subject: Errors In Addressing Packages Add 70p To Cost Of Each Delivery [print this page] But the problem lies equally with retailers, many of whose online forms are badly designed or difficult to understand, according to the reports authors, the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG). The survey suggests that the cost to the online businesses of correcting wrongly filled-in forms and then ensuring that missing packages finally end up at their rightful destination is 146million a year or 25.50 for every misdirected delivery.
The latter cost includes delivery staffs wasted time, redeliveries, and, when a delivery fails completely, refunds to customers. The surveys compilers say that the findings prove that online address forms need to be made as clear and straightforward to fill in as possible. They add that many problems are caused by companies attempting to take short-cuts over compiling and checking the forms, which results in them being confusing or incomplete.
With the total cost of remedying these failed deliveries put at 146million a year that means that such shortcomings and inefficiencies add 70p to the cost of every single parcel delivery made in the UK. That 146million a year figure also represents a substantial proportion of the 4billion which is estimated to be paid each year in delivery charges for items ordered online.
IMRG says that the findings prove the value of online businesses taking great care to ensure that they record all customers data correctly. But it also says that the businesses must make it as easy as possible for customers to see where any information is required, presenting their online address forms in a logical manner.
Typically frustrating and confusing examples of problems with address forms mentioned in the survey include ones which contain a full list of every US state, with the UK only added at the bottom, almost as an afterthought, and forms which are not optimised for individual countries, leading UK consumers to be confronted with forms including fields for state, zip code and other non-applicable criteria.
The survey covered 95 online retailers, which dispatch more than 14 million parcels each year, whose contents are estimated to be worth more than 1billion. The message for anyone arranging a parcel delivery is clear be sure that you fully understand what is being asked for in an online address form, and fill it in carefully and logically.
