A Fantastic Customer Experience Doesn’t End With the Sale As Amazon evolves its same-day delivery service, it could feasibly complement or eradicate its existing carrier relationships by rolling out its own transportation fleet. Much of the infrastructure is already in place, and it would give Amazon the sought-after final link between purchase and the customer.

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A Fantastic Customer Experience Doesn’t End With the Sale
A Fantastic Customer Experience Doesn’t End With the Sale
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Amazon and other customer experience innovators recognize the power that comes with owning the
last mile, and a f ierce battle is brewing as they institute new strategies, processes and technologies to
deliver products f aster and with greater reliability. Amazon has spent billions in the past f ew years setting
up more than 50 f ulf illment centers in some of the largest metropolitan areas in a bid to close the distance
gap between center and doorstep and make same-day delivery a reality. And let’s not get started on the
drones.
As Amazon evolves its same-day delivery service, it could feasibly complement or eradicate its
existing carrier relationships by rolling out its own transportation fleet. Much of the inf rastructure is
already in place, and it would give Amazon the sought-af ter f inal link between purchase and the customer.
EBay and Google are trying to one-up Amazon with new delivery services that leverage local store
inventory. For its eBay Now service, eBay partners with local retailers like Target and Toys “R” Us, which
serve as distribution centers. It employs “valets” who are dispatched to shop f or the items on a customer’s
list and deliver them to their doorstep within an hour. Google’s shopping service operates in much the same
way. Although these services are f ast out of the gate, there are major concerns about the ability to scale
and turn a prof it with such a labor-intensive approach. As Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru aptly f rames
it, “It is an H.R. issue, not a tech issue.”
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In a bid to recoup some market share f rom Amazon, traditional retailers like Walmart are taking an
omnichannel approach whereby consumers can shop online and pickup their merchandise in the
store on the same day. The company has gone so f ar as to institute a locker service in many of its
stores to f acilitate in-store f ulf illment. Considering that two-thirds of Americans live within f ive miles of a
Walmart, it could potentially have the biggest distribution network of all.
The future requires an exceptional customer experience from first click through delivery.
Even if you’re not positioned to own the last mile, there are some steps that you can take to ensure any
glitches in your f ulf illment process do not cost you a new or repeat customer.

2. Above all, remain transparent.
Give your customers radical transparency into the status of their order and notif y them immediately of
any hold-ups, complete with an explanation. You’ll f ind they’ll be more willing to f orgive delays if they know
what’s going on. Remember not to f inger-point at the delivery service because, to your customers, there’s
no dif f erence between you and the service that drops their goods at the door.
Amazon and the Customer Experience
A Fantastic Customer Experience Doesn’t End With the Sale