Survey reveals perils of poor delivery experience

Online shoppers are not forgiving when it comes to quality of delivery.

According to a new survey of approximately 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted in June 2022 by e-commerce delivery platform FarEye, 85% of respondents will not shop with a retailer again after having had a poor delivery experience. Furthermore, almost nine in 10 (88%) respondents say they may abandon their online shopping cart if delivery terms are poor, such as having slow delivery or high costs.

Consumers surveyed define a positive delivery experience as having features including fast delivery (36%), low shipping cost (34%), and/or delivery tracking/visibility (28%). In addition, 86% of respondents said they prefer to wait no more than three days for a delivery, while only 7% of respondents felt the online returns process had been an easy experience.

[Read More: Survey: Returns cost online retailers 21% of order value]

According to FarEye analysis, these survey findings signify the need for retailers to fundamentally change the way orders are delivered and returned to achieve a consistent, branded consumer experience. In response, FarEye has developed a “Last Mile Mandate” it says retailers should follow, which includes the following steps:

• Dramatically simplifying the most complicated aspects of delivery logistics.
• Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty by delivering unique on-brand consumer experiences and ensuring on-time, accurate deliveries.
• Creating new, differentiated offerings that reflect dynamic consumer buying behaviors.
• Continuously reducing the environmental impact from deliveries.

Surveys confirm importance of good delivery performance
Two other surveys conducted in the past few months also indicate that retailers offering a subpar online delivery experience risk alienating and losing customers.

According to a consumer survey conducted for mobile data capture technology provider Anyline by Researchscape, more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said that an unacceptable delivery experience would strongly or somewhat affect their decision to order from that company again.

And a recent survey from Loqate demonstrates some of the other fallout that can occur from a poor delivery experience. The Loqate survey reveals that 41% of consumer respondents place the blame for late deliveries on retailers. One in 10 will post a negative review on social media, with nearly all consumer respondents (93%) saying they read reviews before making a purchase. Just three negative reviews were reported to drive away nearly six in 10 potential customers.

“These survey results further reinforce the need for last-mile delivery logistics to evolve to meet ever-changing consumer demands and solve the last-mile challenge,” said Judd Marcello, chief marketing officer, FarEye. “Last mile is only going to get more complicated… (and) is the most complicated and costly part of the delivery journey. Simplifying complexity and derisking logistics is a priority for every brand. The first rule in last mile is delivering a superior customer experience and brands that adhere to the Mandate will not only achieve this, they’ll also drive efficiency and growth, ultimately turning the delivery experience into a competitive advantage.”