Lost delivery - what's your procedure?
- Thread starter kevin.doran
- Start date
I have a simple procedure.
1. Form an opinion as to whether or not I believe the customer (this is not an exact science)
2. If I feel they probably have the goods but are playing up, I refund.
3. If I feel they are genuine, I resend.
I tend not to claim off Royal Mail because life is too short.
1. Form an opinion as to whether or not I believe the customer (this is not an exact science)
2. If I feel they probably have the goods but are playing up, I refund.
3. If I feel they are genuine, I resend.
I tend not to claim off Royal Mail because life is too short.
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Same as above.
Either send replacement or refund, depending on the situation with the customer and cost of goods. Customers cannot really argue if you refund them.
Claiming for parcels seems to go nowhere at all now. We had 3 claims in at the start of January for items that had been collected by the courier and scanned on to the vehicle and then never seen again. All 3 were rejected on Monday because they could find no evidence the items were missing. Case closed, cannot be re-opened. It's really getting silly now, as these parcels were on the couriers van but never got scanned the other end.
Even our account manager is useless, as everything is handled by the 'Loss/Claims Department' and they seem to be robots who just close cases without asking for any evidence.
Either send replacement or refund, depending on the situation with the customer and cost of goods. Customers cannot really argue if you refund them.
Claiming for parcels seems to go nowhere at all now. We had 3 claims in at the start of January for items that had been collected by the courier and scanned on to the vehicle and then never seen again. All 3 were rejected on Monday because they could find no evidence the items were missing. Case closed, cannot be re-opened. It's really getting silly now, as these parcels were on the couriers van but never got scanned the other end.
Even our account manager is useless, as everything is handled by the 'Loss/Claims Department' and they seem to be robots who just close cases without asking for any evidence.
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First thing I do is check the address is correct. It is amazing how often customers make a typo on their house number or click on the wrong address on an address finder.
Then I say I have asked Royal Mail to check the GPS on the delivery and return to the delivery address. Often customers magically find the parcel at the thought of an angry postman knocking on the door. I now use tracked, so can actually do this, but still threatened it before.
If customers are asking for a replacement, then it is normally a genuine claim. If they want a refund (why would they suddenly no longer want/need the item?), I make them work a bit harder and send an legal looking INR form for them to sign.
Of course, a lot depends on the item value. A £4 order I may just resend or refund instead as its not worth the time spent.
Then I say I have asked Royal Mail to check the GPS on the delivery and return to the delivery address. Often customers magically find the parcel at the thought of an angry postman knocking on the door. I now use tracked, so can actually do this, but still threatened it before.
If customers are asking for a replacement, then it is normally a genuine claim. If they want a refund (why would they suddenly no longer want/need the item?), I make them work a bit harder and send an legal looking INR form for them to sign.
Of course, a lot depends on the item value. A £4 order I may just resend or refund instead as its not worth the time spent.
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I had a fun one recently with Hermes.
I'd already sent out a replacement to the customer.
Raised a claim with Hermes for non-delivery. They wanted the customer to sign some kind of non-receipt form. No way am I going to ask a customer to sign something from another company when it's their fault. Hermes kept insisting - until I pointed out that they had already acknowledged on another support incident that the courier had left the parcel at the front door of a block of communal flats because he didn't have time.
They paid up sharpish after that.
I'd already sent out a replacement to the customer.
Raised a claim with Hermes for non-delivery. They wanted the customer to sign some kind of non-receipt form. No way am I going to ask a customer to sign something from another company when it's their fault. Hermes kept insisting - until I pointed out that they had already acknowledged on another support incident that the courier had left the parcel at the front door of a block of communal flats because he didn't have time.
They paid up sharpish after that.
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Unfortunately this is very common. As we send out high value goods we will not let anything be left without a signature.
We had a situation recently where client can prove no delivery (Ring doorbell) but courier had signed it as delivered. We raised a claim with the courier, who refused it as there was a proof of delivery on their system... We are now looking for new couriers as this has been happening too often, and the courier company is losing a seven figure contract due to their claims process.
We ask for clients to advise us of any issues within 5 working days so we can raise claims etc.
We had a situation recently where client can prove no delivery (Ring doorbell) but courier had signed it as delivered. We raised a claim with the courier, who refused it as there was a proof of delivery on their system... We are now looking for new couriers as this has been happening too often, and the courier company is losing a seven figure contract due to their claims process.
We ask for clients to advise us of any issues within 5 working days so we can raise claims etc.
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No.
Not against the Royal Mail. DPD, and even Yodel, have paid up in the past for lost parcels. But never the Royal Mail. Which is why I stopped chasing them.
Let's put it in perspective, though. The number of parcels lost is a tiny percentage of the parcels sent across all carriers.
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Yeah agree it's small but the ones that go missing always seem to be much higher than the average order value
I doubt that is entirely an accident!!
If an operative is mislaying the stuff into their own garage, I reckon they would get quite good at spotting the right packages.
