The True Cost of the Last Mile
If you’ve ever run a considerable distance, you know that the last mile hurts.
You’re run down, and you want to stop, but that last mile is so important. It can make or break your race.
The same goes for our fast delivery services in Dallas team.
The last mile, the final transport from the truck to the customer’s hands, that is the most crucial part of the transportation experience. It can make or break your purchase.
Unfortunately, the concept of the last mile has really become quite skewed. The promises of “free” and “fast” delivery inundate customers, giving them a false sense of reality.
Free and fast shipping, though seemingly easy with the click of a button, isn’t as effortless as online retailers would have you think. The reality is, that last mile is costly, sometimes inefficient, and requires valuable time and energy of a courier company like our same day couriers in Dallas.
The problem with these promises of free and fast is that they’re devaluing the product and the delivery process, all in one statement. It’s not free to make these last mile deliveries. And eventually, the seller will recapture the cost from YOU, the customer.
The most common way a customer ends up paying for their “free” shipping is through added costs to their product. Sometimes these costs are hidden- the items are just a few bucks more expensive than they normally would be, or your order has the “option” of an added tip for your driver, or you’re paying a monthly/annual fee in order to use “free” shipping. Other times they’re outright- the company that used to offer free shipping now only offers free shipping on orders of $25 and above, or only as a promotion.
Other times, customers end up paying for their free shipping in other ways, meaning compromised quality or honesty. Sometimes that means your items don’t show up when they’re promised. Being offered free and fast shipping is a great incentive to make a purchase, but with such high inventory and so many items to be delivered each day, sometimes these promises are tough to keep for companies who are shipping products to customers.
Many companies will say whatever customers want to hear in order to make the sale, but have a tough time following through on moving the products that last mile because of the cost associated with the completion of the delivery.
You see, the idea of free shipping is truly unsustainable. In the long run, something has to give. Last time I checked, we aren’t offering free delivery for online items, and neither are the other big name transporters.
Shipping isn’t free.
Getting the product that last mile to your front door isn’t free.
Unless the retailer or shipper is truly paying for shipping costs out of their own pockets (which would eventually put nearly all of them out of business), the customer will cover the cost of that last mile.
So customers- next time you’re enticed by the offer of free shipping, think twice. Our fast Dallas couriers know better than anyone that the last mile is costly when it’s done accurately. Instead of focusing on the glitz and glamour of “fast and free”, let’s keep our minds set on the quality of delivery.
Quality depends on the ability to deliver- both figuratively and literally. That’s why when you hire our Dallas same day courier service to fulfill that last mile, you should feel alright about abandoning your expectation of free and fast delivery. It’s just not reality.
Instead, put your products in the hands of experienced professionals, who know how to give you quality service at a fair price.