Best Practices for Courier Companies To Improve Net Promoter Scores

In the complex and dynamic world of logistics and supply chain, it is not easy for courier companies to delight their customers and achieve a high net promoter score. Introduced by Fred Reichheld in 2003, the net promoter score is a method of measuring customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Logistics providers and other companies measure it by getting the answer to:

“How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague?”

On a scale of 1-10, customers who rate from 0 to 6 are labeled as detractors, those who rate a 7 or 8 are labeled as passive, and lastly, those who rate a 9 or 10 are the promoters. To calculate the net promoter score, simply subtract the % of detractors from the % of promoters.

Courier companies use NPS to spot areas of improvement and make strategic decisions. On the other hand, businesses such as retailers and eCommerce companies consider NPS as an important constraint while collaborating with a logistics provider. Therefore, it is critical for a courier company to use such practices that can help improve their net promoter scores:

#1 Keeping Customers Informed

The phrase “communication is the key to success” fits perfectly when measuring the customer experience and hence, the NPS. By keeping customers informed about the status of their shipment, courier companies can maintain transparency and provide visibility on leg-to-leg shipment movement while avoiding any potential delivery-related issues. Logistics providers can make this possible by implementing advanced logistics solutions that automatically trigger a tracking link and allow tracking shipments in real-time.

#2 Improving First Attempt Delivery Rate

Returns are expensive for any eCommerce company or retailer. Therefore, they look for courier companies with a high first-attempt delivery rate. Returns happen when a delivery fails due to reasons such as customer unavailability, delayed delivery, etc. Courier companies can leverage automation to avoid delivery failures and improve the chances for the first attempt delivery. A higher first attempt delivery rate means superior customer experience and hence, the NPS.

#3 Delivering on Commitments

On-time deliveries are one of the biggest contributors to delighting customers. By implementing advanced logistics solutions with routing management and real-time tracking capabilities, courier companies can ensure delivering each shipment within the specified delivery time window. Apart from keeping customers happy, on-time deliveries also minimize overall delivery costs and improve delivery productivity.

#4 Providing Multiple Delivery Choices

Nowadays, consumers look for eCommerce companies or retailers that allow them to choose from various delivery options such as home delivery, buy online pick in-store, curbside pickup, etc. A courier company offering delivery through different modes becomes businesses’ favorite. 

#5 Work on Continuous Improvement

Delivery trends change, and so are the expectations of consumers. For business success, it is a must to keep a tab on these expectations to offer what a consumer wants. Besides, a courier company should also look into the collected feedback and delivery experience to make last mile strategies accordingly. It is possible by relying on AI and ML-based logistics solutions that provide useful insights to help make data-driven decisions.

Implementing top-notch logistics management solutions empowers a courier company to become the first choice of retailers, eCommerce companies, and other businesses looking to collaborate with third-party logistics providers. Such advanced solutions can help get the net promoter score and find out ways to improve it.