While nearly two-thirds (66%) of American adults trust their chosen brands or shippers for time-sensitive items, these businesses have a lot of opportunities for growth.
According to a new parcelLab poll of 2,994 U.S. adults, 32% would be hesitant to order an item after a failed delivery or poor ordering experience, and 29% would forego an online order for home delivery for special occasions or when the item must come by a specified date or time.
Customers were also more hesitant to order for home delivery when it would be difficult to find a replacement item in person if the shipment was lost or did not arrive on time (28%), when the item was required for a vacation or trip (26%), or when they were running low on an item and needed replacements (26%).
Overall, 25% of respondents do not trust that time-critical or high-importance things will arrive on time.
The “Mission Critical Deliveries Report” contained comments collected online by YouGov between June 27 and June 30.
“While data shows that trust is high when compared to consumers’ skepticism, it begs the question of whether trust with companies is genuinely there,” the report stated.
“Time-critical and high-importance deliveries are frequently seen as such since consumers rely on these things in some way,” Tobias Buxhoidt, founder and CEO of parcelLab, a post-purchase technology company, explained. “This means that the stakes are higher to give an excellent experience, as even little problems could convince them to not even make the purchase.”
According to the survey, 30% of respondents responded that bad evaluations or remarks about a supplier’s delivery service would be a reason not to order a time-critical or important item for home delivery. In addition, 37% reported an average of two to five late or lost deliveries of these items in the previous three years. In the last two years, 27% of these packages were delivered to the wrong address, 30% were left unprotected or in the weather, and nearly one-quarter (24%) were delivered damaged.
“Our goal will always be to inform retailers on how to optimize their customer experience by deploying technologies and resources that generate crucial customer touch points.” According to the survey, “almost half of the respondents would be motivated to request these types of deliveries if there were real-time updates and order tracking via an app or website, demonstrating the value associated with heightened customer communications,” said Buxhoidt.
The carrier is to blame.
Respondents to parcelLab’s survey, like previous studies, blamed the carrier for delivery issues. Nearly half (48%) would blame the carrier, and more than one-quarter (26%) would blame the supplier or merchant from where the item was ordered. Despite the fact that the carrier would be the first to blame, 48% of respondents stated they would complain to the retailer’s customer support staff, while 39% would contact the carrier directly.
34% would not order from the merchant or supplier again if their packages did not arrive on time or were lost. Another 19% would actively advise friends and family not to order from the merchant or provider, 27% would avoid the courier, and 16% would leave a negative review online.
However, there is some good news: 21% stated they would be more willing to order mission-critical things if they could choose which courier delivered the item.
While some difficulties are outside the companies’ and carriers’ control, they must account for them, according to the parcel. According to the poll, 19% of respondents would avoid obtaining medical goods owing to existing shortages, 42% cited supply chain concerns, and 37% mentioned inflation and rising shipping costs as deterrents.
“While these circumstances are outside the retailers’, suppliers’, and carriers’ control, it is critical to account for current events and how they affect the customer approach,” parcelLab added.
