Originally published on Parcelmonitor.com, 2nd of March 2022.

For many online customers, the availability of a clear, accurate estimated delivery date (EDD) is a make-or-break factor between conversion and an abandoned cart. Regardless of the purchase or where they are based, EDD is something shoppers expect to see at the checkout page alongside the total price of their items. Provision of such information is even greater in today’s marketplace, where consumers can easily switch to rival firms that are offering more reliable and faster shipping service.

What Estimated Delivery Date Means for Carriers & Customers

In the world of logistics and transportation, EDD is exactly as it sounds — a calculated guess on when a customer can expect to receive their order. In most cases, this information is determined once an order reaches the shipper’s warehouse, but it may also change if there are unforeseen shipping delays en route.

It is evident that EDD is essential information that can make a significant difference to the customer experience. In a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight last year, 59% of respondents claimed they would make sure to be home to receive the parcel if they could have access to EDD for their online orders. Additionally, 10% of them acknowledged that EDD would be useful for rescheduling purposes in the event that they were unable to stay home due to prior plans. Therefore, providing customers with an EDD post-purchase could not only enhance the delivery experience of shoppers but also potentially result in higher first-attempt delivery success rates for carriers worldwide.

Delivery Speed, Delivery Updates and Information about Date of Arrival Are the Most Important Factors for Online Shoppers

Given the rise of cross-border e-commerce in recent years, the need for seamless, real-time parcel tracking has grown significantly. Competition in the postal industry is also stiffer than ever with plenty of options for consumers to choose from. It is thus imperative that couriers provide customers with accurate status of shipments and ensure on-time delivery of packages to avoid falling behind.

According to Rakuten Insight, “Delivery Update Notifications” is a major factor for most shoppers (66%) following an online purchase. Meanwhile, a slightly smaller proportion of the survey group cited “Delivery Speed” (54%) and “Proactive Customer Support about Date of Arrival & Returns” (47%) as their top choices when asked the same question. In a world where customer satisfaction is of paramount significance to any business, knowing what customers want can ease the process of building credibility and boosting sales in the long run.

Read the full article here.

Methodology
The survey was conducted in July 2021, with 38,600 respondents from Rakuten Insight proprietary panels in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

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