Success story
Knowledge
Why the customer experience is crucial for transport companies
Knowledge
If you're a transport company, you're in a unique situation: you're not only dealing with your customers but also with their clients. And if the end-customer is enthusiastic about your services, your direct client often will be too.
So you're serving two customers: both the direct ones (your own) and the indirect ones (your customer’s clients). The indirect client places an order and the direct client confirms it. After the order confirmation, there will be communication with your indirect customer about the expected delivery time and any track and trace capabilities. That is your deadline for arranging the transport quickly, properly and safely. There are various touchpoints during the transport process, from pickup to delivery to the end user, that ultimately all define the customer experience.
We don't need to explain any further why a good customer experience is important for your courier or transport company: a good customer experience means that the chance of getting more customers improves substantially. As a TMS supplier, this is one of our key priorities in development at NextUp, because the software has to add value for your business operations. Based on our software, we explain below how the various touchpoints have been optimized for your direct and indirect customers.
When that happens, your customer can place an order straight away through their personalized NextUp customer portal. If there are several, your customer can also easily import the orders. You can then accept them and start planning.
Based on the information from the placed order, NextUp automatically allows for variables such as delivery times and delivery instructions. You can schedule the orders manually or automatically and the trips are also optimized. The drivers and vehicles can be assigned easily as well. That saves several steps, letting you provide services quickly to your customer.
This may seem like a step that involves you alone, but that's not the case. The order has to be picked up and it may have to be taken to the depot and then loaded again. Those are three steps that your customer has to deal with. That is why you can use the NextUp app to scan the transport at the depot and when it is loaded. Another important point: if the cargo is damaged, that can be scanned using the app, then you inform the customer straight away. Nice and transparent.
It's entirely in the driver's hands then. The NextUp app keeps them in touch with your direct and indirect customers at all times. Texts, WhatsApp messages and e-mails are sent proactively giving the expected delivery times and both you and the customer are notified if there are any deviations from the plan. That lets you keep both the direct and indirect customers informed so that they know exactly when they have to be available. Orders that will be delivered ‘somewhere between 10:00 and 18:00’ are the number one frustration for many businesses and consumers.
This is basically about the customer experience of your indirect client. If the delivery is nice and friendly, that affects their impression of your direct client. Which in turn affects your transport company. A friendly driver is hugely important, of course, but it's also nice if people can add a digital signature for confirmation that is then sent to your customer.
That's our conclusion and it's why we are continually working to optimize NextUp. The key to a good customer experience is above all looking for ways to save time and create insights, both for you, your direct customer and your indirect customer.
