A delivery promise is what you have told your customer to expect from their delivery experience, whether the transportation is handled by your own in-house drivers or by a third-party delivery company partner. It’s a clear statement of what customers can expect after they have clicked the buy button.
Lets state the obvious: If you sell a physical product, it will need to be delivered.
The main question you need to answer is what have you told your customer about their delivery?
If the answer is ‘not much’, you could be setting your business up for failure, negative reviews, increased support requests and a loss of repeat business. Customers are savvy to the what happens in a buying journey; they know when they’re being sold to, they know what the cost is and they want to know how and when their purchases are being delivered. Uncertainty is what retailers need to be combating but they often overlook the delivery experience. A clear delivery promise helps deliver that certainty and gives realistic expectations from the start.
What is included in a delivery promise?
- Timing: Informing your customer of the expected delivery date and time if possible, all delivery options, cut-off times for next-day or same-day delivery, what could cause delays and how delay notifications will be given. Customers can forgive delays quicker than they forgive no communications.
- Communications: This can include order confirmation emails, dispatch notifications, tracking links, updates, delay notifications and the final proof of delivery.
- Packaging: How will their goods show up. It’s time to start letting customers know that the wardrobe they ordered is coming in 3 boxes, weighing 100kg and 2 metres in length
When and where to put your delivery promise
A delivery promise is only valuable if customers can easily find it. It should be visible at multiple points throughout the customer journey.
- Dedicated website page or section detailing what delivery options, upgrades and expectations are
- Hidden deep in the terms and conditions, which is sometimes the only place
At Checkout
The checkout process is one of the most important places to communicate delivery expectations.
Customers should be able to:
- View delivery options
- Compare service levels
- Understand expected delivery dates
- Access full delivery information if required
This is often the final factor influencing a purchase decision, so clarity is essential.
Dedicated Delivery Information Page
A dedicated delivery page on your website allows customers to access detailed information whenever they need it.
This page could include:
- Delivery zones
- Service options
- Pricing
- Timescales
- Tracking information
- FAQs
- Delivery restrictions
Making this information easy to access can significantly reduce customer enquiries and improve confidence in your business.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and conditions are often a place where delivery information is hidden away. That is not how savvy retailers operate, your terms and conditions need a clear delivery section detailing what customers can expect and where to go if they have further questions.
Why businesses should be using a delivery promise
The word “promise” can sometimes make business owners nervous. It may sound like a legal guarantee that leaves no room for unforeseen circumstances.
In reality, a delivery promise is about setting realistic expectations and communicating clearly. It is not about guaranteeing perfection. It is about providing customers with confidence and transparency.
A well-defined delivery promise can deliver on business benefits:
- Increased customer trust
- Fewer customer service enquiries
- Reduced delivery disputes
- Better online reviews
- Higher customer satisfaction
- Improved customer retention
For smaller businesses especially, every customer matters. Positive delivery experiences can create loyal customers who return again and again. On the other hand, even an excellent product can be overshadowed by a poor delivery experience.
Customers often judge their entire experience based on the final stage of the journey: receiving their order. If that stage is confusing, delayed, or poorly communicated, it can undo all the good work that went into securing the sale.
