There is no doubt that making your customers happy is key to ensuring that they continue to spend money with you.
“A good customer experience causes customers to spend 40% more at the (retail) checkout” – SMG survey of 359k UK shoppers in 2013
When asked about what makes a good retail experience, in many cases your customers will mention delivery as a key factor.
But which elements of delivery are most important to get right and which are more ‘nice to have’?
Leapfrogg asked our Premium Panel* members which retailers really got delivery right for them and why that was. From their responses, we have compiled a list of elements that constitute a good delivery experience in order of importance to those that shop with you.
1. The most important factor identified by our panel was free delivery. If a customer is spending money on an expensive item, then they expect the delivery to be free – especially when lower value retailers are offering it for less spend. Customers will be willing to wait a little longer for delivery they don’t have to pay for.
“NET-A-PORTER.COM really impressed me recently. Delivery was free and my order arrived next day and on the hour they told me it would arrive.”
2. The next important factor was speed of delivery. The option for a fast delivery (even if it does require additional payment) was important. Equally as important as fast delivery was the delivery time allocation. Having a specified delivery slot makes it so much easier for your customers to organise someone being at home without too much impact on their day-to-day lives.
“I’ve always been impressed with ASOS compared to any other shopping websites. Deliveries are fast and easy to return free of charge”
3. If delivery to a specific address is hard to organise for the customer, next on the list is the ability for them to pick up from somewhere that’s convenient – often referred to as a click and collect service.
“For convenience, John Lewis is brilliant as you can pick up your orders the next day from any Waitrose and return them there.”
4. Once you have your delivery costs and timing nailed, next to focus on is the ease of return for your customers. Whether it is a pre-filled returns sticker to pop back in the post, or an easy online form to fill in, make sure it’s NO hassle. A sure turn off to purchasing from you again would be a difficult experience in returning a product for any reason.
“Topshop delivery is free, fast and easy to return (no form filling just online tick boxes).”
5. Delivery communication comes next. Not quite as important as delivery time and pricing, but a real boost to the overall delivery experience, is the way you communicate with the customer between sale and delivery. Keep them updated with the progress of their parcel. Not only does it fill them with confidence, but it will keep the purchase excitement going as you build up to their parcel arriving.
“I love the way Amazon can tell me exactly where my parcel is at any given point via their tracking service. ASOS are great at keeping their customers updated from purchase to delivery too.”
6. Last on the list and more of a ‘nice to have’ – though still important – is the quality of your packaging, particularly if it is a premium product. Don’t go overboard and damage the environment, but make sure your packaging reflects the quality of your product. Opening a parcel wrapped with thought adds extra delight to the experience of receiving it!
“House of Hackney wallpaper. It came wrapped in black tissue paper, with gold stickers in a branded tube! I expect a high delivery standard for all fashion brands now, so for me getting that same lovely experience when I ordered WALLPAPER was stand-up.”
*Leapfrogg’s Premium Panel is a collection of like-minded premium consumers sharing insight into their shopping behaviours and expectations from premium and luxury brands. If you have a passion for premium retail, love luxe and get excited by exclusives, join our Premium Panel over on Facebook. Alternatively, email us on pa[email protected] to be added to the mailing list.