Having found that UK online shoppers face nearly 5-day average waiting times, the post-purchase technology tool Shipup has investigated the most common customer complaints around deliveries. It found that almost 2 out of every 5 complaints (38.5 per cent) that UK shoppers filed were due to a package not being delivered.
Customers in the UK were 16.5 per cent more likely to have not received an item they ordered than the global average. This follows previous data from Shipup that highlighted the UK’s particularly poor delivery standards. Despite a baseline expectation of 2-3 days to wait for a delivery for 90 per cent of consumers, the average UK delivery time is 4.5 days, or 107 hours.
Standards of service drop further in the busyness of peak season. Complaints in the UK peaked in November and December 2023, then January 2024, with large differences compared to the monthly average – increasing 109 per cent, 249 per cent, and 58 per cent, respectively. Christmas shopping’s impact on deliveries is notable, as December 2023 saw a 2.63 per cent increase on the monthly average for packages going undelivered, making it the worst month for this complaint.
Agop Ashjian, CEO of Shipup, commented: “British shoppers have faced a frustrating period of slow and unreliable delivery service, and our latest investigation reveals the worrying extent of the problem. The UK’s carrier network is clearly under pressure, and the resulting negative delivery experiences are going to create a financial burden for businesses that rely on good service to retain customers.
People are often more happy to prioritise cost over convenience when it comes to deliveries, but for packages to not arrive at all is a clear indication that businesses need to take serious action if they are to avoid losing loyal customers. If delivery problems can’t be avoided, businesses at least need to be transparent, proactive, and consistent with their communications and loyalty schemes to keep consumers happy with their service.”
When items did make it to the doorstep, issues around the packages themselves weren’t as prevalent in the UK. Only 1.6 per cent of complaints were around the suitability of products and UK shoppers were almost half as likely to have reported damage to their packages (16.3 per cent globally vs 8.4 per cent in the UK). The UK’s two main delivery difficulties were to do with logistics, with inaccurate delivery times (13.2 per cent) and wrong or missing products (11.5 per cent) among the top remaining reasons for complaints being filed.
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