Peak season and disruptions quickly expose weak processes. Retailers that plan for variability protect their brand, reduce refunds, and keep customer service from being swamped.
Extend delivery windows by destination and publish conservative cut-off dates. Under-promise and meet it consistently. Missed promises cause refunds, disputes, and negative reviews.
Improve messaging and proactivity by providing clear dispatch timelines, destination-specific ETAs, and proactive delay notifications. Most complaints come from uncertainty, not the delay itself.
Have a documented playbook: alternative services per key lane, clear pause criteria, customer comms templates, and an exception queue process with named owners.
Pause when delivery reliability collapses, customs holds spike, or costs become unmanageable. It’s better to pause than to keep shipping and refunding at scale.
Focus on data hygiene: accurate descriptions, HS codes, origin, values, and electronic customs transmission. Avoid high-risk items; route them only through approved services.
Spread volume across services and partners, pre-book capacity where possible, and adjust routing rules quickly. Avoid relying on a single lane or carrier during peak periods.
At minimum, weekly; daily for high-volume lanes. Monitor on-time reliability, scan completeness, exceptions, and WISMO contacts per order.
Sometimes yes. Fewer options can improve reliability and reduce customer confusion. Offer the choices you can deliver consistently, not every theoretical service.
Use a consistent script: last scan, likely stage (linehaul, customs, last mile), realistic next update time, and escalation steps. Consistency reduces repeat contacts.
Use a dedicated disruption notice page, short checkout banners for affected destinations, and notes on tracking pages. Keep it specific: which countries, what impact, what customers should expect.
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© 2026 Asendia Management SAS
© 2025 Asendia Management SAS
