The 7Cs of Home Delivery – Empowering Customers with Control

As consumers, the more control we have, the more empowered we tend to feel. The happier we tend to feel.

The same rules apply to your last mile processes. You want to have maximum control over your home delivery operations and the systems you use to efficiently manage them, so you can offer the same level of control to your customers, as well.

Because, really, that’s what it’s all about: the customer. And they want more control over the delivery process. They prefer to buy from brands agile enough to respond quickly to changes in their schedules.

If your system supports that level of control, you have a differentiating advantage—for now. But you’ve also got to get ready for what’s next in home delivery.

By enabling consumer self-service—making changes online, tracking delivery status on a web portal—you basically have a 24/7 virtual customer service center, giving consumers what they want—more control—whenever they want it. What could be better than that?

And on the backend, fleet operators that empower consumers to manage their own delivery experiences still maintain ultimate control of the schedule. Consumers can make changes, sure, but can only choose from a select set of delivery time windows that maintain route efficiency.

Using home delivery software to deliver an integrated self-service model, you increase first-time delivery success because your customer has selected a time that works best for them. You also reduce the cost of inbound and outbound call center operations because updates are automated or self-served.

Operational control extends to the home’s doorstep and even through returns management. A specialized app installed on drivers’ phones lets you and the consumer track driver progress on the day of delivery. You can use the app to create different workflows that spell out step-by-step driver requirements, differentiated by product. These can include taking a photo of the installed item, removing packaging from the home, or executing a no-contact delivery with an electronic signature.

Consumers are buying more large-ticket items online. And understandably, they want more control over the delivery process for these items. Advanced home delivery software allows fleet operators to offer consumers convenient self-service while maintaining tight control over operational costs.

Let’s be honest: home delivery operations are the new battleground for competitive advantage.

Consumer purchase criteria now extends beyond product and price. For those larger-ticket items, customers want a support, they want a strong returns policy, and most importantly, they want control over delivery slots and then to be able to manage the delivery process themselves. And if your business doesn’t offer consumers the control they desire, they’ll look elsewhere.

Our home delivery software, Aptean Home Delivery, can transform your omnichannel operation. It allows you to flip the script on the traditional service-to-cost ratio by driving up service levels and customer confidence. You can give the customers the control they want while also supporting efficiency and cost-effectiveness on your end.  

Are you ready to take control of the wheel? Find out how, now.

And be sure to come back next month. We’re going to cover our fourth C in the series: communication. This C is all about keeping the customer informed of progress throughout the order lifecycle and managing their expectation (from order to delivery).

If you’re just joining us and would like to read more about the 7 Cs of home delivery, we’ve written a few posts already. First, we wrote a brief overview of all 7 Cs—just touching on the necessity and power of each of the Cs to make the whole chain stronger. And then, in later posts, we detailed the power of each C individually.

First was choice. Then we wrote about certainty. And here we are at control.

Be sure to tune in next month. We’re going to detail the power of communication in your home delivery operations.  

And if you’d like to read a more comprehensive resource on the 7 Cs of home delivery, you can download our home delivery eBook.