We sold trainers. We also sold tee shirts. We never had a tee shirt go astray.
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I shipped with Royal Mail and DHL, with a small stint of Yodel, over a period of 12 years.
My choice was based not so much on the value of the shipment but a combination of the weight, and the destination.
Small parcels (like a tee shirt) went Royal Mail because the price gain is big. Anything much larger went DHL, and everything to the USA went DHL.
In Europe, it got more complex, mainly based on experience of local postal services to whom the Royal Mail contract the onward transmission. In Spain, DHL. In Germany, only DHL for the over 1kilo.
It does sound complex! But over the years you kind of evolve a system that works - and it is a bit subjective.
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My Strategy...is always delay remedial action (refund/resend) as long as I can - while still trying to keep the customer onboard
....why? Because most things do show up ...if I act too fast, the customer simply gets free stuff. - A lot of my customers have got free stuff due to a pesky bug going around & thereby causing havoc with delivery times.
....why? Because most things do show up ...if I act too fast, the customer simply gets free stuff. - A lot of my customers have got free stuff due to a pesky bug going around & thereby causing havoc with delivery times.
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Most of our orders are through eBay.
Customer claims non receipt.
If I can see tracking from parcel or large letter I look to see if item delivered.
Strangely sometimes item is delivered but system never updated.
Ok, item shows delivered. I email the customer telling them the day and time.
90 percent of the time that ends the matter. Occasionally someone comes back and says their son picked it up and put it in a different room. As you do of course.
If they still insist they have not had it then choice is refund them in full or ignore the problem.
eBay will back me regardless as item shows delivered.
However from experience I know sometimes items get delivered - to the wrong house.
Right number, wrong road. Or in with post for a house down the road.
So it can happen that both royal mail and customer are telling the truth. Some I do refund.
Talking around 5 to 10 pounds a year in losses these days I think. Possibly a lot less.
Customer claims non receipt.
If I can see tracking from parcel or large letter I look to see if item delivered.
Strangely sometimes item is delivered but system never updated.
Ok, item shows delivered. I email the customer telling them the day and time.
90 percent of the time that ends the matter. Occasionally someone comes back and says their son picked it up and put it in a different room. As you do of course.
If they still insist they have not had it then choice is refund them in full or ignore the problem.
eBay will back me regardless as item shows delivered.
However from experience I know sometimes items get delivered - to the wrong house.
Right number, wrong road. Or in with post for a house down the road.
So it can happen that both royal mail and customer are telling the truth. Some I do refund.
Talking around 5 to 10 pounds a year in losses these days I think. Possibly a lot less.
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I never send a replacement for an item missing in the post. One goes missing so can the next one.
A chunk of the missing items do eventually make their way back to us uncollected. Did once have an item and it's replacement both arrive back several months after being sent out.
I just refund and block the buyer. Simpler.
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I understand you don't want the customer to get free stuff and I agree that most items do show up. I've had a "missing" item show up several weeks later after I'd sent the customer another item so they ended up with an extra item they said they would donate to their local charity shop.
I'd be interested to know if you've found that delaying remedial action is more likely to lead to negative reviews for your shop. That's a real concern for me.
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Had a parcel go missing that was due on Thursday but still hadn't turned up for an event taking place that night on the Saturday. I finally tracked it down at 11am at a Parcelforce depot 15 miles from the customer, but he was setting up the venue so couldn't collect. I arranged a Taxi pick up and explained that he would have no calling card but that I would take any comeback.
Put a claim in to Parcelforce and was refunded the cost of delivery and Taxi fare. Can't knock that.
Put a claim in to Parcelforce and was refunded the cost of delivery and Taxi fare. Can't knock that.
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He didn't.
Fortunately the depot manager had the sense to realise that the likelihood of an account customer some 260 miles away going to the lengths of ordering a Taxi collection for local delivery, was very unusual so he was happy to accept the email trail as some assurance.
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It depends on the customer...some a gruff, some easy going...as I say, I push it as long as I can *but* I'm finely tuned into the Customer's stance ...I don't push it with the ones who are coming across as irritated for the reasons you mention! If they come in all guns flailing & exceptionally rude ...I figure I'll be getting negative feedback anyway, so there's not much to lose by making those types wait!
Majority of my Customers are nice, easy going & fully understand that these are challenging times, so are prepared to cut me a bit of slack while the couriers get their act together.
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I've never got an acknowledgement for a refund application from RM, I sent off their stupidly long form twice and they didn't even bother to reply. I guess they will claim it was "lost in the post".
I have been on the receiving end of a customer lost form. Someone sold something to me and it didn't arrive and I as the customer had to fill in a form sent to me by royal mail to send details of it. This is where the problem lies, it's one of those forms you look at and just think "I can't do this now, I'll do it later". So you never get round to filling it up and sending it back to RM and therefore seller never gets the refund from RM.
Call me cynical but I feel this was intended to make the refund process so elongated and stop from paying out.
