Delivery Not Included?

"Delivery not included??"

If you’re like most startups, you may not yet have your own customer facing outlet so you rely heavily on delivery partners. These delivery partners are other companies that help you sort out the logistics part of your business so you can focus on your core business. Using delivery partners can be lifesaving when you get the relationship right and know what to expect. Similarly, choosing the wrong delivery partner or not managing the relationship properly can make or break your business. You only have to think about the not-so-pleasant experiences you’ve personally had with goods delivered to you, to understand how it makes a difference with your customers, here are a few things you ought to think about…

Deliver When You Say You Will

Everyone is late in Lagos right? Nope! Not you or your delivery promises. Managing expectation matters immensely. If you tell your customers you’re going to deliver in the afternoon, deliver in the afternoon, simple! If you must be late, you need to manage this process as well. That means ensuring that your agents call or text your customers to ensure that they are aware.

Delivery-Customer Relationship

How do the agents of your delivery service provider relate with your customer? Professionalism is key! When the delivery agent picks up the phone to call your customer, what exactly do they say? How do they say it? Scripting this conversation might be necessary.

Deliver something pretty!

You’ve put lots of effort into the product you are delivering. But not so much thought into how your product looks when it gets to your customer. You don’t want your customers receiving products in dirty or dusty packaging. That is not the way you want your brand represented! You can work with your delivery partner on this.

I’m sure you can come up with many more details to pay attention to. Just remember that you have to protect your brand in every transaction. That means concerning yourself with the end-to-end experience for your customers. No matter what, the buck stops with you.

Wonuola Okoye

Principal Coach

Big Startup