How to choose a delivery service for your e-shop

The courier may be the only living person your customer will see. However, the behavior and professionalism of the courier is not the only factor for selecting a delivery company for last mile logistics. Here are some tips on what to look for when choosing a delivery service for your e-shop.

You should include services that are important to your customers as well as to you in your selection. The most well-behaved courier won’t make up for a complicated order transfer, and conversely, a great technology background won’t overcome unreliable service. References should also play a role in your decision. Grocery delivery has its own specifics, just like e-commerce or express delivery, and the experience of other clients will tell you what working with your chosen delivery service can look like.

Give people… the choice of multiple delivery methods

While delivery boxes are growing in popularity, home or work delivery still has the upper hand. Therefore, letting customers choose where they want their goods delivered and also by whom is ideal. We recommend putting multiple shipping options from different delivery companies on the e-commerce site so that customers don’t compromise but choose what is most convenient for them. Multiple partners will also give you more flexibility – you are not dependent on one supplier and can more easily cover any shortages.

Give people… the option to choose the delivery day

Today, tomorrow or maybe a week from now… Every customer has a different time preference and it also depends on the goods. Generally, a third of customers want same-day delivery. For groceries, however, it’s the vast majority – 82%. Other times, though, you’ll find that customers want to schedule delivery for a specific day. So, give them the option of not having to take an unexpected sick-day or hide birthday presents under the bed.

Give people… a choice of delivery time.

While we are on the subject of when people want their orders delivered… Have you thought about offering customers a time slot when the courier will arrive? We don’t mean a text message in the morning telling you when the company will deliver the package, like conventional delivery services do, or info on how long after the order the courier will arrive for aggregators. We mean actually choosing when the courier should arrive.

We offer this service as standard to all our clients and it is not difficult to set up. Thanks to our widget, you can implement it on your e-shop in a few clicks and you don’t have to deal with programmers or come up with diagrams of how the service should look like.

Give people… superior services in the basic package

For cars, additional paid for features are a nice thing, but for courier services, it’s more of an annoyance for customers, which can make a big difference in how satisfied they are with your e-shop. So don’t underestimate additional services such as delivery of oversized packages or delivery to the customer’s doorstep.

Large parcels like fridges can be delivered by traditional 3PLs, but they will only deliver them to the doorstep or in the garden if the customer pays extra. With DODO you automatically have this service and we can handle the basic hook-up of appliances, similar to Decathlon. Feedback shows that customers really appreciate the delivery to the doorstep.

Give people… support

Despite all the technological gadgets and predictions, the unexpected can happen. Customers are only human, just like warehouse workers and couriers. If something does go wrong, give people the option of having someone to turn to. Support hours from 9am to 5pm for evening deliveries don’t help much… But it should be mentioned that most carriers understand this and have dispatch available outside of standard business hours. At DODO, we are on call every day from 8am to 10pm.

Give people… the assurance of data security

Not all shoppers realize that by using aggregators or marketplaces, they are handing over their data to them, not just the e-commerce site. With traditional carriers and with us, you can always be sure that you are the owner of the data, because everything takes place on your e-shop.

Bonus tip: make yourself at ease too

We’ve focused a lot on what to provide as part of last mile delivery to customers. But don’t forget about yourself. The better aligned you are with your delivery service, the more you can focus on growing the e-commerce business itself and not just constantly putting out fires.

Logistics is and will increasingly be about data and technology. Therefore, also look at how your chosen delivery service providers are keeping up with the changing times. Can they easily integrate their systems with yours? Do they use technology to keep track of orders? Can they automatically plan routes? Technology is playing an increasingly important role. You will find players in the market who are not yet addressing this and, in contrast, those who have their own developers and technological solutions. So, choose carefully.