Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business. It’s what sets you apart from your competitors and keeps your customers coming back for more. And while there are many factors that go into providing good customer service, one of the most important is efficient routing.
Route planning software can save your company time and money, while also ensuring that your customers are happy. By carefully mapping out your routes and planning for traffic, you can avoid delays and ensure that your customers always receive their deliveries on time. In this article we’ll show you how a good route planner can improve your customer service.
1. Improved Delivery Times
The most obvious way that a good route planner can improve your customer service is by helping you to improve your delivery times. When your customers know that they can expect their packages to be delivered on time, they’ll be much more likely to use your service again in the future. Route planners help you to find the shortest and most direct route possible, which means that your customers will receive their packages sooner than they would if you were using a traditional map. With a dependable delivery route planner like Route4Me, businesses can optimize routes by avoiding, among other things, disruptions, traffic congestion, and unnecessary stops.
2. Fewer Missed Deliveries
Another way that a good route planner can improve your customer service is by helping you to avoid missed deliveries. If you’re using an old-fashioned map, there’s a good chance that you’ll miss a turn somewhere along the way. This can result in wasted time and fuel as well as frustrated customers. By comparison, route planners are designed to help you avoid missing turns and taking wrong turns. As a result, you’ll be able to make more deliveries in less time, and your customers will be happier as a result.
3. Reduced Costs
One of the biggest benefits of using route planning software is that it can help you reduce your overall costs. By taking into account factors such as traffic, weather, and construction, a route planner can help you choose the most efficient route. This can save you time and money by reducing the amount of time you spend idling in traffic or making unnecessary detours. When every minute counts, a route planner can be the difference between arriving on time and being forced to pay costly fines. By helping to reduce costs and ensure on-time arrivals, a route planner can help your business run more smoothly and efficiently.
4. Timely Updates
One of the best ways to reduce customer anxiety is by providing them with better updates from their driver. If a customer feels like they are in the dark about where their driver is and when they can expect their package, they are going to be much more likely to call and check in. However, if you’re using a good route planner, you’ll be able to provide your customers with real-time updates on their driver’s location. This way, they’ll always know exactly where their driver is and when they can expect their delivery.
5. Contingency Planning
No matter how well you plan, there’s always the potential for something to go wrong. That’s why it’s important to have a contingency plan in place for when things don’t go according to plan. For example, you should always have a backup route in mind in case of traffic jams or road closures. In addition, you should also have a way to contact your customers in case of delays. By being prepared for the worst, you can ensure that your customer service remains top-notch even when things don’t go according to plan.
6. Automated Communication
By automating customer communication you can take care of all of the little details that often get overlooked. For example, you can set up automatic text messages or emails to be sent to your customers when their driver is en route. This way, they’ll always know exactly when to expect their package. In addition, you can also set up automatic order updates so that your customers are always in the loop.
7. Reduced Driver Detention Time
Driver detention is when a driver is delayed at a facility, such as a loading dock, beyond the allotted time specified in the route planner. Driver detention can be caused by a number of factors, including delays in receiving paperwork or waiting for a load to be properly secured. Driver detention can lead to lost productivity and increased costs, as well as wasted fuel and increased emissions. Driver satisfaction can also suffer if drivers are routinely delayed at facilities. By using route planning software and communicating with the shipper or receiver, drivers can help reduce their risk of being detained.
8. Vehicle Load Monitoring
Route planner software also allows you to monitor vehicle load capacity. This is important for ensuring that your vehicles are not overloaded, which can lead to accidents and damage to the vehicle. The route planner software will take into account the maximum load capacity of your vehicles and plan routes accordingly. This ensures that your vehicles are used efficiently and that you are not putting them at risk by overloading them.
9. Strategic Modelling
A route planner can be used for by considering several factors such as traffic, weather, and the user’s preferences. This type of software can help to create a model of the best route to take based on these conditions. By inputting data about the current conditions and the desired destination, the software can calculate the route that will minimize travel time and maximize safety. In addition, the route planner can also be used to create a model of future traffic conditions. This can be helpful in planning for construction projects or other events that may cause disruptions to the flow of traffic. By using a route planner for strategic modelling, businesses and individuals can save time and money by choosing the most efficient route possible.
10. Happier Drivers
Last but not least, it’s important to point out that a good route planner can also lead to happier drivers. If your drivers are constantly getting lost or having to backtrack because of missed turns, they’re going to get frustrated. This frustration will eventually lead to burnout, which is bad for both your drivers and your business. On the other hand, if your drivers are able to stick to their routes and make deliveries on time, they’re going to be much happier in their jobs. This happiness will lead to improved morale and reduced turnover, which is good for everyone involved.
As you can see, there are many ways in which a route planner can improve your customer service. If you’re looking for ways to improve your business, investing in route planning software is a great place to start. Not only will it save you time and money, but it will also lead to happier drivers and fewer missed deliveries. All of this adds up to improved customer satisfaction, which is the ultimate goal of any business!
