Late night ordering for next day delivery - Sponsored poll

[Ray Stafford]

Hi All

I would appreciate some input into a service that we are contemplating.

At the moment, our cut off time is approx 5pm for next day delivery.

We are considering offering an "Express" service, which would accept orders for a limited range of products (mostly boilers, flue parts, filters, controls etc) right up to 10pm at night, for delivery by 10am* the following morning. The idea is that if your customer really needs a quick solution, when all normal merchants are shut, we would be there for you. Imagine doing a quote on the way home from work, getting acceptance that night, sitting down at 9pm and placing the order, secure in the knowledge that your boiler will be moving before you go to bed, and delivered not long after the bacon and eggs.

This service would not be available in the extreme South West, West Wales, or the Highlands and Islands. Or Northern Ireland.

The online service would be backed by a manned telephone number, and a human being would confirm receipt of your order, and despatch. We would use a 10am carrier service, although obviously there are still limits to what a carrier can acheive when there is snow on the ground, or a major traffic accident. If we were running late in the morning, again a human would be in touch to say so.

Obviously such a service has costs which have to be covered somewhere. We estimate these additional costs as being between £20 and £30. The purpose of this poll is to find out a) whether you think you would use it, and b) how you would prefer to pay for the premium service. There are a number of ways that we can present the cost, and I think that the key is finding the right way.

All thoughts appreciated.

Ray

 

[newcastle phill]

If you chucked the bacon and eggs in - i may consider it. ..
Do you cover extreme north east. i.e. the ford estate, sunderland & bensham, gateshead

 

[Ray Stafford]

If you chucked the bacon and eggs in - i may consider it. ..
Do you cover extreme north east. i.e. the ford estate, sunderland & bensham, gateshead

Yep, thats no problem. Even the central belt of Scotland should be OK.

 

[Nostrum]

I've voted, personally I wouldn't use it as most of the boiler replacements we do aren't urgent and pre planned. If they are urgent then the customer knows it's not going to happen the day after.

However if I was to use it, I would prefer to see a fixed additional cost on a separate line of the invoice.

I certainly wouldn't join a membership club for the benefit like Amazon do as that represents poor vue for money in my eyes, and I didn't quite understand the voucher deal concept you also listed.

 

[Ray Stafford]

Thanks Sam

and I didn't quite understand the voucher deal concept you also listed.

Probably because I haven't really thought it through!

Its hard to predict the exact cost of providing this sort of service, because of the mix of fixed and variable costs. So one option is to charge a flat, transparent fee - which was option 2. Another is to charge a little more - towards the higher end of our cost estimate, but to soften the blow, offer a voucher off the next order. My fixed costs don't vary with the volume of sales, so if I can encourage additional future orders, I can spread my fixed cost more thinly, and therefore offer a slightly lower surcharge for the premium service. (£30 charge, minus £20 voucher = £10 true cost).

In this model, regulars would pay less in the long run, but people who only used it once, or so rarely that their voucher went out of date, would pay more.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

if it was me i would just want a deliv cost for next day before 10am because if the customer wants the boiler that fast they would be willing to pay next day shipping anyway, and keep it simple and tbh there are only two real options i the above poll

 

[newcastle phill]

On a serious note. Im with shaun.
at the moment its free delivery ordinarily.
If I wanted it late and fast- Charge a fixed fee what i will pass on to cust

 

[Millsy 82]

I don't like it as I'm excluded! Being from the extreme SW!

You are being countyist! Lol.

On a serious note though it's not very often that things happen that quickly and if the customer does want you there next day all day 9/10 times I will have work already booked in.

Slightly late ordering would be good so that I could do my days work then order when I get home but then it still isn't an inconvenience pulling over for 5-10 minutes to order something during the day.

I think all you would do is wind up your staff by having to work late.

