Sales aren’t the only important part of running a business. Quick, seamless deliveries will earn you the loyalty of your customers and help you develop a great reputation. But to really increase your deliveries, you often need to look outside of your business. Here are six resources to help.
1. SMS Update Tools
Whether they’re ordering pizza or a new car, customers benefit from the peace of mind that comes from order tracking. And while having order status updates on your website is great, giving your customers the option of SMS updates is best. Major carriers have integrated this option so buyers can know where their order is at any given moment.
Updating customers via text doesn’t have to be complicated. If you invest in an SMS tool for businesses, you will be able to send your customers automated updates from order to delivery. Your customers will see that your business is reliable, so they’ll be more likely to order from you again.
2. Product Configuration Software
Part of ensuring fast delivery time is making sure you are able to start putting together an order soon after it’s placed. And if you offer products that can be customized, including software that easily lets consumers input their specifications on your website is a must. With this type of tool, your company will be able to get started on the order expediently, and that makes it more likely that your customer will get it fast.
3. Third-Party Logistics Companies
As your business grows, shipping and delivery become a much more complicated endeavor. When you work with a logistics company, you’re choosing to work with delivery experts. Many of these companies are able to offer same-day delivery. And if your business is growing, logistics companies can easily scale their services to accommodate you.
As a bonus, some of these companies also provide order tracking and SMS updates so you don’t have to worry about keeping your customers updated. And if your company offers scheduled deliveries, third-party companies are well equipped to coordinate with the customer and ensure their product is delivered at a convenient time.
4. Software To Improve Company Culture
If you want to improve your delivery efficiency and ensure an increase in deliveries, take a look at your company culture. In a company with a healthy culture, employees will make an effort to help each other and the company as a whole. And when your employees work together, in a fast-paced industry, your entire business succeeds.
But if you want to improve your company’s culture, you’ll need some metrics. There are many different applications designed to assess your company’s culture and offer tips for change. Many of these programs survey your employees anonymously to ensure honest feedback. Other tools aim to streamline communication between employees, and still, others allow you to reward employees who go above and beyond.
5. Customer Review Incentives
When it comes to gaining new customers and cementing your reputation in your industry, reviews from satisfied customers can go a long way. But sometimes, customers don’t take the time to review a product once they get it.
Fortunately, there are simple tools you can use to incentivize customers to leave reviews on various platforms. You can include a card with each delivery asking customers to leave a product review. You might reward each review with a gift card or enter all reviewers into periodic drawings for larger prizes.
6. Warehouse Communication Tools
If you want a product to be delivered quickly, you also need to make sure that it leaves the warehouse efficiently. If your business has a very small warehouse, communication may not be an issue. But if you have a very large warehouse, employees may have a hard time locating one another or otherwise communicating.
This issue is a relatively easy one to fix. You might choose to invest in walkie-talkies or even company smartphones. This investment will almost certainly pay off; when your employees can communicate easily, your warehouse operation will go quickly and smoothly.
You’ve put countless hours into developing your business and products, so it’s important that you put that energy into optimizing your deliveries. When you consistently deliver quality products quickly, your business is almost sure to grow.
