Don’t let porch pirates steal your thunder during the holiday season!
Here are four ways you can help fight package theft for your customers!
“61% of consumers feel online retailers are not doing enough to prevent package theft.” – Shorr Packaging
During each busy holiday season, eCommerce brands are eagerly awaiting the busiest few months of the year. They’ve got promotions planned, campaigns scheduled, websites optimized, and extra staff for the warehouse. In short, they plan on taking full advantage of the predicted 4.2% year-over-year increase in online shopping sales.
Unfortunately, their anticipation is rivaled by one other group – porch pirates.
Part of your retail responsibilities is to prevent package theft and make sure you get your packages delivered right to your customer’s doorstep.
You can’t always rely on the fact that your customer might own a security camera or a full home security system to prevent them from getting their packages stolen. It all starts on your end, which is why you should always provide clear delivery instructions, order tracking, and real-time notifications.
Besides, package theft is not a holiday-specific occurrence. It often happens while homeowners are at work. However, with the predicted spike in holiday sales and package delivery volume comes more opportunities for package thieves.
This can be a nightmare for retailers, who can expect an overwhelming number of emails and calls to their customer service department.
Here are four easy ways you can use proactivity to save your customer experience and avoid package theft both during the holiday season and all year round!
“74% of packages are stolen during the day when homeowners are out.” – John White, Inc.com
The process of setting the right expectations needs to start at the pre-purchase stage. Retailers should make a year-round effort to set transparent expectations for customers, but this is especially important during the holidays.
One of the best ways to achieve this is through estimated delivery dates. By being upfront about when a package will arrive, you can make it easier for customers to schedule daily activities ahead and stick around for their package to arrive.
Displaying an estimated date of delivery allows the user to quickly decide if they’ll be home or not. Even if they’ll be at work, having this information in advance can help them make necessary arrangements. Offering several clearly displayed shipping methods gives customers the ability to make the best choice for them.
Keep things accurate by including processing time, carrier data, and non-shipping days, as well as the customer’s location. Knowing the estimated due date will put customers at ease by helping them plan ahead, increasing your conversion rate!
“95% of customers are interested in some degree of proactive communication from companies they buy products and services from.” – Loyalty360
Post-purchase transactional email and SMS messages are no longer a perk, they’re a necessity. Don’t just hand customers an eCommerce order tracking number. Instead, you can become their link to the carrier through real-time SMS messages. These fan-favorite proactive notifications are key for retailers looking to mitigate package theft during the holiday season.
Customers will receive a text the moment any event is triggered in the shipment process. Let them know exactly when their shipment is out for delivery so they can plan accordingly. The shipment delivered text minimizes the time a package spends at the front door and dramatically reduces the chances for thieves.
Out for delivery? Shipment delivered? Let your customers know exactly where their package is and when it will arrive— no more anxiously awaiting a delivery, let them take a deep breath and relax instead. We’ve got you covered! Make it easy for customers to opt in to SMS messaging immediately after their purchase, on the “thank you” page.
Include the option to opt-in/out within the order detail page, in case the customer changes their mind. This offers the customer full flexibility to tailor their experience while ensuring all resources are readily available to them.
“71% of customers would recommend a product or service because they received a ‘great experience. 62% say they would share bad experiences with a friend.” – Philippe Aussant, iperception
As any seasoned eCommerce entrepreneur knows, a fantastic customer experience is key for brand loyalty and customer retention. After all, keeping your existing customers is always more cost-effective than acquiring new ones.
By showing them that you care about their satisfaction and are willing to work with them to find a solution, you can turn one-time buyers into lifetime customers.
To do so, use SMS messages to save the customer experience when things go wrong in transit. Notify the customer of a failed attempt at delivery, shipment exception, or incorrect address.
By getting ahead of the problem, allowing address changes or package rerouting, you keep the customers in control. Even simply letting them know about a weather delay offers a great experience while thwarting porch pirates.
Help the customer appropriately change their plans during a shipping mishap to build loyalty and ensure that packages are delivered! Even if you can’t change the fact that an issue arose you can turn it into a positive touchpoint!
“37% of customers say they would pay more if the package were more discreet. That is, the packaging hides the more enticing brands or products from thieves.” – Catman
The messaging is loud and clear – retailers should save fun, branded packaging for inside the box. According to a survey conducted by Crawford Packaging, branded packaging is the second most appealing factor for thieves. This is especially important for brands whose names have become synonymous with high-end products.
Millennial shoppers have caught on, with 54% saying they’ve purchased items in discreet packaging to mitigate theft. Keep your boxes plain and simple to put customers at ease and avoid angry stolen package calls to your contact center, dealing with finding the right delivery person, and so on.
Customer experience is everything in today’s modern eCommerce landscape, and nothing ruins that faster than having a package stolen. And during the holiday season, eCommerce businesses everywhere are gearing up for a surge in sales and traffic.
While this is great news for the bottom line, it can also be a recipe for disaster when it comes to the post-purchase customer experience. So don’t let holiday spikes in sales and traffic take your attention away from delighting your customers during the peak season.
WeSupply’s solution for proactive notifications and estimated delivery dates can help you optimize your experience when it matters most.
By providing them with up-to-date information on their package’s status, you can avoid the frustration and disappointment that comes with lost or stolen packages!
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