1) Overview of Shipment Delivery Exceptions in eCommerce
As an eCommerce business owner, meeting customers’ expected delivery date is probably one of the most important and challenging things you have to face. You could try your best to hand over the ordered items to shoppers on the exact ETA, but there’s always a slight possibility of something going wrong which can lead to an unexpected delay. In eCommerce terminology , this situation is known as a delivery or shipping exception.
A shipping delivery exception occurs when due to some unanticipated reason, a product can’t reach the customer on time and the delivery date is postponed. This frustrates both the shopper and the business owner, both of whom can usually not do much about the whole situation right away. But eventually, customers turn to the business for help, and it’s critical that the business is prepared to handle the situation at that time.
If you’ve had to face the brunt of customer queries due to a shipping exception at your eCommerce business, the information covered in this article can help you. Here, we’re about to explore what exactly a shipment delivery exception is, what is its root cause, what are its outcomes, and what should a business do when stuck with a delivery exception.
2) What Does a Shipping Delivery Exception mean?
A shipping or delivery exception arises when the delivery date of a shipment is changed at the last minute due to unforeseen situations. It is a notification received by the customer that there is an issue with their package which is in transit. Regardless of how sophisticated modern shipping or logistics technology and processes are, courier services are sooner or later bound to have issues with some packages during transit.
Now although such a delay occurs unintentionally, it is understandably very frustrating for the customer. Thus, an eCommerce business must take all necessary measures to ensure that despite delays, the ordered items reach customers as soon as possible. That being said, sometimes, packages may arrive at their destination on time even after encountering a shipping exception. However, such instances are quite rare.
3) What are the root causes of shipping exceptions?
A majority of customers receive the products they order online on time, however, a small percentage of them may experience the inconvenience of a delivery exception. If this happens with your customers, as a business owner, you should be aware of why they haven’t received the products they ordered from your e-store on time. Only when you understand the situation yourself, can you provide satisfactory answers to WISMO calls and other customer queries?
Listed below are a few common causes for eCommerce shipping exceptions:-
3.1)Custom delays
All kinds of shipping processes come with their own unique challenges, and international shipping is no different. In this case, packages are sometimes held up at the customs for longer periods than expected. This can often lead to missed and delayed delivery dates. Make sure that your shipments have a proper tariff code at the SKU, for it can help make the shipping process seamless.
3.2)Federal holidays
During national holidays, either in the destination country or in the country of origin, packages are bound to suffer from late deliveries. If it’s a federal holiday, carriers won’t be operating and this could cause a delay to the package in transit. Most often, the shipment is further delayed due to the existing holiday backlog.
3.3)Weather conditions
When there are weather or natural disaster issues like tornadoes, floods, wildfires or snowstorms, it is almost impossible to deliver shipments on time. Such delays are completely unpredictable and not in anyone’s control.
Nevertheless, if you use more than one fulfillment center, your package may be delivered to a different location and outside of any danger. Safety and customer service are a top priority for all carrier service providers, hence most of them will have a contingency plan in place and will try their best to deliver the shipment with minimal delay.
3.4)Damaged/missing labels
Damaged shipping labels, illegible delivery addresses, and un-scannable barcodes are some reasons why packages may be unexpectedly delayed. When these important details can’t be scanned, the delivery can’t be completed, and hence, this qualifies as a shipping exception. Likewise, if the address of delivery is wrong, unrecognizable or incomplete, then to the shipment is considered to be involved in a delivery exception.
3.5)The customer can’t receive the package
Some packages need to be signed by the customer on delivery, and if they aren’t available in person to accept the delivery, then the delivery agent re-attempts the delivery the next day. If it doesn’t happen then too, the situation is considered as a delivery exception. eCommerce business owners advise that if customers anticipate that they would not be available to receive their ordered packages at the default time of delivery, they should use the appropriate tools offered by sellers or delivery carriers to decide what time fits in their schedule.
4) Results due to the exception
If any of the above-mentioned events take place, an eCommerce delivery is considered to be exceptional. But it’s important to note that it is still possible to avoid a drastic delay if the product is delivered before the closing of the delivery window. Listed below are three outcomes that can take place in such a case.
4.1) The delivery happens on time
Quite often, a delivery exception can just be a proactive notification that your package could be delayed for a variety of reasons, but in reality, it ends up being delivered on time.
4.2) The delivery happens late
The delays during a shipping exception are generally short. Most often, the products involved in such situations arrive the next day, especially in cases where no one was at home to receive the package.
4.3) The product gets returned
If due to incorrect address or label damage the carrier cannot deliver the package, it is sent back to the original sender or seller’s address.
5) What to do when faced with a delivery exception?
Based on the cause of the shipping exception, you will have to take action to mitigate the consequences. Here’s a list of actions that business owners could take when they notice the likelihood of an exception while their packages are in transit.
5.1)Get in touch with the carrier
Regardless of the scale of your business, if you’re making product ordering and delivery possible, there must be a way for you to be able to track shipments and check the reasons for incomplete deliveries.
Moreover, you should also make it possible for the customer to be able to do so. On its part, the carrier might be able to provide you with some actionable information, post which you can find out how to tackle the situation. For example, if the exception was made due to an incorrect address, you can give your delivery agents the correct details.
5.2)Get in touch with the customer
In case the cause for the exception is an incorrect shipping address, you could reach out to the customer to verify the accuracy of the address and make the necessary corrections. In case the exception was caused due to other reasons such as poor weather conditions, then it's best to inform the customer about the delay and the reason behind it. Email and apologies to the affected people, and don’t forget to thank them for their patience. Any chance to turn a less-than-perfect situation into a positive buying journey for the customer will be remembered.
5.3)Resend the package or issue a refund
In case the package is damaged in transit or cannot be delivered, then you must speak to the customer about resending the item or offering a refund. If the shipment was damaged during transit, then the cost can be covered via your shipping insurance for that shipment, if there was any.
6) How can businesses respond better to shipping exceptions?
All eCommerce business owners at some point wish that self-pickup of ordered items was an option they could give to their customers, but unfortunately, that isn't feasible. Thus, here’s a list of things you could do to minimize the risk of an exception instead:
- Follow up with your courier service provider regarding packing and labeling guidelines.
- In case you’re using a shipping method that charges based on weight/size for packages, then ensure you’re exact. Getting the weight/size wrong could cause an exception.
- Make use of weather-resistant labels or cover the labels with plastic/tape to protect them from any damage.
- Ensure and verify that the delivery address is 100% accurate.
- Give your customers a tracking number for their packages. This way, they can be at home to receive the package when it arrives.
- Make use of multi-carrier shipping software to simplify the process of label printing.
- In case you’re offering international shipping, ensure you are prepared and are charging accordingly.
7) Final Conclusion
As discussed elaborately in this article, a lot can happen to a shipment during transit, and although a shipping/shipment delivery exception is unexpected and often beyond control, it can be quite frustrating for all parties involved. The best way for eCommerce business owners to deal with them is to have a system and set procedures in place to manage shipping exceptions, and put customers at ease while they wait for their ordered items to reach them.
8) FAQs on Shipping Exceptions
8.1)How long does a shipping exception last?
The duration of a shipping exception depends on the root cause of the delay, however, most shipping exceptions are resolved within seven business days.
8.2)What does “exception no attempt made” mean?
This particular notification appears when the carrier has not attempted to deliver the shipment. It can occur due to several reasons, like weather, driver error, any other personal issue faced by the delivery executive.