Reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction with store routing

Undeliverable shipments are more than annoying. Returns are a relevant cost factor in online business and cause dissatisfaction among customers. Find out how the store routing service can significantly reduce the return rate, thereby also contributing to sustainability, saving costs and increasing customer satisfaction at the same time.

Why does a shipment come back at all?

Regardless of whether you have a high or low turnover of goods – once shipped, goods that are returned as undeliverable are always a nuisance and an unnecessary cost factor at the same time. Every returned item means double the effort, multiple shipping costs, additional environmentally harmful transportation and, last but not least, dissatisfied customers. The reasons why a shipment is returned are varied and can hardly or not at all be influenced by the retailer.

Reasons for returns:

• The name of the receptionist is not on the doorbell or letterbox
• Building, residential unit, street or house number cannot be determined
• Access to the building is restricted
• Receptionist has moved
• Name or address is misspelled

Reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction

If the delivery person cannot find the recipient, another delivery attempt will also fail. The solution: Give your undeliverable shipments a second chance. As a DHL business customer, simply book the branch routing service for every national shipment – whether parcel or merchandise mail. It’s worth it: with branch routing, you can reduce your return rate for shipments with an unknown recipient by an average of 64 percent. And the booking is free of charge and is only billed when the service is carried out.

And this is how the second chance for your shipments works:

1. Book the branch routing service in combination with any national shipment – whether parcel or merchandise mail – free of charge.
2. If the consignment cannot be delivered, it is redirected to the nearest branch instead of being returned directly. It will be ready for collection there for seven working days. Only then is the service charged at a flat rate per item (DHL parcel €1.99 / Warenpost €1.49).
3. The recipient is notified by email and can collect the consignment from the branch by showing the collection code on their smartphone or with the printed email.

You have won several times over:

• The majority of returns are avoided and you also make a contribution to sustainability, as no additional transportation is required.
• You save the cost of returning and reshipping.
• And customers are satisfied because they receive their order as quickly as possible.

How you communicate with your customers is flexible. The pick-up notification can be created and sent automatically by DHL or you can contact them yourself.

Does branch routing pay off and what advantages does it offer?

How many returns and how much money you save depends on the number of undeliverable items and the collection rate. On average, 64 percent of parcels that have been redirected to the branch are collected. With this collection rate, an exemplary parcel price of 5 euros and an assumed 500 undeliverable items, you save more than 1,800 euros.¹

Your advantages at a glance:

• Higher customer satisfaction: Your customers don’t have to wait. The shipment can be conveniently collected from the nearest branch by showing the notification.
• Cost savings: With store routing, business customers can avoid expensive returns and the costs of collecting the goods, customer contact and reshipping. Cost savings of over 25 percent are therefore possible.
• Simple handling: You simply add the service to every parcel or Warenpost consignment. If the parcel cannot be delivered, it is automatically redirected to the branch and the recipient is notified. Only then is the service billed.
• Flexible communication: As an alternative to email notifications from DHL, you can also write to your customers yourself. This way you receive all relevant information and have an additional opportunity to contact your customers. An opportunity to intensify customer loyalty or improve your address quality.

Who can use branch routing?

If you are a DHL business customer with more than 200 shipments per year and send your goods nationally as parcels or Warenpost, you can simply book the branch routing service for each shipment.