42% of consumers say they have, on average, experienced three missed deliveries due to miscommunication by a brand or courier during the pandemic according to research from Sorted. With 63% expecting to be out of the house more frequently now that COVID-19 restrictions have begun to lift (rising to 77% of those aged 18-34), they say that retailers must focus on customer communications and a connected delivery experience to put consumer fears at rest.
The research from delivery conducted by Opinium among 2,000 UK respondents, found that one in five Brits are much less likely to order online after just one negative delivery experience.
Alongside this, 22% anticipate they will be missing deliveries, or that deliveries will be left outside their home more frequently, as they return to normal work life on ‘Freedom Day’, July 19th. Missing deliveries due to brand miscommunication is most common in London, where deliveries are more than twice as likely to happen (56%) in comparison to Northern Ireland (24%).
“Brands need to work smarter than ever to ensure consumers are kept updated, with this research showing that delivery communications are still clearly inconsistent and detrimental to a customer’s experience,. After 18 months of people being home to receive parcels, we need to avoid the inevitable ‘parcel panic’ as people go back to their normal lives, when they leave the house more and worry about when their parcel will arrive.”
– David Grimes, CEO, Sorted
With almost a fifth of Brits (17%) stating they are less likely to order online if they have a negative experience of online delivery communications, it is in the brands’ best interest to ensure this miscommunication is eradicated, to keep customers happy and achieve growth.
“In the new ecommerce experience economy, our research has revealed there’s a great opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves by owning the delivery experience end-to-end and connecting more with customers across the whole journey. With real-time tracking and personalised comms available to enhance the customer delivery experience, there’s no reason why brands should make customers rely on text or email communications alone. With the rate of ecommerce growth unlikely to slow down, retailers need to create customer confidence regardless of where and how people decide to shop.”
– David Grimes, CEO, Sorted
