faced with a delivery delay.
Conclusion
Brands must prioritize attentive communication methods before and during delivery delays; otherwise, they risk canceled orders and abandoned customer relationships. Don’t let uncontrollable shipping delays sour hard-won customer relationships.
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