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When it comes to the eCommerce business, the delivery exception is a common scenario for your operations. It can sometimes cause minor delays for some customers, while it might not cause any delay in other cases.
However, there are some different scenarios too. In such cases, the delivery exceptions might cause a headache as it might send back the delivery to the sender. Let us check out some of the common scenarios if your order has no delivery exception.
What is a Delivery Exception, and Why is It Important to Know About It
A Delivery Exception is an event that occurs when a parcel delivery service encounters difficulty in getting an item delivered to its intended destination. This could be because of various reasons, including carrier issues, such as the package being lost or delayed; address topics, such as the incorrect address being listed on the shipment; or customs clearance problems due to false documentation.
Delivery Exceptions can cause costly delays and create headaches for customers and merchants alike. Knowing how to recognize these exceptions and how best to communicate with carriers to resolve them quickly and efficiently is essential for anyone working with e-commerce shipping processes.
Having this knowledge will help save merchants time and money by enabling them to keep up with their customer's orders – ensuring they have happy customers who trust your business's abilities when it comes down to receiving the items they desire at their doorstep. Strong communication channels between merchants, carriers, and customers help expedite this process too!
How to Recognize a Delivery Exception Before It Becomes an Issue in the Shipping Process
Delivery exceptions can become significant issues in the shipping process if they are not identified and managed quickly. To help prevent delivery exceptions from becoming a problem, several steps should be taken:
Utilize data-driven analytics
Analytics can provide valuable insights into potential risks or areas of improvement within your supply chain that could otherwise lead to delivery exceptions. By leveraging these analytics, you can set thresholds for individual shipments and take proactive measures to avoid any delays or discrepancies before they become an issue.
Implement flexible processes
Make sure any changes in operations, such as pick-up times or product availability, are communicated early on so that all parties involved understand their role in the shipping process and how this affects delivery expectations – yours and your customers.
Ensure careful packaging of goods
Ensure careful packaging of goods before shipment by utilizing durable materials and taking into account rough handling during transportation when necessary; being aware of any hazardous materials rules; complying with carrier labeling requirements; including itemized packing slips/inventory lists; understanding hazardous material classification guidelines; assessing temperature requirements where applicable; etc.
Establish defined proper procedures
Establish defined proper procedures throughout the whole process, such as internal scanning protocols (for identification), progress tracking systems (provides visibility), document control (to ensure accuracy), etc. Additionally, it's essential to review current policies periodically to ensure compliance with evolving industry standards or service level agreements (SLAs).
Monitor each step closely
Monitor each step closely by analyzing key performance indicators related to turnaround time, order damage rate (if applicable), customer service ratings through feedback surveys/questionnaires, etc. This will help you identify areas where further optimization is required while still maintaining quality standards & SLAs across order fulfillment stages & also safeguard against possible future issues due to poor performance metrics on specific orders/shipments - before they turn into full-blown deliverability problems down the line!
Related: Clearance Delays: Why Packages Get Stuck At Customs & How To Avoid It
Common Types of Delivery Exceptions and How to Deal With Them
Delivery exceptions can take many forms but typically involve the receiving party's inability to receive what is being sent. The most common types of delivery exceptions are:
Wrong address
If a customer provides the correct or incomplete address, their package will be able to reach them and returned to the sender. To avoid this problem, ensure customers give their full name, street address (including building/apartment number if applicable), town/city, and zip code when ordering. You should also consider checking these details against publicly available databases to confirm they are correct before sending your goods.
Item too heavy or large for transport
If an item is oversized or overweight for standard delivery services, you may need to look at different options, such as freight carriers for shipment instead of a regular post. It's essential to remember that some couriers may impose additional charges for items that exceed specific size and weight restrictions, so check with them beforehand if you are still determining whether your article meets those requirements.
Customs delays
Items sent from outside the country may be subject to customs clearance which can cause significant delays depending on where it's coming from and what's inside it (for example, alcohol). Be sure to declare all items accurately when filling out customs paperwork before sending to reduce delays occurring during transit time overseas or within its final destination country upon arrival there until it reaches its recipient customer safely without any further hold-ups after that point onwards successfully, hopefully!
