Is the Quality of Your Furniture Delivery Experience Costing You Business?
Your customer places an order...either in-store or online. Thus begins the race to get their new furniture installed in their home within the scheduled delivery window. It’s getting tougher to do in an-ever accelerating world where the customer is in control — putting you under continuous pressure to maximize stops per shift, manage Hours of Service, minimize costs and errors, and provide status updates. Not to mention pressure from competitors.
Why the Final Mile Experience Matters
From the minute your customer receives their scheduled delivery time, their “purchase anxiety” and “buyers remorse” morph into “pre-parcel anxiety“ simply put, nervous anticipation. This coupled with having complete strangers move bulky items from a truck into their home sets the stage for the final mile experience. Often, the delivery is the last “human” interaction the customer will have with your company. It will be.a huge influence on how they will perceive your brand. Even if the furniture exceeds expectation, one issue is all it takes...
Hero or Zero
A perfect delivery and you’re heroes. The customer may order again, and even provide referrals and positive online reviews. You won’t have any costly returns or repair issues that erode the already shrinking bottom line.
Anything less and you’re zeros. Wrong orders, late arrivals, damage to the new furniture or home, or unpolished delivery personnel with less-than-awesome attitudes and there’s no hope of repeat business. Or even worse, added costs, and poor word-of-mouth and online reviews that hang around forever.
In a recent survey by convey 84% of shoppers are unlikely to shop a brand again after a poor delivery experience.
This Proven Delivery Method Puts You in Control of the Final Mile
Top furniture companies and 3PLs use this container-style system to service markets up to 250 miles from their warehouse while keeping delivery drivers stationed locally. Eliminating the stem drive to the routes keeps drivers fresher, shifting the focus to providing a high-quality delivery. It also frees-up more delivery time per shift, and offers better control over Hours Of Service and scheduling. Since deliveries are made by straight-truck, stops in congested areas are easier than with PUP trailers, and reliance on costly CDL drivers can be reduced.
Loading is simplified at the distribution center, reducing errors while creating more time for pre-inspection to enhance white glove services. Product goes from distribution center to delivery point without being touched and the need for remote cross-docks or in-store warehousing is eliminated. This makes the system especially useful to online retailers delivering without a brick and mortar presence.
The system is also popular for same and next day delivery, rapid expansion into new markets, and warehouse consolidation.
Here some of the many top furniture companies using the system: White Dove Mattress, Matter Brothers and Furnitureland South, and Baer's Furniture.
