Originally published on Parcelmonitor.com, 8th of June 2023.

Did you know that customers check delivery updates up to four times per order and open approximately 62% of these emails?

In today’s highly competitive business landscape, engaging customers throughout their post-purchase journey has become a pivotal factor for success. Among the various strategies employed by businesses to enhance customer experience, notifications stand out as a crucial element. These timely updates play a vital role in keeping customers informed, fostering engagement, and ultimately elevating their overall experience.

Recognizing the significance of these notifications, let us delve deeper into the significance of these notifications and their impact on business success. Some highlights of the report are as follows:

Decoding the Post-Purchase Journey

Delivery notifications play a crucial role in the post-purchase customer journey, especially given the significance of Estimated Delivery Dates (EDDs) among customers today. Based on Rakuten Insight’s latest survey, 90% of Southeast Asian (SEA) consumers check on the status of their parcel deliveries at least once, with a notable 12% doing it 5 or more times per shipment. In another survey, 63% of the region’s participants ranked EDDs as a very important factor, with 54% deeming any delay beyond 1-2 days from the EDD unacceptable.

By including EDDs in delivery notifications, businesses can empower customers to plan and prepare for the arrival of their orders accordingly. After all, modern customers value being informed about the expected delivery timing, as it enables them to make any necessary arrangements to ensure someone is available to receive the package at home. While this sentiment was shared by 61% of the SEA respondents, 14% of the same group said they would rather leverage the EDD information to reschedule the delivery date instead.

When businesses prioritize effective communication and maintain consistent updates to keep customers informed during the delivery process, they have the opportunity to foster a seamless post-purchase experience. This approach not only contributes to building trust with customers but also positions the business as a reliable and customer-centric brand within the competitive e-commerce landscape.

Building a Successful Notifications Strategy

Building a successful notifications strategy is crucial for businesses to effectively engage with their customers and optimize the post-purchase customer journey.

In a recent survey done by Rakuten Insight, 32% of participants considered “Prompt Delivery Notifications” to be a crucial factor influencing their delivery experience. This is especially the case in Taiwan, Japan, and China where 44%, 42%, and 40% of consumers respectively gave “Prompt Delivery Notifications” a rating of 1 or 2 out of 5, with 1 denoting the highest level of importance. In contrast, only 24% of customers in the US expressed the same, suggesting that cultural and regional differences do play a part in shaping customer expectations and preferences regarding delivery notifications.

In many East Asian cultures, the values of punctuality and timeliness are of paramount importance. As such, Asian consumers tend to prioritize customer service to a higher degree compared to their Western counterparts. In this context, timely delivery notifications are viewed as a crucial component of customer service, as they instill confidence and alleviate any uncertainties customers may have regarding their orders. Complicating matters further, many urban areas in Asia experience high population densities, leading to complex logistics operations and in turn a greater need for accurate delivery notifications.

Methodology

The surveys featured in this report were conducted by Rakuten Insight Global in the months of January and May 2023. The first survey provided valuable insights into consumer preferences surrounding delivery experiences. About 130,000 people from 13 countries responded, including major markets like USA and
China. The second survey was conducted in 6 Southeast Asian countries, with 60,000 respondents revealing information on Estimated Delivery Dates.

For the full analysis, download the free report here.

Related articles: What Consumers Trully Think of Returns, Effects of Estimated Delivery Date on Consumer Satisfaction, Navigating the Top Pain Points of Parcel Deliveries in Asia

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