Strategies to Minimize the Risk of Delivery Exceptions
A few strategies can help minimize the risk of delivery exceptions.
Analyze historical data
Looking at past ordering and delivery patterns can be a great way to identify potential areas of risk, such as high-risk products or locations where orders are more likely to experience issues. This kind of analysis will allow you to develop strategies for mitigating delivery exceptions in advance and be better prepared to respond when they do occur.
Be proactive with communication
Communication is vital when it comes to minimizing the risk of delivery exceptions. Keeping customers informed allows them to make informed decisions about their orders and gives them time to take corrective action if needed. You should also make communication part of your process so you're always on top of any potential problems during order fulfillment or delivery.
Prioritize quality control
Maintaining high standards for product quality is essential in preventing delivery exceptions from occurring in the first place. Ensure your staff follows strict packaging and safety hazards protocols by implementing regular inspections, using durable materials for shipments, and ensuring products are correctly labeled before shipping orders. Additionally, you should invest in tracking technology to have complete visibility into where packages are at all times throughout transit - this will help verify accuracy and ensure timely deliveries without any hiccups along the way!
Important Facts about Delivery Exception and Common Causes
No Delay Whatsoever
In this case, the package still delivers on time as the issues were not as severe as expected. Alternatively, maybe the problem happened at the beginning of the shipment process. As a result, the carrier got enough time to solve the problem. Two common reasons behind overall delay are severe weather or change in the delivery vehicle.
Related article: Dealing With Delivery Exception
Late Yet Successful Delivery
At times, some events might come up that push your delivery either to the next day or more than that. However, the carrier successfully delivers your order. When it comes to the B2B sales, one of the common issues is no one remains available for signing to receive the package.
Alternatively, if the gates remain closed, it becomes impossible to deliver the package. Another common cause behind failed deliveries in residential areas is delivery boy have to return the box in the truck. It mostly happens due to late deliveries.
Returning the Package to The Sender
In many unfortunate cases, exception error often leads to returning the package. The reason behind this is incorrect address causes the parcel to return to the sender. Apart from that, transit damage, mainly in the labels and barcodes, often forces the package to return.
Usually, in these cases, the carrier provides information on the package to the customer. However, you might not get any proactive notification at times, especially if you use traditional order management tools.
Common Causes Behind Delivery Exceptions
There are plenty of reasons behind the cause of the delivery exception. Listed below are a few of them that you should be aware of.
No documentation
In case of missing documentation, usually your package does not have all the necessary information for sending the box to the destination. No documentation mostly happens rarely with the ground freight. However, the chances are high with the ocean freights. It requires various documents for managing inventory as well as custody. Such errors can even occur when the labels do not have the proper barcode on the package.
No recipient to receive the package
Suppose your package needs a signature for receiving. For this, someone needs to stay at your house. If no one is there for signing and receiving, the carrier will return the package to its fulfillment location. The next day, they will try to reattempt the delivery. Due to this reason, it is an excellent idea to aid customers with carrier-delivery management tools.
Related: USPS Lost My Package: What Do I Do?
Delay in delivery due to customs
When it comes to international shipping, you will face massive delays at times if there is any problem with the package in customs. From delays at the port, no paperwork, or incorrect tariff codes, anything can be possible. It takes a lot of preparation for international packages, and 3PL partners can help you.
Therefore, delivery exceptions are inevitable. However, if you determine the best course of action and have the information on delivery exceptions, it provides peace of mind.
Conclusion
Delivery exceptions can be a real challenge for businesses, but with the right strategies and solutions, handling delivery problems doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Knowing what a delivery exception is and understanding how to manage them can be invaluable, whether you want to build strong customer relationships or wish to ensure your customers receive their items promptly. In this blog post, we discussed the definition of “delivery exception” and offered tips on preventing and managing them efficiently. With guidance and commitment, any business should be able to deliver products or services without any hiccups! If you need help ensuring speedy eCommerce orders are paid correctly, contact Simpl today and let us make order fulfillment easier than ever!
Next article: Last-Mile Delivery and Other Trends in Order fulfillment
