With the COVID19 pandemic, “contactless delivery” is no longer just for comfort, but it’s a necessity. In many industries, especially restaurants and grocery stores, limiting physical contact and ensuring the safety of employees and customers is the standard method.
Even in the case of “contactless”, how contactless delivery processes work and how they (and contactless security measures in other parts of the supply chain) affect companies and customers during these times. It’s important to understand.
This guide explains how contactless payments work and what you need to know as an e-commerce company.
Contactless Delivery Definition
Contactless delivery is basically a method of delivering an order with limited or no contact between the supplier and the customer.
Contactless delivery became the norm in 2021 as more shoppers turned to online shopping to deliver groceries and other necessities safely and conveniently.
Gradual Need for Contactless Deliveries
It is a known fact that contactless delivery is not a new thing anymore, but the ongoing health crisis requires contactless delivery and curbside collection to become a necessity, most especially in business related to the food industry.
Since 2020, anyone using food delivery apps such as Postmates, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats has experienced a contactless delivery mechanism.
But contactless technology isn’t just about takeaway and food delivery services. Other industries are looking for ways to reduce personal contact, such as hotels, apartments, and even retirement centers. For example, UPS and CVS recently helped deliver prescription drones to the retired community in Florida.
The need for contactless options offers a unique opportunity to continue investing in delivery robotics. Neolix Technologies recently announced that it has raised over $28.7 million to supply self-using motors for driverless shipping. Investments in contactless shipping generation will retain to enhance the shipping experience, even years after the contact-loose motion and ecommerce growth from COVID-19.
How Does Contactless Delivery Function?
The basis of contactless delivery is that there is no personal signature, delivery or exchange of goods, and ideally no contact with the carrier. The order is simply placed to the designated address and a notification (phone, SMS, or email) is sent to the customer.
Often, there are multiple contactless shipping options that customers can choose from while proactively getting notifications about the order. Some of these options include where to order (front step, mailbox, front desk, concierge, etc.) and the ability to tell if you want to ring the doorbell or make a call. SMS when delivery arrives. Some delivery person may capture a photo of the package and have it sent to the customer.
Depending on the carrier, the delivery person may take a picture of the package and send it to the customer.
Ensuring Security and Success With Contactless Delivery
Since e-commerce businesses don’t have to worry about direct customer interactions, it’s still important to understand how to mitigate risk and serve customer orders securely. The following are some of the steps taken to ensure proper contactless delivery during these times.
- Delivery will be notified to you by SMS or email
Since the inception of COVID19, one in five Americans has reported victims of package theft, and since March 2020, 18% have had their luggage and deliveries stolen.
While contactless delivery helps avoid contact between the carrier and the end customer, it, however, increases the risk of theft if the customer does not know about the delivery.
Package theft has always been a big risk when it comes to contactless deliveries, but as more shoppers shop online, baggage theft has increased significantly. To reduce package theft, many carriers and third-party shipping services have implemented ways to notify customers of delivery immediately, such as UPS MyChoice.
With this delivery option, customers can opt-in with proactive updates via SMS or email notifications. E-commerce order tracking has been a standard practice, so customers can check the order status at any time to see where their order is and whether it has been delivered.
- Safety of Delivery Drivers
For proper safety protocol, most of the delivery people necessarily need to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when delivering an order to the customer. This ensures that there is a safety factor to both customer and the delivery driver when delivering the orders.
Conclusion:
To ensure that there will be no trouble with the whole shipment process, Chicago Shipper is 100% making sure that everyone will be safe and that warehouses won’t stop their operations.
As an e-commerce company, understanding how your suppliers, vendors and partners protect their employees and your end customers so that you can continue to grow your business will always be important to a business aspect.
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