"Where's My Stuff??"
7 Ways to Deliver Customer Satisfaction

By Jamila White, “The E-Commerce Diva”

Last month, I decided to do a little offline marketing to promote an upcoming workshop. I designed a postcard, uploaded it to 48HourPrint.com for printing, and arranged for the postcards to be shipped directly to my virtual assistant, Vonetta, who would handle the mailing for me. The postal rates had just changed, so I figured it would be also be quicker to order the postage online at the official U.S. Postal Service web site, usps.com.

According to the USPS web site, Vonetta would get the stamps within six business days, perfect timing to get the big mailing out before the workshop. However, nearly two weeks went by, and no stamps. A “where’s my stuff?” email to USPS customer service came back with an automated message telling me that my “order was received.” No kidding. Since we were up against a deadline to get the postcards in the mail, I asked Vonetta to go to her local post office, stand in line, and just buy the stamps. I thought the web was supposed to make things simpler!

Shortly after the mailing was complete – you guessed it – the stamps finally arrived. Vonetta sent them right back, but it took me weeks to get my $241 refunded. Guess who won’t be shopping at usps.com again any time soon?

If you’ve been selling online for any amount of time, you already know what the number one customer question is: “Where’s my stuff?”

Not being able to answer this question quickly and accurately is a sure-fire way to lose a sale and the customer. Don’t make your customers guess where their stuff is! On the flip side, proactively answering this question – before the customer has a chance to ask it – could create the kind of raving-fan customer loyalty that lasts a lifetime.

Here are 7 ways to use delivery communication to create customer satisfaction:

1. Is the item in stock?
Let the customer know whether the item is carried in stock or if it’s a special order. If it’s an item normally stocked but it’s temporarily on backorder, let the customer know that also, and your anticipated re-stock date.

2. Clarify your delivery and shipping policies.
Explain both your order turnaround time – the amount of time it takes from the time an order is placed to the time it’s picked up by the shipping agent – and the actual shipping time.

For example, if your web site states “delivery in 3-5 days,” your customer is left to wonder: Will I have it in my hands 5 days from now? Does that mean they will ship it out 5 days from now? Are those “business days” or just regular days?

The more unanswered questions a customer has, the more likely you are to lose the sale.

A more effective example would be: “All orders are shipped out within 1 business day. Please allow an additional 1 business day for overnight delivery, or 3 to 5 business days for standard delivery.”

Even better than that would be a chart that looks something like this:

3. Use the order confirmation to communicate.
Customize the default customer e-mail receipt that came with your shopping cart system. In addition to a re-cap of the order, thank the customer, include your e-mail address and telephone number in the body of the e-mail in case your customer has questions, and clearly restate the delivery timeframe.

4. Let your customer know when the order has shipped.
When the order has left your business or warehouse, send your customer another e-mail to let them know that the order has shipped. Be sure to restate the order contents, the delivery method and the timeframe, such as “Please allow 2-4 days (excluding Sundays) for U.S. Priority Mail delivery.”

5. Provide self-service order tracking.
If your company uses a shipping method that’s trackable, such as UPS, FedEx, or U.S. Priority Mail with delivery confirmation, use the “your order has shipped” e-mail to provide your customer with the tracking number, a link to the shipping company’s package tracking web site, and list the shipping company’s 800 number for package tracking by phone.

6. Automate the communication process.
Many shopping cart programs, including Yahoo!Stores and Monster Commerce, have the built-in capability to update inventory status and send automated, personalized order status notices after you have logged in and updated the order status or entered a shipment tracking number. Check your User Manual to see if you can do this with your existing shopping cart. Others, such as Miva Merchant, can be upgraded with add-on modules to include this capability. Shopping carts like 1shoppingcart/Professional Cart Solutions (what I use on EcommerceDiva.com) even have the ability to send a follow-up notice a few weeks after the order was shipped to automatically follow up with the customer to see how they are enjoying the product. If you ship more than a couple of orders a day, you’ll save yourself a lot of time and productivity by investing in an automated shopping cart.

7. Communicate any problems.
It’s important to honor your stated order turnaround time. Your customer may be ordering a time-sensitive holiday or birthday gift. She may need that blouse to wear to a specific event, or she may be up against a postcard marketing deadline (!) However, we all live in the real world, and sometimes things happen – a sudden inventory shortage, inclement weather, an illness – that delay an order from shipping out on time. In this case, make sure you notify the customer immediately by phone and e-mail, apologize for the inconvenience without making excuses, and offer a remedy for her trouble, such as waived shipping costs, a partial refund, a free product upgrade, or some other kind of bonus. It’s a small gesture, but it will go a long way in letting your customer know that you value her and her business.

Employing these seven steps should reduce your workload by cutting down on the number of “where’s my stuff?” e-mails you get. But in the long run, the greatest benefit is a satisfied customer who feels like you’re taking good care of her needs. USPS.com, are you listening?

© Copyright Jamila White. All rights reserved.

About the Author:
Jamila White, "The E-Commerce Diva™", helps small business owners attract new customers and sell more products on the Web. Get her free “Sell More Online” newsletter at http://www.ecommercediva.com/newsletter.html.

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