Rout me a parcel
Graham Charlton wrote a great blog on eConsultancy a couple of days ago on how on-line retailers are managing customer expectations. (Or not as the case may be). He takes it as far as the check out, but what happens next?
The ability for customers to track parcels and delivery is becoming increasingly common.
The requirement is simple. Take the package tracking status (that we have already) and display it to our customers.
The execution of this separates the customer led from the IT led. The former will take the internal codes and language, ditch the codes that mean nothing to the customer and translate the status into words the customer understands. The latter just display the internal codes and status verbatim. Both deliver the same functional requirements, one delights, one confuses.
Compare the following:
1. BPost: what does “parcel is routed” mean?
2. Royal Mail: “We received item xxxxxxx at [Placename] DO on the 2010-12-22. The item is now ready for delivery.”
3 For exactly the same package at the same time, Amazon track its status as “Latest event: Out for delivery – Dec 22, 2010 4:34:51 AM”
As you’d expect, the eCommerce website does eCommerce the best.
[…] Rout me a parcel […]
A rout is commonly defined as a chaotic and disorderly retreat or withdrawal of troops from a battlefield, resulting in the victory of the opposing party, or following defeat, a collapse of discipline, or poor morale. Is this what you meant?