How to use Stream to give you a competitive advantage
One of the key aspects of Stream is the way it helps you to improve customer service at the point of delivery with your customer. There are many ways in which Stream can do that.
It’s no secret that the bar’s been raised in recent years, in terms of your customer’s expectations for the way they are kept informed of deliveries.
Everyone is used now to buying online, to getting stuff delivered and to seeing all the information that’s available to them regarding that delivery. If you can’t do that, then you’re going to lose your competitive advantage.
So here’s just a few of the ways Stream can help you improve your business and improve the service you give to your customers:
Efficiency
Because Stream helps you plan your route efficiently, makes sure your vehicle is available, makes sure your driver is available, makes sure that vehicle is roadworthy, you’re going to have a very efficient process.
You can plan and deliver better, shorten delivery times, improve the service and make sure those goods get out to the customers as quickly, and as effectively, as possible.
Customer service
One of the core aspects of Stream is the ability to help you improve your service at the point of delivery. Stream provides tracking all through that process. People are used to getting deliveries from Amazon, from DPD or Parcelforce.
All these businesses have great ways of informing the customer exactly what’s happening with their delivery and for your business to keep up and compete you have to be able to do the same thing.
Stream has all of that functionality built-in, so your customers can be informed by SMS or by email. If there’s a delay they’ll be told, if it’s on time they’ll be told, they’ll be told exactly where it is, and they can even go and search themselves if they’re authorised to do that, and find out exactly what’s happening.
And often, of course, there are many parties involved in that delivery and again, anyone who is involved, be it the originator of that load, be it the customer, be it yourself, be it your own drivers, be it your own dispatch people, can find out exactly what’s happening very easily and very efficiently, and even see a moving map.
Why that’s important is because that level of expectation and that level of information is now absolutely expected by your customers, and by the people who are expecting those deliveries.
Anything less than that and you’re just not living up to expectations.
Proof of Delivery
Thirdly, and not to be underestimated, is the fact that proof of delivery is a core part of the Stream functionality. Again, that means there’s no ambiguity.
So your drivers capture a signature, capture a photograph of goods in-situ, so if there’s any dispute about goods being delivered in good condition, or left in the wrong place, or delivered to the wrong address, etc., all that information is readily available, and even marked on Google Maps to say: “This is exactly where it was delivered”.
This saves phone calls, saves emails, saves disputes with customer service, and means that fewer people can handle a larger amount of consignments.
Again, for your customers, it’s great because they can see exactly what they’ve got and when it was delivered.
So there are just three really small points, in terms of how Stream can help you to get a competitive advantage, market your services more efficiently, be more competitive, and really give the standard of service that people are looking for nowadays, quickly and efficiently.
Learn more about route planning. Learn more about keeping vehicles roadworthy. Learn more about Stream & customer service.