 

[plumben]

I think the service would be good for the likes of forgetting to order something for a job the next day, but if I quoted for a job that needed parts I wouldn't be expected/ing to start next day,

 

[stevetheplumber]

i like the voucher idea as its a little bonus for us .would the voucher be accredited to our account and automatic or would it be another one to dissapear into the pile on the van floor only to be found the day after it expires

 

[Dotty]

Strange. There's no option to stick yer poll up yer bum.

Seriously though, were I in an area that Ray's offering to cover I think this would be an exceptional service.

I won't vote because I think it would artificially skew the outcome but if I were I'd go for the transparent additional delivery cost with an option for refund in the event that the contract be broken.

 

[Ray Stafford]

i like the voucher idea as its a little bonus for us .would the voucher be accredited to our account and automatic or would it be another one to dissapear into the pile on the van floor only to be found the day after it expires

I prefer the latter version, obviously!

Dunno Steve. I don't think the website has the functionality at the moment to automatically do it. I would have to ask the developers.

 

[Ray Stafford]

I think all you would do is wind up your staff by having to work late.

Don't forget they are mostly shareholders now Millsy

But we only need a handful, and in my experience there are always some people who are happy to do overtime, so long as their paypacket reflects it. Thats one of the reasons for the surcharge - to meet the overtime bill.

 

[gasmanrob]

I wouldn't use it personally, I've got gillingham on my doorstep and Maidstone which is obviously a holding branch between them there has never been anything they haven't been able to get me same or next day, which is testament to your outstanding customer service.

The only exception to this is when an item is on back order and that's happens once! Of which it was out of everyone's control

 

[Ray Stafford]

I wouldn't use it personally, I've got gillingham on my doorstep

Hi Rob

I appreciate you wouldn't necessarily want to use the delivery service, but would it be useful to be able to ring a number that would answer late into the evening - say to check stock or a price?

 

[gasmanrob]

I would prefer the ability to go online and check stock at branch reserve and have a print out on the desk ready for the guys to order pick first thing.

Possibly more expensive to set up but cheaper in terms of labor cost for you perhaps?

 

[Ray Stafford]

I would prefer the ability to go online and check stock at branch reserve and have a print out on the desk ready for the guys to order pick first thing.

Possibly more expensive to set up but cheaper in terms of labor cost for you perhaps?

That will come as we update our stock control system from ye olde DOS-based 80x25 character, vintage 1985 system. Work in progress at the moment, but likely to take over 2 years to complete I fear.

 

[gasmanrob]

Rome wasn't built in a day and it is an empire of which you sit at the helm.

Realistically though at a local level were well looked after down here so if it did take a while it's not going to cost you customers, plus you're open an hour before the others as it is

 

[kris]

I'm unfortunate that I can't get next day delivery. I paid the £30 on the Friday or Thursday for Saturday delivery but didn't get it till Thursday. I did get the 30 rein burst .

 

[Ray Stafford]

I'm unfortunate that I can't get next day delivery. I paid the £30 on the Friday or Thursday for Saturday delivery but didn't get it till Thursday. I did get the 30 rein burst .

Sorry Kris - are you up in the frozen North?

 

[kris]

Yeh. I was chuffed you gave me the 30 back. In fact just had a vogue delivered 20 mins ago and that was ordered on Friday so that's great.
I'm based between Aberdeen n Inverness . Right in the middle of them. Next day don't apply to us for anything lol

 

[Ray Stafford]

I'm based between Aberdeen n Inverness .

bbbrrrrrr. I'm shivering already

I expect



If I go north of the M4.

 

[Nostrum]

Yeh. I was chuffed you gave me the 30 back. In fact just had a vogue delivered 20 mins ago and that was ordered on Friday so that's great.
I'm based between Aberdeen n Inverness . Right in the middle of them. Next day don't apply to us for anything lol

Isn't it guaranteed to be cold and raining the next day?

 

[Chalked]

I've clicked the "wouldn't use it" button, as it's not very often you would need a boiler for tomorrow, that you only just found out about at 6pm. That you could also have time to fit the next day.
But not a bad idea.