We live in a world of 3rd party enablers what assist companies and some of the brands we love to bridge the gap between their traditional business models and the needs and desires of the customers they serve.  These 3rd party companies are happy to step in and assist big brands with things like Same Day Delivery (SDD) services (GrubHub, Doordash, Uber-eats, etc) for example that the master brand isn't able or willing to provide.

While this can be a great win of convenience for the consumer of these products and services, especially in a Post-COVID world, they can also be some of the highest degree of pain points any customer can experience and worse yet - these pain might be completely off the radar of the Voice of Customer (VOC) listening systems the major brands employ.

I have worked with a number of clients across 2020 and 2021 help them stand up these 3rd party services I have 5 tips to consider if you too are looking at leveraging these 'last mile' service providers:

1) Look carefully at the terms and condition of the service agreements and make sure that the service levels provided match your brand promises.  More over make sure that if things go wrong (and they will) they have the systems to identify and the customer service agents to address defects in their service quickly

2) Look at how secure the workforce is to the company you are hiring.  In the gig-economy of part time drivers, many are working for multiple companies - often at the same time.  While this is a noble way for gig-workers to make ends meet, it can have negative consequences on your master brand when your customers are waiting in queue behind a Uber fare, a Grubhub delivery before they get your Flower delivery later that same trip

3) Seek to 'own' the digital - e-commerce relationship directly with your customers vs. using someone else's.  If you offer the goods, manage the checkout and take the customers money you have the best chance to sense, see and repair a CX problem if it should arise.  You also have the data you need to properly manage the 3rd party service and ensure they to are properly extending your brand promises

4) Harness the power of Social media monitoring as a primary VOC channel to understand and see what is happening in that last mile.  Chances are your standard survey systems, and digital behavioral analytic systems are going to be blind to this space, so by listing to multiple social media channels you can pick up the kind of negative CX Chatter that indicates issue with both the consumer experience side of this as well as the employee experience side of these 3rd party gig-workers.  Remember there has never been a customer happier than the employee that served them, and in the case of a 3rd party driver/delivery person - how their company treats them reflects directly on your brand.

5) Finally - Look forward to your future business plans across 2021-2023 and consider if more than 25-30% of your future business will be channeled through this new value chain.  If it looks like demand has been steady through 2020 and into early 2021, even as COVID restrictions lift - the convenience that you've provided might be now a permanent part of your business model.  With this in mind - it's time to strategically consider bringing these 3rd party services in-house, or securing a stronger 'strategic partner' as a permanent part of your go-to-market.

Remember - all business are striving to drive repeat business and as we do this, we teach our customers how treat us, what they can expect, and how to buy or not buy from us next time.  That last mile can make or break a lifetime of value - treat with the same care as your new customer acquisition marketing programs and you should thrive in 2021.

Let's chat if you are facing a similar 2021 business growth opportunity!

- brad smith