Imagine you, as the customer, sitting at home waiting for your package that’s supposed to arrive at a certain time. You’ve been keeping an eye on the delivery window for hours to make sure you’re home. And then you get a message saying the delivery attempt failed because you were supposedly not at home. What happens next? You get pissed, because you feel accused and taken for a fool. You know damn well no delivery attempt was made.
So why do delivery companies keep sending messages like that? I got two messages today: one from UPS and one from Refurbed. The email from UPS really pissed me off. What do you mean I’m not home? I’m literally standing at the window watching for the UPS van. There is no way a delivery attempt was made.
I immediately try to contact customer service, simply because I’m pissed. A matter of principle; the UX’er in me is raging. Then I get an email from Refurbed with a general “there is an issue with your order.” Okay, that leaves room for interpretation. I click the link and read: “The delivery was affected by an unexpected event such as a return to sender, a damaged/lost package, or another shipping issue. Please contact the carrier for more information.”
See, that reassures me. Something happened during delivery that prevented the courier from completing it. They honestly state that they don’t know the exact reason. Honesty. That’s what I like.
Then I get another email from UPS saying my package (ten minutes after the “failed attempt”) is now at the pickup point. See? There was no delivery attempt. I’m glad my package is ready for pickup, but the accusation is still bothering me.
UPS: please change your messaging. And if couriers can’t select a different reason, then make sure they can. Otherwise couriers end up being the unintended victims of my anger, while it’s probably just something out of their control. Something I can rationally understand, but don’t make me do the rationalizing myself. Just remove the doubt for me. It’s really not that hard.
Do you want to prevent this from happening to your customers? Have someone (me, for example) take a proper look at your website/app/messaging and make sure your customer never feels stupid, accused, or taken for a fool.
