These days, you can get orders delivered to you without ever interacting with any human. No need to physically go to a store or restaurant or talk to a delivery person. You can simply find your pizza, to-go dinner order, or Amazon package waiting at your doorstep. Does this sound familiar?
This process today is commonly referred to as “no contact delivery” or contactless delivery. But what does no contact delivery mean for your ecommerce fulfillment operations? Let’s further define no contact delivery and take a look at how you can make it work for your business.
Defining No Contact Delivery
Often used by grocery, retail, and restaurant industries, no contact delivery is a form of last-mile delivery that doesn’t involve any human contact whatsoever for the customers receiving the order. With a focus on safety and hygiene, no contact delivery avoids the physical handling of items associated with person-to-person interactions. The typical process looks like:
- Customer Ordering - the customer places an order on a mobile app or website, indicating when the order is needed and how they want it delivered.
- Payment - customer pays online using a credit card, which eliminates the need to pay the delivery person or handle cash
- Order Preparation - the specific order is prepared and packaged carefully to maintain quality during the delivery
- Order Delivery - the delivery is made directly to the customer’s address, often on the doorstep, without seeing the customer face-to-face.
- Customer Notification - the customer is notified that their order has arrived, either by a simple doorbell ring or a message sent over an app, text, or email.
- Pickup - customer receives the order, either at home or at a designated location.
What No Contact Delivery Means for Customers Today
No contact delivery entered our collective consciousness during the COVID-19 pandemic when limiting human contact was especially important for safety. Though the pandemic eventually ended, no contact delivery continues to be a preferred option for many when ordering products, especially perishable goods.
Today, customers greatly appreciate no contact delivery because of the major convenience factor. With a few clicks on an app, they can have what they want delivered directly to their doorstep on demand. This especially appeals to those who are uncomfortable with interacting with delivery personnel due to health or safety concerns.
At the same time, no contact delivery presents some challenges that companies need to be aware of if they want to implement it into their DTC logistics. Errors can still be made in the process, such as deliveries being made to the wrong address or with incomplete orders. With no human contact, these errors get magnified as it can be frustrating and time consuming to correct them, creating a poor customer experience.
Key Factors for Successful No Contact Delivery Operations
To provide the benefits above and prepare for possible challenges, your no contact delivery program will take preparation and planning. With that said, here are a few factors to keep in mind to set up a successful no contact delivery service for your customers:
Clear Communication
With no human interaction, you need to communicate exceptionally to make up the difference. This means clear communication to your customers throughout the no contact delivery process. Your delivery personnel must be able to share with the customer where to pick up their order, and your customer notifications should be sent in real-time.
Photo Capturing Technology
By sending a photo of the delivered item at their doorstep or another predetermined location, the customer can have peace of mind knowing their package is where they can expect to find it when they get home. Plus, photo capturing technology also provides proof of delivery for your internal operations.
Special Instructions
Your no contact delivery process should allow customers to provide special instructions to delivery drivers when fulfilling their orders, such as gate codes and drop off locations. This ensures your orders arrive where they’re supposed to—keeping your customers happy and your drivers efficient.
Customer Feedback
Especially early on in your no contact delivery operations, it’s important to solicit feedback from your customers during the process. Your customers’ perspective will show you what’s working and what isn’t so you can improve your delivery even more.
Partner With No Contact Delivery Experts
Implementing no contact delivery can make your business more appealing to today’s customers. But to initiate it successfully into your operations, it’s important to partner with no contact delivery experts. At Smart Warehousing, we’ve provided trusted professional logistics services for countless companies like yours, from warehousing and transportation to fulfillment and more. To learn more about how we can help your entire supply chain excel—all the way down to no contact delivery—contact us today.