As a consumer, you would be the rare one if you haven’t experienced the delay of your Christmas orders arriving.
For at least the past five years, delivery services have fallen victim to intense consumer dissatisfaction with their packages arriving some days after Christmas or damaged.
Scathing reviews are left on public social media accounts, retailers are left squirming for answers, and of course – people won’t be returning to shop at the store.
Although the delivery services and retailers often receive the brunt of scrutiny from customers, if the logistics management hasn’t been planned, then they are destined to fail.
If you are a retailer or planning on delivering products around this busy time of year, then it’s time to consider how you can guarantee customers the safe passage of their package.
And, we’re here to help.
The Christmas rush
It’s common sense that around this time of year people will be madly dashing to order their last-minute presents.
However, this year seems to have people pushing back their order dates ever further putting more pressure on retailers and delivery services to have products ready.
According to eBay’s Australia’s trendwatcher, Meg English, their busiest day hasn’t occurred so close to Christmas ever before.
“We’re going to see pretty healthy trading right up until December 16 and that speaks to the logistics companies coming together to make that happen,” she says.
“There are also a lot of surveys that show men leave their gifting later and we expect men will take advantage of (collecting products from stores), helping to push out this date.”
December 12 is expected to be the official Christmas day rush, with five orders being placed every second and 2.7 millions visits to eBay Australia just on that day.
Retailers and logistics management
In research conducted by Spectrum Insight, the organisation investigated the causes of retailers who suffered brand damage, compared to others who were considered excellent in the eyes of the consumer.
It was concluded that organisations who suffered the most brand damage occurred most often when they failed to meet the expectations of the customer – or even their own promises.
Whether that be delivering on time, to the right location, or ensuring their packages came undamaged, companies were expected to meet this criterion.
Reporting on the research, Eye For Transport highlighted the fundamental significance of choosing the right logistics management company.
“It is of utmost importance, therefore, that retailers take a lot of care when selecting their logistics partner in order to ensure that the partner is closely tailored to the retailer’s needs, and that both sides can manage this relationship effectively,” EFT wrote.
“Christmas is just one time of the year when supply chains are squeezed to breaking point, and can serve as a clear reminder of the potential difficulties of maintaining this two-way relationship.”
This same relationship was picked up by Alisdair Wright, the Vice President at Atos International, writing on the nightmares of Christmas.
“Customer experience is everyone’s responsibility these days. End consumers don’t distinguish in-store or online shopping experiences from how their purchased products are delivered,” he said.
“Retailers expect logistics partners to support their customer strategies right to the consumer’s door: with fast and faultless delivery, at lowest cost, encouraging brand loyalty, helping to drive up revenue.”
Picking the logistics management for you
If you read around, different companies throw at you a variety of points to considering logistics management.
Are they up to date with their technology?
What’s their crisis management like?
How do their communication systems work?
All of these are incredibly important, but if you’re in the business of putting the customer first, you should also pick global logistics that do the same.
If their first priority is ensuring their client is served, meeting and exceeding their expectation, then they will probably be the match for you. At SAL Global Logistics, we are dedicated to providing a personalised service and employ staff who take a personal interest to deliver precisely what the customer wants.
After that commitment is met, then you run through the checklist of how they use their technology effectively to meet this or how have they implemented crisis management plans if something does go wrong.
What SAL Global Logistics promises clients
We understand that retailers are under continuous pressure to meet the needs of their customers, and as a logistics management provider, we take on that burden.
Our experienced and qualified team mean that we have the capacity to make the right decisions for you – fast. In times of crisis, even if it’s as a result of something we can’t control, then we have strategies in place to effectively manage that.
Imperative to our service is effective communication systems and transparency. Through accurate documentation, pre-advice and arrival notice for all shipments, and cargo and order tracking, we ensure you are aware of all processes that take place.
If you are planning for the Christmas rush, or want to ensure that all your orders take place seamlessly during the year, then please get in touch with us today!