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In this situation when there is a deadline always offer your customer the option of a sameday delivery to avoid any potential problems
Never assume that the customer is not willing to pay for a dedicated delivery when it is against the clock
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You don't know my customers Jeremy
Also this was 260 miles away so how much would that have cost?To be fair to Parcelforce and with a degree of acceptance that it's an industry where mistakes can happen, they've not really *let us down badly in over 15 years. I'd suggest the main reason for that is that a lot of their drivers have been with them for years and if there is a problem you can, with a bit of patience, speak to somebody at the relevant depot.
*Delivering a parcel to a Glasgow address that should have gone to Block 4 flat 5, but was mistakenly dropped off at Block 5 flat 4 - the local drugs den - was a challenge, but the intended recipient ran an MMA/Kickboxing academy
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You can test the integrity of a person in these scenarios, do they come forward when they receive the package after they receive the refund. I was pleasantly surprised when someone did that to me - it restored my faith in humanity that I just gave the item to them for free even though they wanted return it (bought item elsewhere).
It really is down to how much the item is worth. I'm lucky in that I sell an item with about 900% markup. So I can take the losses easily. I'll gladly offer to resend the item again with special delivery at my expense. If they refuse and want a refund it would be quite suspicious.
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It's been about 2 weeks so either they've received it and haven't reached out to me or they are still waiting for it. I unfortunately sent it untracked (now I've amended this so I send tracked only) but they also sent me about 3 angry emails all in CAPITAL LETTERS. Bit of a keyboard warrior as I did a search and found out they're a teenager/early 20s.
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If it's a small parcel posted at the post office you have a tracking number on the certificate of posting. Its 16 characters with dashes between groups of 4 characters. Just enter this on then usual RM tracking page. It's not quite as good as a "signed for" but it gives basic info like delivered, delivery failed awaiting collection at the depot, not delivered yet.
I don't know how it works if you purchased postage on-line. Presumably you still get a cert. of posting.
I always rely on this, rather than pay for signed for, within the UK and have saved a small fortune on tracked post. Very few parcels are total loss. Maybe I have a better customer demographic
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If it's a small parcel posted at the post office you have a tracking number on the certificate of posting. Its 16 characters with dashes between groups of 4 characters. Just enter this on then usual RM tracking page. It's not quite as good as a "signed for" but it gives basic info like delivered, delivery failed awaiting collection at the depot, not delivered yet.
I don't know how it works if you purchased postage on-line. Presumably you still get a cert. of posting.
I always rely on this, rather than pay for signed for, within the UK and have saved a small fortune on tracked post. Very few parcels are total loss. Maybe I have a better customer demographic
Thanks for this.
I post at a delivery office (post office queue's are too long and I buy postage online) and they do not provide a receipt for dropped off parcels, just stamping the certificate of posting so I've had to use signed for unfortunately!
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You don't know my customers Jeremy
£340 to you Sir
Would that be card or bacs
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I know a little more now. If you drop off a parcel at our local PO with a pre-paid label, they don't stamp the certificate posting, they scan the parcel label and give you a printed cert. of posting. It doesn't however, have the same sort of reference number I referred to, just a barcode ID (presumably from the label). No idea if this can be used in some way for free tracking.
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LOL, the order was for £200.£340 to you Sir
Would that be card or bacs
Do you accept Woolworths vouchers?
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If it's untracked, there is no reference number if you have a pre-paid label via delivery office.
I think your method regarding bar code only applies to items without postage label via post office.
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You have really set something off talking about lost deliveries
Unbelievable !
I have just opened an email about a missing bed !
We have not had any beds go through for ages as we dont want to do them !
I look further job booked at the beginning of 2017 and this is the next thing we hear 4 years later
The customer is talking like it is at the top of the list after four years !
Four years to decide that it is missing
If it went missing then where do I start now
Unbelievable !
I have just opened an email about a missing bed !
We have not had any beds go through for ages as we dont want to do them !
I look further job booked at the beginning of 2017 and this is the next thing we hear 4 years later
The customer is talking like it is at the top of the list after four years !
Four years to decide that it is missing
If it went missing then where do I start now
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You have really set something off talking about lost deliveries
Unbelievable !
I have just opened an email about a missing bed !
We have not had any beds go through for ages as we dont want to do them !
I look further job booked at the beginning of 2017 and this is the next thing we hear 4 years later
The customer is talking like it is at the top of the list after four years !
Four years to decide that it is missing
If it went missing then where do I start now
How do you lose a bed...after 4 years?
How will you respond?
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How do you lose a bed...after 4 years?
I wont Ralph will
First we have to establish exactly why they did not report it when it did not arrive after a week
We will have an invoice if they are a customer
We have some things that have been hanging around for donkeys years These are blocked in by a massive long term storage job and the customer is stuck in Australia and I dont know when they will be back . I dont want to pull all this out until it is ready to be dispatched
I may have to get a gang together on a quiet day and pull everything out and see if we have an invisible bed
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