Metapack: Easing Pain Points and Enhancing Customer Experience

This session at DELIVER Europe 2024, led by Joe Matheron, Senior Director of Customer Success at Metapack and Ship Engine, focused on understanding and addressing customer pain points throughout the e-commerce journey to enhance the overall customer experience.

The Customer Experience Life Cycle

Matheron presented a simplified version of the customer experience life cycle, highlighting the key stages of awareness, consideration, purchase, retention, and advocacy. He emphasized that while the concept of the customer journey is not new, its relevance and importance remain paramount, especially in today's competitive ecommerce landscape.

Key Challenges and Pain Points

Drawing on insights from Metapack's annual e-commerce delivery benchmark report, Matheron identified several key challenges faced by retailers:

• Rising costs and weaker customer demand
• Increased competition for share of wallet
• Cart conversion challenges
• Supply chain volatility and carrier uncertainty

He stressed the importance of a holistic approach to the customer journey, investing in omnichannel capabilities, and consistently offering exceptional value for money to address these challenges.

Checkout Experience: Choice, Convenience, and Certainty

Matheron shared a personal anecdote to illustrate the importance of a seamless checkout experience, highlighting the "three Cs":

• Choice: Offering a variety of delivery options to meet diverse customer needs.
• Convenience: Providing flexible delivery options, such as local pick-up points, to enhance convenience.
• Certainty: Providing accurate delivery dates and clear communication to build trust and confidence.

He emphasised that by focusing on these elements, retailers can significantly improve conversion rates and reduce cart abandonment.

Delivery and Operations Excellence: Addressing Porch Piracy

Matheron discussed the growing issue of porch piracy and shared a case study of a major sports retailer that successfully addressed this challenge by implementing a PIN code service. This resulted in a 90% reduction in disputed deliveries, significant cost savings, and improved customer satisfaction.

Post-Purchase Perfection: Tracking and Communication

Matheron highlighted the importance of the post-purchase experience, particularly in relation to tracking and communication. He emphasized that providing branded tracking solutions and proactive notifications can reduce customer service inquiries, improve satisfaction, and even encourage upselling.

Key Takeaways

• Holistic Approach: Retailers need to adopt a holistic view of the customer journey, considering all touchpoints and their interconnectivity.
• Customer-Centricity: Placing the customer at the centre of all decisions and strategies is crucial for success.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging data and analytics to understand customer behaviour and preferences can help optimise the customer experience.
• Collaboration: Working closely with suppliers and partners can help address challenges and improve efficiency.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly reviewing and iterating on the customer journey is essential for staying ahead of the competition.

By focusing on these key principles and leveraging the right solutions, retailers can enhance the customer experience, build brand loyalty, and thrive in the competitive e-commerce market.