Royal Mail have launched a new service that will give overseas customers of UK-based retailers a more convenient way to track their parcels.
Tracked Email Notifications are now available as a free add on with all Royal Mail International Tracked products and it’s designed to ensure customers have a clearer idea of where their order is at any given time.
What notifications do customers get?
Initially available to customers who have a business account with Royal Mail, the service provides recipients with a series of push emails alerting them when their item has:
- Left the UK
- Arrived in the receiving country
- Entered and cleared customs (outside the EU where data available)
- Been delivered/attempted to be delivered
Services covered are International Tracked, International Tracked and Signed. (Tracked Email Notifications are not available with the International Signed Service as this not a fully tracked service).
As the tracking notifications are delivered direct to the customer’s inbox, there is no need for the customer to log in to a separate website for an update. This delivers a more streamlined and transparent service, giving consumers added confidence in their retailer. The system will also proactively let recipients know when their delivery has arrived or whether it is still in customs.
Automation needed
Under the initiative, Royal Mail will provide the retailer with a link that they can embed into an email to their overseas customers. This will enable customers to select the notifications that they would like to receive, as well as their preferred language.
Languages include: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Danish, Russian and Greek. The service is available in all countries that Royal Mail sends International Tracked products to with the exception of Argentina and Ecuador.
This however is a manual process and doubtless you’ll want to automate it. We’re hoping that third party management tools and marketplaces will integrate the new workflow to pass the tracking links on to customers as soon as possible.
