From their favorite brands to specialty retailers, from direct-to-consumer to buy-online-deliver-from-store, today’s shoppers have more online shopping choices than ever, and they’re not afraid to exercise them. When the items they want are available from multiple businesses, the delivery experience you offer can make or break how you retain customers and earn new ones (or not).
In a recent Roadie survey, online shoppers named their top three delivery deal-breakers. These are the problems that are most likely to ruin their purchasing experience and turn elsewhere next time they shop:
The good news is that each of these pain points can be mitigated or even eliminated by prioritizing the delivery experience. By choosing a logistics partner that prioritizes quality, transparency and flexibility, retailers can turn these issues from deal-breakers to brand-builders.
Damaged deliveries actually came up twice in the Roadie survey. Not only did 47% of respondents highlight damage as a reason to abandon a retailer, but nearly a third (32%) of shoppers also said that damage-free delivery is one of the most important aspects of the delivery experience.
These priorities are present across all geographies, demographics and shopping categories.
No matter how beautiful the product description or how smooth the online checkout, a dented box or shattered item will sour the customer experience. Make sure your delivery solutions can accommodate oversized items and support special handling instructions for fragile orders.
Having these conversations up front means your customer satisfaction promise will be carried (literally) all the way to the doorstep.
When an order simply never shows up, the damage goes deeper than a missing package. It erodes your customer’s trust, and once that’s gone it’s hard to win back.
“Orders never received” was a close second in the rankings of worst delivery offenses, cited by 45% of respondents. This number is higher among older shoppers and those in the suburbs.
Missed deliveries happen, but your choice of delivery network can make them less frequent and help you build trust among customers. Features like clear delivery windows, real-time status updates, and photographic proof-of-delivery give shoppers the confidence they need to place their orders and keep coming back.
Free delivery claims the top spot (58%) among survey respondents when asked what matters most in their delivery experience. At the same time, 38% of customers say high delivery costs would deter them from shopping with a retailer again. Baby Boomers were most likely to feel this way at 48%.
Having said that, respondents also made it known that they are willing to pay for certain things.
When asked what they felt was a fair price for 24-hour delivery, shoppers said they expected to pay $10–20 for bulky items, $10–15 for high-value items, and for low-value urgent items $5 or less was fair.
The takeaway here is that delivery cost is only a deal-breaker if it doesn’t align with the item’s perceived value. Retailers who offer tiered delivery pricing or bundle delivery fees with loyalty perks or free delivery thresholds can better balance profitability with customer expectations.
Dennis Moon, Chief Operating Officer for Roadie, recommends A/B testing different delivery pricing structures to see what resonates with customers while still keeping profitability in mind. “If you have high-margin products, consider offering them free delivery,” he says. “If you have low-margin products, tack on a small cost based on what consumers are willing to pay. But really look at it as a tactical opportunity to win that sale instead of using a one-size-fits-all cost model across the board.”
Knowing your customers will turn to competitors just a click away if something goes wrong with delivery, it’s time to focus on improving your logistics to prevent problems before they happen. Slow, sloppy and expensive delivery issues are all solvable problems when you use a platform like Roadie for same-day delivery.
Roadie connects you with a nationwide network of independent, local drivers so you can quickly deliver the orders your customers are expecting, along with a positive experience that builds your reputation:
When delivery works the way shoppers want it to, they turn to you time and again for the same great products and a positive delivery experience. Reach out today to add same-day delivery with Roadie and keep customers coming back for more.