B2B Logistics Businesses: The Engine that drives Customer Experience
Online shopping is the new normal - 68% of customers increased their online shopping during the pandemic and 68% plan to shop at the same rate or more post-pandemic. - Northridge Group, State of customer experience, 2020 Business and Customer Service Trends
COVID-19 has caused a huge spike in online shopping, contactless home deliveries, hyperlocal selling, on-demand home services, and a lot more. These trends have changed the way people buy and sell.
What defines customer experience in logistics?
Convenience of placing orders online
Fast deliveries
Hassle-free returns
Customer-preferred delivery time slots
Real-time visibility
Efficiency of delivery staff and support teams
Partnering with B2B Service Providers for Better Customer Experience
Businesses may not own all expected services, hence they partner with B2B service providers. B2B service providers like 3PL distributors, skilled partners,or professional customer care teams enable businesses to improve customer experience.
Hyperlocal Delivery Model
A fresh food dealer or supermarket employs a logistics service provider to carry out day-to-day delivery operations to customers.
Direct-to-Consumer Retailer
A D2C retailer relies on third-party warehouse providers to stock up merchandise in high-density demand locations for faster fulfillment.
How B2B service providers contribute to customer experience?
B2B service providers sign annual or longer contracts. They
- Ensure that service executives are available during requested date and time
- Contribute to smooth delivery operations so as the client company achieves its SLAs.
How B2B service providers support brands in serving their customers?
Customers’ preference for digital customer service channels has increased from 24% to 38% when compared to 2015. - Northridge Group, State of customer experience, 2020 Business and Customer Service Trends
Customer places an order through an app or contacts with the front-end staff
Front-end staff forwards the order to store
The store collects the order and gives it to the backend team of a B2B service provider
The front end team speaks with the customers for any queries or grievances.
Finally, the customer receives the ordered product
The B2B backend team works on all-mile logistics operations and delivers the product
Increased Pressure on B2B service providers
B2B Logistics provider has two parties to satisfy. One being the client who outsources logistics operations to them, and the other being the real-end customers.
Speed matters for customer issue resolution with 55% of customers waiting an hour or less to switch to a different channel if their issue is not resolved, driving up customer effort and cost. Business leaders think that customers will wait at least a day before making a second contact.- Northridge Group, State of customer experience, 2020 Business and Customer Service Trends
B2B logistics providers must ensure speed, efficiency, and professionalism to their clients. They require a robust logistics planning and supply chain management software to improve customer experience.
How logistics tech can help B2B service providers meet customer expectations?
Accurate Duty Assignment
Helps B2B logistics providers in assigning right tasks to right executives factoring real-world constraints like skill set, resource availability, etc.
Customer Preferred Time-Slot deliveries
Plans daily and hourly dispatches in a more efficient manner,offering convenient delivery windows to clients based on customer preferences
Real-time tracking
Ensures timely adherence to SLAs and helps them share ETAs with clients. This helps clients to share order tracing details with customers, thus improving visibility.
Route Optimization
Helps B2B service providers in planning daily dispatches optimally, using the shortest delivery routes. This allows them to reach customers faster & minimize fuel costs.
All-Mile Fulfillment
Electronic Proof of Delivery improves the on-site delivery experience and captures delivery confirmation following zero-touch practices.
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