Customers are demanding more and more of the delivery experience. Studies show that 90% of consumers expect at least two- or three-day delivery, and 32% of global shoppers will abandon their shopping carts if the delivery time is too long. Meeting these expectations doesn’t start with last mile delivery, though. Creating exceptional delivery experiences begins with middle mile delivery.
Bridging the gap between the middle and last miles is the best way for shippers to increase customer satisfaction, generate word-of-mouth referrals, and boost loyalty.
Many organizations understand the importance of last mile delivery in creating positive customer experiences, but few understand the mechanics behind bridging the gap between the middle and last miles for streamlined delivery experiences. Continue reading to learn about how and why to connect the middle mile with the last mile, and contact us if you’re looking for a delivery partner who can help across both legs of a product’s journey.
What Customers Expect Today
Modern customers are looking for delivery experiences that are:
These expectations were established during the pandemic. They were reinforced by the ability of large shippers (like Amazon) to meet them. Now, even smaller shippers are expected to provide fast, affordable, transparent, customer-focused delivery experiences.
The problem is that it’s far more difficult for the non-Amazons of the world to build in-house middle and last mile delivery programs that help them live up to modern customer expectations. In most cases, these small- and mid-size shippers need support from a third-party delivery partner to meet today’s standards.
The Middle and Last Miles are Siloed, Diminishing Customer Satisfaction
Why do small- and mid-size shippers face challenges in living up to modern customer expectations? It starts with the gap between the middle and last miles, which have traditionally existed in silos.
The middle mile represents products moving en masse from manufacturing centers to warehouses (or even between warehouses). Conversely, the last mile represents products moving from warehouses to individual addresses, which is much more challenging.
Given these two portions of a product’s journey have existed in silos, each portion has its own processes and technologies in place — and they do not communicate well with each other. Customers often get frustrated during the transition from the middle mile to the last mile as their deliveries get lost in the shuffle, and there’s little information about where a shipment is located and when it will arrive.
In the race to meet today’s customer expectations, pressure on the last mile has built up significantly. Shippers can alleviate that pressure by better connecting the middle mile to the last mile.
Bridging this gap can help shippers increase reliability, meet delivery deadlines, and boost customer satisfaction. But the opposite is also true. As that pressure builds on the last mile, shippers will struggle to meet delivery expectations if the middle mile continues to exist in a silo.
The Benefits of Connecting the Middle and Last Miles
When your organization effectively bridges the gap between the middle and last miles, empowering communication and coordination between these two legs of the journey, it unlocks benefits that customers will love:
- Accurate tracking in real-time.
- Optimized route planning.
- Consistent and predictable delivery windows.
- Trust and satisfaction among customers.
But again, shippers that attempt to bridge the gap between the middle and last miles on their own will face serious challenges. These challenges might include:
- Building out a comprehensive tech stack.
- Procuring vehicles for a fleet.
- Hiring drivers who understand the importance of customer service.
These shippers can choose to outsource a portion of middle and last mile delivery or find a comprehensive partner that can handle all aspects of middle and last mile delivery. In both cases, outsourcing a portion or all of a delivery program allows shippers to rely on third parties to help fill gaps and overcome challenges that the shipper does not have the in-house resources to overcome alone.
FRAYT: Your Middle and Last Mile Partner
At FRAYT, we can serve as your go-to delivery partner, providing service across both the middle and last mile. We’re uniquely positioned to help our customers bridge the gap between these two portions of a product’s journey because we offer:
- Quality drivers that help create outstanding customer experiences.
- A diverse fleet of vehicles that can handle shipments of all kinds.
- An existing tech stack that seamlessly connects the middle and last miles.
- On-demand service for when urgent deliveries need to get back on schedule. (This is especially helpful during peak seasons.)
- A presence in key markets across the country.
- Capacity that scales along with your demand.
Are you ready to unite your middle and last miles to increase customer satisfaction? If so, FRAYT is here to help. Ship with us.
