
5 Ways to Improve Last Mile Delivery
To remain competitive as a distributor or delivery company, you must balance two competing aspects. You need to provide excellent customer service, delivering orders accurately, quickly, and at low-cost – or better still, free. And at the same time, you must control your distribution costs to reduce delivery times and to minimise your expenditure on fuel and labour. Success here largely depends on efficient last mile delivery. Getting it right rewards you with high levels of customer satisfaction. This drives repeat custom and prevents your customers from shopping elsewhere. How can you optimise your delivery processes so that you minimise costs and increase customer service provision?
5 Ways to Improve Last Mile Delivery.

1. Implementing Real-Time Tracking for Customers.

2. Offer Multiple Delivery Timescales.
Another way to improve your last mile delivery is to offer customers more flexibility with delivery choices. With multiple delivery options becoming the norm, if you lack a particular delivery option, it might negatively affect your sales. It’s clear that offering free delivery is a huge attraction for buyers. But with the current economic slowdown and cost-of-living crisis, people are more careful about their expenditure. Giving them the choice makes you an attractive proposition. You might offer free delivery, but with a slower delivery timescale, for example. Equally, for those that are happy to pay, or who want their goods in a hurry, you can offer same-day or next-day quick delivery – but at a premium. You might offer a choice of delivery day, which is popular with those working from home, who want to have their deliveries coincide with the days they are at home. This might be a nominated day. Or for those that work out of home, then Saturday deliveries can be popular too. Taking it one step further, you can offer a specific time slot, which gives them even more control and flexibility.
3. Provide clear and consistent customer communication.
Communicating with customers throughout the delivery process keeps them informed and manages their expectations. Regular communication throughout the fulfilment lifecycle increases the chances of the customer being in at the point of delivery. This prevents failed deliveries that need to be returned to the depot and avoids the driver having to return at a later time. It also means drivers aren’t spending extra time finding a safe place to leave the package or in locating a neighbour to accept delivery. These are also the circumstances when a delivery is more likely to go missing or be stolen. With regular communication via email or SMS - according to customer preference – there is no ambiguity and the customer knows when to expect delivery. In concert with real-time tracking, your customers have excellent insight into the status of their order during the last mile stages.
4. Make use of alternative delivery options.
The more options you can give a customer, the better. Widening the choice of delivery methods is beneficial to customers. Aside from home delivery, you can use smart lockers or parcel drop-off locations to both reduce failed deliveries and improve security. Customers may prefer to collect their packages at their own convenience rather than wait around for a delivery. Even if you have provided a preferred time slot and given last-mile tracking information, some people would prefer not to be tied to a schedule but to have the freedom to collect their orders when it suits them most. With lockers, delivery points or collection from your stores, offering these additional methods ensures first time delivery, saving time for your drivers and saving you money.
5. Optimise delivery routes using data and technology.

Optimise your last mile delivery with Geo2.
