What pivotal steps does VPD undertake to ascertain the satisfaction of end customers with their deliveries?
Steven De Bruyn: “We invest substantial time and effort in designing, gauging, and monitoring processes, striving to comprehend which aspects of the process gratify or disappoint customers, by employing the feedback garnered through our platform.
Upon detecting recurring patterns, we can fine-tune those different process stages. Attaining consistent performance across all process stages is crucial, as variations may result in a subpar customer experience.
We maintain an ongoing dialogue with all stakeholders, ranging from customers to drivers or installers and everyone in between.”
How does VPD address and resolve potential issues related to order deliveries?
Steven De Bruyn: “First and foremost, we endeavour to pre-empt issues by analysing incoming data from our customers and verifying compliance:
• Is the delivery address accurate? We validate it through geolocation.
• Do the declared weight and volume of an order appear correct?
• Do the delivery date and time slot align with our service matrix?
• Does the order specify the floor for delivery?
• Is an external lift required?
• ...
In case of anomalies, we promptly contact our customer or the end customer to avert complications during delivery.
When we physically receive the orders, we conduct a “yellow line” inspection to verify the completeness and undamaged condition of all the orders. At this stage as well, in case of any discrepancies, we contact our customer or the end customer. Occasionally, such issues can still be rectified, and the delivery can proceed as planned. Otherwise, the end customer is notified in advance that there may be a problem with the delivery.
COMMUNICATION WITH THE END CUSTOMER
“The route planning is always somewhat theoretical. Our plan is based on the data we have received without being able to confront it with reality: we cannot at that stage verify the orders or weigh them.
Therefore, it can exceptionally happen in the morning, during the loading process, that a specific order cannot be accommodated by the intended vehicle anymore. In such cases, we reach out to the end customer, and often, we find a solution on the same day through express delivery with another vehicle, or we reschedule the delivery for another time, in consultation with the end customer.
When a problem occurs during the actual delivery, immediate feedback is crucial. In case of any deviation, the driver promptly calls our back office to explore what we can still do immediately or on the same day to resolve the issue as soon as possible."
REPRESENTATIVE NPS
VPD is proud of its high Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +70. How is it measured?
Steven De Bruyn: “Every customer receives an invitation to provide feedback via our platform immediately after the delivery. This can be done through star ratings, ranging from 1 to 5. Additionally, we also ask a number of open-ended questions to delve deeper into specific aspects of the process:
• What we can do to improve our service
• If the customer is satisfied with the tracking and traceability
• If the VPD staff was helpful, courteous, and adequate
• If the goods were delivered on time and on the agreed-upon date."
How many evaluations does this represent per month?
Steven De Bruyn: “We receive approximately 1300 reviews per month, which is more than sufficient to calculate a representative NPS.”
How does VPD respond to customer feedback?
Steven De Bruyn: “Every customer who rates us from 1 to 3 out of 5 is contacted to offer apologies if necessary, find an appropriate solution, but above all, learn from their feedback.”
ENHANCEMENTS
What do you do with the feedback to improve the service?
Steven De Bruyn: “Every rating, positive or negative, is closely examined and communicated to all stakeholders: the customer, the warehouse, the planning department, the back office, and the drivers. This creates a continuous feedback loop.
Positive reviews are transformed into encouragements, which we consider highly important. In the case of lower ratings, we scrutinise what can be further refined in the process.
Since we have an internal training centre, the VPD Academy, we utilise this platform to train our employees based on the feedback received.”
Does VPD identify opportunities to enhance the experience of end customers to achieve an even higher score?
Steven De Bruyn: “Absolutely! The key to success lies in the collaboration between the client (our clients) and VPD as the executor. The more seamlessly aligned the processes of both parties are, the greater the chances that the delivery to the end customer will occur without issues.
VPD genuinely emphasises this in-depth harmonisation of processes by ensuring optimal IT integration right from the start. Additionally, we schedule weekly meetings with our clients. Therefore, we are already doing a lot, in collaboration with our clients, to ensure quality. There are certainly still opportunities here and there to further improve the customer experience through profound collaboration.”