Getting into the delivery industry is an attractive proposition for budding entrepreneurs. With growing demand for fast, efficient shipping in the e-commerce era, newcomers can hope to carve a niche alongside established delivery brands.
Before you go all-in on launching your own delivery service, you need to step back and work out what obstacles you might face on the journey to profitability. Here are just a few of the major challenges involved, and how to tackle them.
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The problem of punctuality
Without a doubt the biggest bugbear for customers of delivery companies is having their package arrive late.
Lots of factors can come into play here, but the best way to hit the deadlines you originally agreed upon is to use the latest delivery route planner apps.
Modern software made for service providers in this industry is capable of turning potentially complex delivery schedules into achievable and efficient routes. And of course when disruption forces team members to deviate from the planned route, this software can also adapt on the fly to get them where they need to go in good time.
The conundrum of communication
A newer hurdle that delivery service providers have to overleap today is that customer expectations have skyrocketed, to the point that they expect to be kept in the loop constantly as soon as their goods are dispatched.
This is another thing that can be solved with software, and modern solutions can make your company look as communicative and approachable as possible, while also making use of automation to avoid all of the tracking and updates being a manual process that takes up more of your time.
The dilemmas of running a delivery fleet
Even with all of the cutting edge technology that can streamline any delivery business which we have discussed so far, it is still necessary to rely on more traditional, mechanical means of getting goods to their destination.
Delivery fleets are a constant pain point, whether they consist of a handful of vehicles or hundreds. Breakdowns can cause missed deliveries, lots of downtime and spiraling costs.
As such, it pays to be proactive in your maintenance of your fleet. Daily inspections of key elements, such as tire pressures and fluid levels, will let you troubleshoot imperfections before they are allowed to spiral out of control.
Of course you may be intending to hire delivery drivers as independent contractors, in which case they will bear the burden of the responsibility for vehicle maintenance. In this case, putting in best practices and guidelines for maintenance for them to follow will help, since if problems arise, it will be your brand’s reputation on the line.
The downsides of damage
Delivery services stand or fall on whether customers trust them. One element which can lead to a drop-off in trust levels is if packages arrive in an unacceptable condition. Even if they turn up on time, damage done to goods is a real red flag for lots of consumers.
There are a few ways to encompass this with your company policies. You could make sure to invest in sturdy packaging and specialist containers to keep as much material safe during shipping as possible. You could offer a robust commitment to replace damaged items like for like without costing customers a penny.
Ideally a combination of the two will provide you with the ability to account for whatever drops, scraps, bumps and spills might befall goods while en route. And whatever you do, remember to listen to customer feedback and respond rapidly to complaints, or else your fledgling firm might flounder.
