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The problem of delays in shipping is being greatly increased as the business of online products and applications grows day by day. A shipping delay is a situation in which the shipment of goods or products does not occur as originally scheduled or expected and is being delayed from the last and maximum shipping date as well. It means that the items are not delivered or received within the estimated timeframe (ETA) that was initially promised or anticipated by the companies in the online selling market.
Furthermore, if you’re a small enterprise waiting for a major machine part or a large corporation dependent on raw materials, delays can lead to serious repercussions. Understanding the causes, finding solutions, and knowing delivery delay actions is thus crucial for any business.
Why do shipping delays occur?
Shipping delays can occur for various reasons and at different stages of the shipping process, from the point of origin to the final destination, as discussed and explained below:
- It happens if there are some transportation-related issues being faced by the company that is the partner for the delivery of the product or any courier agency. Various transportation reasons can be there, such as a vehicle being stopped by any authorities in between the routes, the conditions of the weather not being good for further movement of the vehicle, or the vehicle being broken down somewhere in between the transit.
- Another reason could be that there is a shortage of the ordered product at the e-commerce company’s warehouse.
- Any natural disaster is being faced by the goods that are in transit.
- If the e-commerce company is having operational and communicational issues in their company, then shipping will be delayed from the estimated time and date.
- Unexpected global events such as pandemics, geopolitical challenges, or natural disasters can affect supply chains and ultimately cause shipping delays in various areas and with different e-commerce companies.
- Also, if the address is not given properly by the customer and the contact details are not reachable by the delivery executives, in that case, a delay in the delivery of the ordered products will also be faced.
Solutions to deal with the shipping delays
Companies should be very attentive and must use properly identified and tested plans to get safe from acts of delay in the delivery of their products. They should make the strategies keeping in mind all the future factors of the products as well as the delivery partner’s conditions and actions. If the company has a proactive strategy to deal with the conditions that are unseen but predictable, then they can decrease the situation of shipping delays for their products. Some basic plans and points that should be considered while allotting the schedule of the delivery time and date by the company to the customer are as follows:
- Proper forecasting of demand in logistics and order inventory is necessary in sufficient advance to prevent shortages of the products when the bulk order is being received.
- Consider alternative suppliers or sources of goods to diversify your supply chain and maintain a good inventory of the products in all the situations and conditions of the market.
- Collaborating closely with suppliers and logistics partners to improve coordination and communication is considered very beneficial for e-commerce companies.
- Develop contingency plans for natural disasters, labour strikes, and other conditions that can happen and take place in the future.
What actions can be taken in cases of shipping and delivery delays?
The e-commerce companies should adapt the fare and transparency policies in such conditions and should notify the customer as soon as possible in case there is a delay in the delivery of the ordered product. The main reason is that transparency is the key to customer satisfaction, and the nature of the apology on the part of the companies is also important.
The executive of the company should immediately communicate with the shipping carrier or supplier responsible for the delay to understand the situation and their proposed solutions must be implemented as soon as possible to deliver the product to the customer.
To increase customer satisfaction and maintain the goodwill of the company, the companies should properly apologise to the customer and should consider offering compensation or incentives to affected customers as a goodwill gesture. Such acts may include discounts on future purchases, free shipping, or other perks that are beneficial for the customer in compensation for the shipping delays
Concluding thoughts
While shipping delays are a reality in India, with careful planning and proactive management, they can be significantly reduced. Moreover, in the rare instances when they do occur, transparent communication and a customer-centric approach can help mitigate their impact.
The B2B sector in India is a behemoth, contributing massively to the nation’s economy. Thus, ensuring timely and efficient shipping is not just good for individual businesses, but also for the economy at large. Looking for reliable and efficient logistics for your shipments? Ship with Logistics on Tata nexarc and get access to exciting features. On time delivery, door-to-door pickup and delivery across 19000+ pincodes pan India. Apart from this, you will get free transit insurance of up to ₹20 lakhs, competitive prices, and more. Book your next shipment now.
Charul is a content marketing professional and seasoned content writer who loves writing on various topics with 3 years of experience. At Tata nexarc, it has been 2 years since she is helping business to understand jargon better and deeper to make strategical decisions. While not writing, she loves listing pop music.
