![\"Customer](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/delivery.jpg\")
\neDelivery EXPO, a leading event for retail\u00a0fulfilment has launched the results of its \u2018The Importance of the Final Mile\u2019\u00a0research which investigated 2,000 UK consumers\u2019 perceptions and experiences of the\u00a0delivery of goods purchased online.<\/p>\n
With 93% of Brits having ordered a product online within the\u00a0last month, the vast majority of consumers will have had a recent interaction with a\u00a0delivery company or courier. Unfortunately, it is not always a positive experience.<\/p>\n
The Final Mile Can be The Final Straw for Many\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The final mile is the customer\u2019s final touch point with the retailer in the purchase\u00a0journey. The findings reveal that it can literally make or break the customer\u00a0relationship. In fact, poor delivery practices have made 18% of respondents stop\u00a0shopping with certain retailers, with only 4% of them turning to click and collect and 4% resorting to purchasing in-store.<\/p>\n Poor delivery practices can tarnish a retailer\u2019s reputation with customers\u2019 friends and family. Almost a third (29%) of Brits admit to telling a friend or loved one to\u00a0avoid a particular retailer because of a bad experience they\u2019ve had with delivery.<\/p>\n Delivery Issues Dragging Down Online Retail\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Out of the top five dislikes of online shopping, three were delivery related. When\u00a0asked about what they most disliked about shopping online, having to pay delivery\u00a0fees was the second most irksome at 56%, just behind not being able to \u2018experience\u2019 the physical product.<\/p>\n The inconvenience of returning items came in third (40%) and\u00a0the hassle of having to be in for a delivery fourth (28%). Seventeen per cent claim\u00a0that they always check the courier company used by the retailer before purchasing,\u00a0with 22% saying there are some courier companies they actively avoid. Fifty six per\u00a0cent say they are annoyed if goods are not delivered when promised.<\/p>\n Delivering the Goods\u2026Badly\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Having the wrong package delivered tops the list of delivery annoyances at 75%,\u00a0closely followed by missed deliveries being returned to a depot far from the recipient\u2019s home (74%). Damaged parcels comes a very close third (71%), with parcels\u00a0left in inappropriate places at 53% and having to pay a premium for next day\u00a0delivery at just under half of respondents (49%).<\/p>\n Humans v Drones<\/strong><\/p>\n Many retailers have begun experimenting with automated delivery techniques (drones and autonomous vehicles) but consumers have their concerns around the reliability of\u00a0these new techniques.<\/p>\n Almost half (49%) think autonomous delivery would be less\u00a0reliable than human delivery, whilst a third think it\u2019ll be equally reliable. Just\u00a0over a third (34%) say they would always trust a human over a machine to make a judgement call on what is best to do with their delivery, with a quarter being\u00a0worried that their package would get lost or damaged.<\/p>\n Despite these reservations,\u00a037% accept that autonomous deliveries will be the norm within the next five years.<\/p>\n With delivery proving such a crucial aspect of the modern customer journey, ensuring\u00a0it is reliable, affordable and meets customer expectations is paramount. At\u00a0eDelivery EXPO, experts from delivery giants such as Deliveroo and Royal Mail will\u00a0be discussing how new technologies and techniques will shape the final mile in 2018\u00a0and beyond.<\/p>\n Maia Bulbul, Head of International Business Development at London-based last mile\u00a0delivery service Quiqup commented:<\/p>\n Neil Cotty, CEO of UK-based enterprise carrier management company, GFS said:<\/p>\n \u201cThe research highlights how critical delivery is for consumers and how easily a bad\u00a0experience can result in lost customers and lost sales \u2013 it can be a competitive\u00a0advantage or a weakness.<\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, what we see is that the delivery experience has to start much sooner than\u00a0the actual delivery but at the checkout. Baskets are quickly abandoned if consumers\u00a0don\u2019t get the choice of delivery options and convenience they expect and demand.\u00a0They also want up-to-date tracking and proactive notifications. What they don\u2019t want\u00a0is unexpected surprises \u2013 a parcel not turning up at the expected time or worse\u00a0still, not turning up at all.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all retailers have the resources or expertise to compete at this level which is\u00a0where they need to partner with experts like GFS who bring everything together – the\u00a0technology, shipping and logistics expertise and proactive customer care \u2013 giving\u00a0retailers complete and affordable solutions to delight customers from checkout to\u00a0doorstep. \u201c<\/p>\n Darko Atijas, Sales and Marketing Director at Neopost Shipping Europe added:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"Maia](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Maia-Bulbul-1.jpg\")
“The landscape in which retailers operate today has changed. The growing culture of impatience is real and consumer demand for everything faster, more flexibly, and at\u00a0the touch of a button is penetrating every corner of our lives. Online shopping is\u00a0supposed to make our lives easier, but delivery windows that span several hours feel\u00a0like a chore, not a convenience. Retailers that offer delivery services that\u00a0accommodate the dynamic schedules of their consumers have the opportunity to set\u00a0themselves apart from even the biggest players in the market. Those who don\u2019t, are\u00a0likely to suffer at the hands of competitors with last mile muscle.”<\/p>\n![\"Neil](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Neil-Cotty.jpg\")
\n![\"Darko](\"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Darko-Atijas.jpg\")
\u201cThese findings highlight that negative shipping experiences do more than simply\u00a0cost retailers money due to increased costs of returns and logistics: they adversely\u00a0affect repeat purchases and ultimately the lifetime value of the customer.\u201d<\/p>\n