Packages can be an agonizing wait when you know they’re on their way but have no idea how long it will take to receive. Customers would always want to know when their package will business arrive. That is why most delivery teams are now providing their customers with last mile delivery tracking.
Aside from the peace of mind, it also allows customers to manage their schedules for the day. It is beneficial to the customers as well as the delivery companies.
If you don’t have last mile delivery tracking, you will never know the whereabouts of your package, making it difficult to monitor your package or make any changes.
Why is Last-mile Tracking Important for Delivery Teams?
Without last-mile tracking, customers will call the dispatchers because they want to know when their package will arrive.
It is a disaster for customers who have to spend their time calling to know their package’s whereabouts. It is also not suitable for delivery operations.
If the delivery teams do not have real-time tracking information, they will have to use manual processes. The driver will be called so that you can obtain an updated status.
What if you are running a local retail store and you only have one driver? What if you happen to be running a local retail store and you only have one driver?
It may not be practical as your delivery team continues to grow. Additionally, if you do not know your delivery driver’s location, it will be hard to implement some changes to the route.
If one of your customers calls and requests a specific time window, you have to get in touch with your driver. In this way, you can verify if that request is doable.
Or if a customer wants to cancel their order, then they don’t have any means of knowing whether that order has been delivered or not.
Delivery Service will Struggle without Last-mile Tracking
Ultimately, if your delivery service is not using last mile delivery tracking, you will have difficulty getting new clients. But, at the same time, you can’t offer a customer-centric delivery experience and keep your business profitable. Although there are various ways of sharing delivery updates with your clients, not all of them are the same.
Some delivery teams can only offer vague time windows. However, being informed that your package will arrive between 1:00 pm and 7:00 pm is better than nothing. Nevertheless, if you want to offer a better customer experience, then you can make it narrower.
Additionally, as the delivery keeps on going, the delivery window will also get narrower. It means the more stops are made, the more precise the ETA will be. The problem is you will not be able to share this information with your customer or with your dispatch team.
Some delivery services will require their clients to download an app or register an account to obtain tracking updates. It is quite common for large companies such as USPS, FedEx, Amazon, etc.
A delivery tracking can only be effective if it can cover the whole last-mile journey. It should have reliable updates and, most of all, customer friendly. Starting when the driver begins their route up to the time, they have reached the customer’s address.
Optimize Your Routes for Accuracy
Although last mile tracking can offer updates to customers, it would be great if the first ETA you provide has no changes. For instance, if you inform the customer through a text that the ETA for your package is between 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm, it has to stick with the scheduled time. If the schedule is changed, then customers have to change their plans as well quickly.
