We’ve all been in situations where life doesn’t always go according to plan. Among friends, birthdays and special occasions are overlooked on busy calendars. At home, an unexpected illness calls for new medication. And at work, a miscalculation leaves your construction crew short of materials and at risk of delays. 

When those things happen, we often turn to our most trusted e-commerce websites to fill the gap quickly. Whether it’s a last-minute flower order, a quick-turn on a new prescription, or a replacement parts delivery straight to the jobsite, we don’t just see fast, reliable delivery as a perk of online shopping — we’ve come to expect it as an essential part of keeping our daily lives and businesses on track no matter what issues pop up. 

But for retailers, the same rules don’t always apply. When customers turn to you to fill their urgent needs, they increasingly expect an option for order fulfillment within 24 hours. Dealing with your own unexpected disruptions? Too bad. If weather delays, staffing snafus or supply chain interruptions arise, the blame for late deliveries will still fall squarely on the brand that made the promise: Yours. This problem can only be prevented by choosing the right delivery technologies and partners to help you keep your promises.

The performance gap you can’t ignore

Choosing the right delivery platform for your business isn’t just about logistics. It’s about building a brand reputation that fosters loyalty. And yet, the recent Last-Mile Quality Report from Roadie uncovered a surprising truth: While retailers are under pressure to meet rising delivery expectations, many of the non-traditional last-mile solutions they rely on aren’t keeping up. 

For instance, while retailers say they expect a 93.5% on-time delivery rate from these providers, in reality, they report only 80% on-time delivery from the delivery platforms, regional carriers and local couriers they’ve chosen. That kind of performance might have been acceptable a decade ago. Today, it’s a deal-breaker. 

“If a retailer says that something’s going to be there today or tomorrow, it has to be there today or tomorrow,” says Dennis Moon, COO and Head of Operations at Roadie. “Customers can get a lot of products from many different places, so if they have a bad experience with Company A, then the next time they’re going to Company B.” 

Why platform choice makes all the difference

Loss of revenue and brand loyalty are major risks when bad delivery experiences are on the table. Thankfully, the inverse is also true: Positive delivery experiences can boost customer satisfaction, increase repeat orders and strengthen brand loyalty, all of which yield increased revenue and higher sales. 

Consumer preferences are also part of the equation. Recent McKinsey research found that online shoppers are putting more emphasis on live order tracking than in years past, and delivery reliability is now more important than delivery speed. These expectations match what retailers demand of their last-mile delivery solutions. A stunning 92% of retail executives Roadie surveyed agree that the choice of last-mile provider is very or extremely influential in meeting these needs and delivering a high-quality customer experience. 

With this in mind, solving your business's last-mile performance gap means focusing on the criteria you use to select your delivery solutions. Based on Roadie research, three considerations will help your business and customers have a better last-mile delivery experience.

3 features of a better last-mile delivery experience

FOCUS #1. Order visibility and transparency

Real-time tracking isn’t a luxury for e-commerce anymore. More than one-third (35%) of retailers Roadie surveyed say access to real-time tracking is one of the most important elements of a great delivery experience, and recent McKinsey research found that 50% of shoppers expect to track their purchase from shopping cart to doorstep.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Not all last-mile platforms offer these capabilities, and fewer still can do it while reflecting your brand. Without strong visibility tools, customers and retailers alike are left in the dark on delivery timelines. Roadie knows that solving this problem requires both technology and brand support so you can deliver a great experience. Look for features like customer-facing delivery tracking and photo proof-of-delivery that incorporate your company branding, along with tech-savvy visibility tools so your logistics team can monitor deliveries in real-time and exceed customer expectations.  

FOCUS #2. Preventing coverage gaps 

Retailers today need delivery networks that stretch far and wide. Whether it must reach urban centers or rural towns, a platform’s service footprint should match customer demand. Unfortunately, many regional and on-demand carriers don’t offer full coverage. This forces retailers to juggle multiple partners to cover the entire country, complicating logistics strategies and risking inconsistent service levels.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Chris Grubb, Head of Marketing for Roadie, advises retailers to ask pointed questions during the vetting process, such as: What percentage of the population can you reach? How does your on-time delivery vary by region? The answers to these and similar questions can help ensure you find a solution that meets your and your customers' expectations for top-notch service, even in hard-to-reach communities.

FOCUS #3. On-time and intact are equally important

Nearly half of the respondents to Roadie’s survey (49%) report that damage-free delivery is among the most important elements of delivery success, and 43% said the same for on-time delivery. And yet, the last-mile performance gap with regard to damage rates is even more startling than the on-time delivery gap. Retailers say they expect to incur a 6% damage rate for delivered orders. Still, actual reported damage rates are as high as 29% for 1-2 day delivery and a shocking 34% for same-day delivery. 

The report also reveals one possible source of inconsistency: delivery networks that rely on tipping-based incentives. When drivers are allowed to prioritize tipped orders over others, reliability suffers. “Retailers shouldn’t have to settle for solutions that deliver inconsistently or degrade brand trust just to save a buck,” Moon notes. 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: A strong last-mile delivery platform should deliver more than parcels. It should provide reliability, transparency and consistency — every time. The right delivery platform helps ensure that every touchpoint reinforces your brand promise instead of undermining it.

Delivering better with Roadie

The time, effort and analysis put into Roadie’s Last-Mile Quarterly Report underscores just how seriously Roadie takes the role of last-mile delivery in e-commerce. That’s why we’ve purpose-built a nationwide, crowdsourced delivery platform designed to scale with your business needs without sacrificing quality.  

The Roadie model bridges the gap between speed and reliability, offering better visibility, higher performance standards and reliable customer service that helps improve customer satisfaction and grow your brand’s loyal following. 

The last mile is where your brand promise meets your customer’s front door. With these guidelines and insights from a trusted, UPS-owned brand, you’re well on your way to better final-mile logistics performance that supports your brand goals. 

Reach out to Roadie today to learn more and get started with a last-mile solution that puts your customers and your company first. To see the full results of our survey about last-mile quality, download the report.