Parcel shipments have exploded over the last few years primarily due to e-Commerce adoption. However, the challenge for any logistics company has always been to remain profitable, even when there seems to be more than enough business opportunities available.
A recent report by Capgemini points out the top reasons that keep you up at night if your daily bread and butter is a logistics-related business. While some of these concerns revolve around “been around since the beginning of time” pain points, others look at the difficulties of incorporating new technologies while sustaining or growing the bottom line.
The team here at Parcel Port focuses on working with you to develop solutions that check all the boxes and help you deliver an improved end-user experience. Something, to be frank, many logistics companies need help on.
#1 Fuel Costs
It’s no secret that fuel prices are generally going nowhere but up, ultimately forcing you to add extra surcharges to your billings to compensate. However, your customers have increased pressure to keep prices the same as they were the year previous. How, in a very competitive market, can you absorb these costs while at the same time providing a level of service that your customers have come to expect? Volumes are up, fuel costs are up, but your customers are asking you to keep your comp pricing flat.
ParcelPort has the solution! Using one of our Smart Parcel Lockers can deliver all of your parcels to one location instead of visiting each address separately. Smart Lockers make even more sense when you’re delivering to urban areas where congestion increases delivery times and the amount of fuel you’re burning up while sitting in traffic.
#2 Decreased delivery times
It’s estimated that by 2020, 40% of all logistics companies will offer 2 hour delivery times in urban areas. Again, given the costs and process inefficiencies of last mile deliveries, offering up faster fulfilment times will definitely put a strain on resources and technology.
ParcelPort Smart Locker located at a large, downtown bank building
Parcel Port has the answer. Our consumer facing Smart Parcel Lockers are located in and around urban areas giving your drivers 24/7 access to drop off consumer orders quickly and conveniently.
#3 Increasing Customer Service
It’s no secret that the consumer is a fickle beast. You have a high customer satisfaction rating, and you deliver at over 95% of your transit time estimates on consumer-facing shipments. Still, all it takes is a few missteps, and the consumer is on social media doing damage to your brand and reputation. It’s an impossible task to please everyone all the time, given so many variables can affect promised delivery dates.
At ParcelPort we take care of the end-user communication. Once your driver has delivered a parcel to one of our Smart Parcel Lockers, we take it from there. We inform the customer via text and email, store their parcel in our monitored, secure metal lockers, and ultimately handle all parcel pick-up aspects.
The research we’ve done to date indicates that an overwhelming percentage of consumers prefer the convenience of a speedy pick-up at a handy location at any time they want. Having these options available to the end-user will only make you look good.
As our industry grows and transforms with the demands of the consumer, the companies that will indeed prosper are those that can embrace change while managing to drive bottom line profit.
To learn more about how your organization can maximize smart lockers to reduce cost, increase revenue, and delight your customers, contact the ParcelPort team online by visiting www.theParcelPort.com, email at sales@theParcelPort.com or calling 1-800-818-0870.