Help your drivers to become Customer Service champions . . .

When it comes to customer service, your drivers (including sub-contractors and agency drivers) are the ‘face’ of your organisation and at the front line of providing the most critical element of the customer experience – the delivery.

In a competitive marketplace, customer experience (rather than price) is more often the deciding factor in acquiring and retaining clients.  It therefore follows that drivers need the right tools and environment to ensure that clients and their customers receive an exceptional delivery experience every time.

Recruiting and retaining good drivers is also a challenge which means that delivery operations must continually work at making the driver’s job easier, safer, and more rewarding.

Let’s look at how equipping your drivers with a flexible and user-friendly proof of delivery software app can help to keep your drivers happy and develop into real Customer Service champions.

 1. Armed & Confident: all the information they need - without the paper!

With a flexible electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) app you can manage the driver’s day with clear instructions using tailored process workflows at each stop; by customer, by contract and by product.  Truck-based satnav knows which vehicle the driver is in and the address of each delivery to ensure the safest route.  Drivers receive their route for the day in a simple format that only shows the details they need relevant to each drop or collection, including any special delivery instructions.  As part of the vehicle loading process, items can be scanned on to check that all items have been loaded onto the correct vehicle. Any changes made throughout the day are updated dynamically so that the driver can be confident in fulfilling each job to the customer’s satisfaction.

 2. A step-by-step guide through each delivery for a tailored customer experience

Clear instructions and prompts specific to each delivery or collection ensure that the driver meets customer-specified requirements, including different product types at one stop. Dynamic, intelligent workflow can easily handle the differing requirements for any unique delivery or collection process scenario, including secure delivery of valuable goods, unattended delivery, cash on delivery, assembly of delivered items, frozen, chilled and ambient goods.  Even when using third party drivers, the same intuitive app can be used on their own mobile devices to provide a global view of drops, mileage and delivery activity across the whole delivery operation in real time.

 3. Pro-active response:  Happy drivers – happy customers

Delivery jeopardy alerts, driven from the driver’s device, allow delivery teams to keep customers informed of any issues as they arise and better meet any specified time-windows.  Using GPS tracking of the driver’s device, combined with live traffic conditions, provides delivery operators and their customers with more accurate updates on ETAs. This is of real benefit to customers who can track their delivery right up to the time the vehicle arrives on site. Any discrepancies at each stop are recorded via the driver’s PDA, including notes, photographs and signatures which provides the back office with real-time alerts to any delivery issues, such as damages and shortages, as soon as they arise. Corrective action, such as replacements or refunds can be actioned immediately.

 4. Seamless communication & back office updates

With electronic data capture from the driver’s device and dynamic route updates from the back office, there is no need for the driver to call in for updates or confirm delivery details. Two-way messaging between the driver and back office includes acknowledgement checks and file attachments and makes life easier for the back office to communicate with drivers individually or in groups, safe in the knowledge that messages are received and acted upon. Being able to track vehicles in real-time also brings an added level of security to drivers, the business and its assets.

 5. Automated driver debriefs – manage performance and rewards

With automated end-of-day driver debriefs and historical reports, driver performance against KPIs can more easily be measured for comparison purposes to encourage improvement where necessary and support any driver incentive scheme.

Why not give your drivers confidence in delivery success with tools that simplify the sometimes-complicated delivery process and remove reams of time-consuming paperwork? Let them focus on providing a more valuable and rewarding customer service experience.

Contact us to find out how implementing the TranSend proof of delivery system can help you and your drivers improve your customer service offering