Delivery drivers are brand ambassadors during COVID-19 crisis and beyond

Delivery drivers have found themselves in the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic, as they deliver essential items to people in lockdown, often at increased personal risk. Appreciation has been widespread. Take this proud Mum from Hemsby, Norfolk, who rates her son’s job delivering packages for Amazon alongside those of frontline healthcare workers. Several local and national newspapers have encouraged people to leave snacks outside their doors for delivery drivers, and invite members of the public to nominate drivers, among others, as heroes during the pandemic.

It’s not just drivers delivering groceries and other essentials to consumers that matter, though. With many stores closed, the resulting spike in ecommerce means there are more and more large items that require 2-man home delivery, along with greater B2B distribution from suppliers to retailers. To meet this surge in demand, many operations are hiring drivers on the fly. Therefore, there’s no better time to consider how to make sure your delivery drivers have the best support possible so they can perform their duties efficiently while keeping everyone involved in the delivery experience (including themselves) satisfied and happy. Delivery drivers are, now more than ever, your brand ambassadors, and they will continue to be so beyond this crisis.

If your delivery driver is the only human your customers encounter in the course of doing business with you, you better make sure they have what they need in order to make those interactions shine. The on-site encounter is a golden opportunity to re-enforce your service promises and leave your customer with a positive impression of your brand, but your drivers need good technology tools to make that job easier.

Equipping your drivers with an electronic proof of delivery app can enhance the customer experience and streamline day-of-delivery processes, all the while making daily tasks quicker and easier for your drivers. Here are some of the advantages of Paragon’s fleXipod, during the pandemic and beyond.

• No physical paperwork. Flapping around with multiple sheets of paper at the point of delivery was already an outdated idea before social distancing became the norm. Not only is a purely electronic form of proof of delivery more hygienic, it takes less time. Furthermore, it makes your drivers, and your business, look smart, slick and tech-savvy.
• Consistency of service. Because drivers are given step-by-step instructions in a proof of delivery app regarding the protocols and procedures you need them to follow during the delivery process, they can give customers a consistently excellent experience. Even better, it reduces pressure on the driver if he or she doesn’t have to keep multiple operational rules in their minds.
• Bringing new drivers on board is easy. Many businesses are scrambling to bring new delivery driver hires on board, and there’s little time for extensive training. With the fleXipod app, all delivery drivers are given the same, easy-to-follow processes in a familiar mobile format. They don’t need to spend a lot of time learning, they just download the app onto a handheld device owned by you, or even their own. You can also quickly add or remove protocols for all drivers, such as a requirement to put on a mask and gloves before getting out of the vehicle.

Happier drivers do a better job

At the root, a sophisticated ePOD system simply makes life easier for drivers. They have all the details they need on hand, they don’t have to remember complex processes, and they don’t have to wrangle sheaves of paper. Because this kind of support makes the delivery process more efficient, drivers can make more drops per shift, all the while staying confident, happy, and able to deliver a professional, friendly service.

And the benefits of ePOD systems don’t stop there. There are measurable benefits to gain straight away across your entire business.

Traditionally, logistics and distribution are viewed as a necessary evil of doing business. This pandemic has thrown the activities of our industry into a more positive spotlight. The substantial role that logistics plays in our everyday lives has been highlighted, and delivery drivers, in particular, are being appreciated like never before by consumers. Maybe it’s time for businesses, too, to focus on drivers’ value as brand ambassadors and give them sophisticated technology tools to do an even better job, so we, as an industry, can build on this new perception.

Our team of industry experts can explain how adopting the fleXipod proof of delivery app can transform your delivery operations and keep drivers happy and more efficient. Contact us today to find out more.